Kapwing January 2026 Release Notes

To kick off 2026, January was a big month for Kapwing creators. We focused on faster creation workflows, more powerful AI video generation, and smoother exports. Below are the highlights that matter most to everyday editors, followed by the list of changes we pushed out this month.

Workspace Home Page

Now, every Kapwing Workspace has a new Homepage to review recent activity and start new projects. Creators can use the Kapwing AI prompt input box at the top of the homepage to make a video from anything or ask for edits directly. You can also review your recent chats and projects from the gallery on the homepage.

Restyled Tools Pages

We rolled out our new brand style to tools pages like AI Dubbing and Image Editor. These changes followed the update of the homepage, logo, and Kapwing branding which we rolled out in December.

Record Improvements

Record in the Timeline

When recording audio in Kapwing, creators will see their audio layer stream in in the timeline. Since your other layers are visible as you record, the new active recording state empowers users to time out commentary, sound effects, and voiceover with the image and video montage they've created. Perfect for sports commentary, montages, vlogs, green screen videos, reactions, and more.

Try out recording audio inline from in the "Record" tool.

Record on iOS

On Kapwing, it was possible to use your iPhone as a webcam for your laptop to record but it is now also possible to record video and audio directly from an iPhone or iPad. We launched the "Record" tool to Kapwing users on iOS, so that creators can film from their smartphone camera or mic. This feature helps people with an Apple device easily capture footage for a video project without needing to store it on device.

To try it out, come to the Kapwing website on your phone, start a new project, and find the "Record" tool in the bottom menu. Choose between "Record Camera" and "Record Audio." You can toggle between the front and back camera, paste a script into the teleprompter, change the aspect ratio, or record using an external mic. Record for up to 15 minutes, and your layer will be added and backed up directly within Kapwing.

Improvements to Kapwing AI

Download Kapwing AI Outputs

If you use Kai to generate images, music, or videos, you can now download the outputs directly from your chat using the "Download" button. We added this so creators can move from “idea to file” in one step, keeping momentum high when you’re iterating on multiple AI drafts.

Script to Video Review Card

Now, when you generate a multi-scene video, Kapwing shows users a review card to give an overview of the video before generating. Want to tweak the script? Change the voice? Converse with the model to refine the outline before generating.

The script review card will appear in the Kapwing AI chat when you prompt for a multi-scene video. After reviewing, click the "Generate Video" button with a play icon to confirm the video plan.

On the left column, review the text of the voiceover in each scene. Users can edit the script manually, add scenes using the "+" icon, or delete scenes with the "x" icon on the right.

On the right column, review the prompt or search term that will be used to find matching visuals. Edit this description to change the look of your video.

In the top row of options, use the dropdowns to configure:

• Voice: Listen to and pick from Kapwing's realistic text-to-speech voices. Creators can select a voice clone from their Brand Kit.
• Music: Define the mood of the background tune
• Aspect ratio
• Visuals: Choose between stock or generative media to fill the canvas
• Model: Basic is cheaper and faster, with images generated as the filler media, whereas Advanced mode is higher quality with character consistency across scenes

With these options, we strive to give creators more control over their multiscene outputs and simplify the process of making a video from scratch.

Planning Mode

Using the "Plan mode" toggle to get a higher-quality result from Kapwing AI. Input your prompt, describing the video that you imagine. Upload reference images, describe the audio or voiceovers, and include footage that you want to use as a part of the video.

Kapwing AI will interpret the prompt input and develop a video plan to fit what you're looking for. In the chat, review a scene-by-scene description of the video and an estimate of the cost before generating. Click "Confirm Plan" to kickoff the generation.

For visibility, plans will also estimate the number of credits that the plan execution will cost, so that creators can review the credits expense before generating.

Plan mode is currently available to free and Pro Kapwing users, but planned videos are more expensive, generally out of reach for creators on the free plan. Try it out on the Kapwing AI chat surface or in the Workspace homepage.

New Kling Model in Video generation

Kapwing AI video generation now includes the Kling Motion model, giving you another high-quality option when you’re aiming for specific styles or motion. We added it so creators have more control over the look and feel of their AI-generated videos without needing extra tools or round‑trips.

Access Kling in the Model Preferences or mention it in your prompt when making a video with Kai.

Text-to-Speech Capabilities in Kapwing AI

Users can ask Kapwing AI for text-to-speech layers. Prompt for a particular accent, voice type, or language to customize the sound of the output, and recieve an MP3 file that you can download or edit. After generating, you can open the synthetic speech layer in the Studio to make additional edits.

Upscale Video

Through the vendor Tensorpix, Kapwing now supports upscaling any video using AI. Increase the resolution, unblur, or denoise video footage easily by asking Kapwing to upscale for you.

To try it out, come to the Kapwing AI input box, select the video you want to upscale, and prompt for "Upscale video" or anything related. Because it modifies every frame, it does take a while for upscaling to finish, depending on the length of your video.

Other Bug Fixes and Small Features

• Subtitles now block unsupported languages to prevent failed exports and confusing results.
• Signed out users (on the free plan) cannot upload files larger than 2 GB
• Transcription issues on audio layers were fixed
• Better error messages in Kapwing AI. Users now see actionable errors rather than generic messages if something goes wrong.
• Added thumbs up/ thumbs down evaluation within Kai so that we can review results and improve back outputs