[Solved] Retrieving lost videos

Hi,

Based on your query we break up and provide the possible solutions as below:

Can CapCut directly access media from Google Photos?

While CapCut has integrations with Google Drive and Dropbox, allowing you to import media directly from these cloud storage services, there is no current option of direct integration with Google Photos.

Therefore, CapCut, cannot directly access your photos and videos stored in Google Photos. It needs the media files to be locally available on your device's storage or imported from Google Drive or Dropbox.

However, you can try the following steps to restore your projects:

1. Download media from Google Photos:

• Retrieve your files:
  • Log in to your Google Photos account.
  • Locate and download the specific photos and videos you used in your CapCut projects back to your device. (for this, you will first need to locate the media files on your Google Photos)
  • File path dependency: CapCut stores the file path to where your media was located when you imported it. If you delete the original files and then download them again, even if they have the same filename, they might end up in a different folder on your device, resulting in a new file path.

2. Relink media in CapCut:

• Re-establish connections:
  • Open your CapCut project; missing media will be highlighted or marked as "Media Lost."
  • Tap on the missing media prompts, and CapCut should provide an option to relink or replace the media.
  • Navigate to the location where you have re-downloaded the files and select them to restore the links.

For a video tutorial on relinking missing media in CapCut, you might find this tutorial helpful:

If CapCut does not automatically relink or "Reconnect Media":

• Manual replacement: In this case you will need to manually replace each missing clip in your timeline:
  1. Identify the missing clip in your timeline.
  2. Delete the missing clip from your timeline.
  3. Import the downloaded video from Google Photos into CapCut again.
  4. Place the newly imported video in your timeline where the old clip was, and try to trim and adjust it to match the original length and position. This can be time-consuming, especially for complex projects.

Can CapCut show filenames or dates of used media?

Unfortunately, CapCut does not directly display the original filenames or dates of the videos and photos used within a project in an easily accessible way within the user interface.

• No built-in metadata display: CapCut's interface is designed for visual editing, and it does not have a feature to show detailed metadata like filenames or dates of imported media within the project itself.
• Project file limitations: While CapCut projects store information about the media used, this data is primarily for CapCut's internal use to link to the files. It is not presented to the user as a list of filenames or dates within the app for easy reference.

However, here are a couple of workarounds that might help you identify the media:

• Preview in timeline: Carefully go through your CapCut project timeline. As you select each clip, the preview might give you visual clues about the content. If you remember roughly when you recorded or took those photos/videos, this visual cue might help you locate them in your Google Photos library (if you organize Google Photos by date).
• Export project as editable project: CapCut generally allows you to export a project file that might contain some references to the original file paths. Check if your CapCut version has an option to export your project in a way that preserves more project data. If it does, you might be able to open this exported project file in a text editor (with technical knowledge) and see if there are any file path references.
• To manage this in the future, consider maintaining a separate log of files used in each project, noting their names and creation dates.

How to prevent such issues from happening again in future?

• Don't delete originals until project is finished & exported: Keep the original photos and videos on your device until you have completely finished your CapCut project and exported the final video.
• Project folders: Organize your media files for each CapCut project into dedicated folders on your device. This makes it easier to find them later.
• Cloud backups: If you want to back up to Google Photos, do it after you are completely done with your CapCut project and have exported the final video. If you need to free up space, consider backing up to Google Drive or Dropbox and see if CapCut's direct integration with those services can streamline your workflow in the future though this won't solve your immediate problem.
• Export editable project files: If CapCut allows you to export your project in an editable format, do so regularly. This can help preserve your project structure even if media files get moved though it doesn't solve the missing file issue entirely.
• When importing media, use CapCut's "Copy to Project" feature.
• This ensures that all media files are stored within the project's directory, safeguarding against accidental deletions or relocations.

For guidance on using the "Copy to Project" feature, refer to this resource:

By following these steps, you should be able to restore your projects and prevent similar issues in the future.