Removing background from a photo used to be a challenging task. However, thanks to recent advancements in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), that’s no longer the case. With the new update, the Photos app on Windows 11 can now blur, replace, and remove the background of any photo. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do that exactly in simple steps. Let’s get started.
Note: To use the background removal feature, ensure that your Photos app version is 2023.11110.8002.0 or higher. To check your Photos app version, open the application, click on the Settings icon (looks like a cog/gear) in the title bar, and scroll down to the About section. It shows your currently installed version.
Steps to Remove Background with Photos App
First, double-click an image or photo to open it in the Photos app. Alternatively, right-click on the photo and choose Open with > Photos. Once the image opens, click on the Edit Image icon on the top bar of the app window.
In the Edit window, click on the Remove Background icon on the top bar.
The app now scans the image and automatically selects the background. Once the background is selected, you can either Blur, Remove, or Replace it. Select the appropriate option on the right sidebar based on your preference. For instance, to remove the background, select the Remove option.
While the app does a good job at selecting the background, there might be some misses depending on the photo. For instance, the app might select miss or select something that’s not part of the background. In that case, you can fine-tune the selection. To do that, turn on the Background brush tool toggle.
Next, select Add to add something as part of the background and Remove to remove something from the background selection. and use the Brush to add or remove the background selection. You can adjust the Brush size and softness using the sliders on the right sidebar. Once you are satisfied with the selection, click Apply.
In my case, I added some parts to the background selection that the app missed. As you can see from the below image, the result is much better compared to the default selection.
To save the photo with the modified background, click on the Save Options button and choose Save as Copy. This ensures that you save a copy without modifying the original photo.
In the Save As window, navigate to where you want to save the file, type a name of your choice in the File Name field, ensure .png is selected in the Save as Type dropdown, and click Save.
And there you have it! With that, you’ve removed the background with the Photos app and saved it as a new file.
Related tutorial:
