How to remove the background from a photo

Automatic background removers guess, and they guess worst exactly where it matters, around hair, edges and anything thin.

Erase the background
Whichever tool you use here, the file stays on your device. How that works

Step by step

  1. 1Add the photo.
  2. 2Set the brush size and drag over what you want gone.
  3. 3Use a smaller brush near the edges of the subject.
  4. 4Undo any stroke that went too far, then save the cut out as a PNG.

Why doing it yourself often wins

An automatic tool has to decide what the subject is. When the background is a similar colour, or the edges are soft, it takes a guess and you are left correcting it.

Doing it by hand is slower for a simple shape and faster for a difficult one, because you never have to undo someone else's mistake.

It saves as PNG, which is the only common format that keeps transparency. Saving as JPG would fill the erased area with white.

Questions

Can I put part of the picture back?

Yes. Tick the restore option and paint it back in.

Why PNG?

It is the format that keeps see through areas. JPG cannot.

Is the photo uploaded?

No, which is the point. Automatic removers work by sending your picture to a server.