8 Best Apps to Change the Background of a Picture in 2024

Best Background Changer Apps in 2024

By: Rob Adams, travel photographer, Asian food aficionado
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5.0 Votes: 3
Last updated: 19.01.2024

Bystanders in the back are ruining the shot’s composition, strict official requirements make your portrait unfitting for some documents, or the background is blurred because of autofocus? These are fair reasons to be unhappy with your photos. And, at first glance, only a reshoot would help to solve those issues. However, modern photo editing technology allows you to remove a picture background in a moment. It opens a world of possibilities for creative and practical montages like a selfie from the surface of Mars or a passport photo with a blank backdrop, for example. And you need no complex or expensive tools for this!


Replacing a picture background

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Fully compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

To help you choose the best option, we have found the top 8 backdrop changing apps that may do the job for you. On this page, we have gathered software for PC, Mac, mobile devices, and online platforms that let you make creative and functional edits. We will also show how to change the background of a picture for free. Use the content list below to navigate. Let’s begin!

1. PhotoWorks
2. remove.bg
3. Simple Background Changer
4. Automatic Background Сhanger
5. Background Eraser Pro
6. Canva
7. Adobe Photoshop Express
8. Superimpose
Bonus: How to change the background in a picture

The Best Apps to Change the Background in a Photo

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Score9.3

PhotoWorks

  • Functionality: .....................................9
  • Interface design: ...............................10
  • Value for money: ...............................9
  • Overall score: ...................................9.3
Let’s kick off our list of background editing apps with PhotoWorks. It is an all-around photo editor packed with features for an easy workflow. It takes a few brush strokes to remove everything around the object of your interest, thanks to AI recognition. Then you can use any image you want, be it one from a built-in library or one you can upload, as a new backdrop. To make colors blend seamlessly, you’ll need to adjust only a single slider. You can also use this app to make the background white or replace it with any color or texture. If you are looking for uncomplicated software for day-to-day editing, PhotoWorks is the way to go.
Pros:
  • Automatic object and backdrop recognition
  • Vast built-in backgrounds library
  • AI-powered retouching and enhancement
  • Intuitive interface and clear tutorials
  • Lenient system requirements
Cons:
  • No macOS version

Compatible with:

Windows 7 and above


Price:

From $19.25

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Score8.3

remove.bg

  • Functionality: .......................................8
  • Interface design: ...............................8
  • Value for money: ...............................9
  • Overall score: ..................................8.3
If you solely want to put backgrounds on pictures without no further editing, go with remove.bg. It’s an online program specializing in erasing backgrounds from images that requires no installation. With its help, you can edit the picture background free of hurdles. Just upload your image and download the result. That is it! If you wish, you can slightly correct the result by manually removing or restoring parts of the image. The major downside is that you need a subscription to download files in HD.


Pros:
  • One-step background removal
  • Uncomplicated editing toolkit
  • Free preview image download
  • Super simple interface
Cons:
  • Subscription is required to download images in HD

Compatible with:

Anything with a stable Internet connection


Price:

Free, or from $0.07 per image

Download
Score7.6

Simple Background Changer

  • Functionality: .......................................8
  • Interface design: ...............................8
  • Value for money: .................................7
  • Overall score: ...................................7.6
Simple Background Changer is a free app to change photo backgrounds designed for casual Android users. Anyone can highlight, erase, and restore background colors in seconds with its intuitive tools. You can also add a new backdrop right after removing the old one, be it your image or a picture from the built-in stock library. However, this background editor is not lenient toward free users. They will have to deal with watermarks and in-app purchases. And on top of that, the application has no autosave. You always have to save your work manually or else lose the progress.



Pros:
  • Convenient zoom and brush size control for accuracy
  • Straightforward and easy to use
  • Built-in library of stock images
Cons:
  • Doesn’t save progress automatically
  • Bare-bones editing tools

Compatible with:

Android devices


Price:

Free (with in-app purchases)

Download
Score7.3

Automatic Background Changer

  • Functionality: .....................................6
  • Interface design: ...............................8
  • Value for money: .............................8
  • Overall score: ...................................7.3
Automatic Background Changer is another good option if you need to change the background of a picture with an app for Android. You can remove a backdrop of a picture from your gallery or take a new shot within the application. The app will do the rest on its own. Then you can choose a new background from your library or choose one from the in-app stock. Additionally, Automatic Background Changer offers a quite basic toolkit that corresponds with its price tag. All its features are available for free, but you’ll have to deal with annoying ads unless you get the paid version.


Pros:
  • Automatic erasure of backgrounds
  • Easy sharing via email or social media
  • Dozens of stock backgrounds
Cons:
  • Annoying ads in the free version

Compatible with:

Android devices


Price:

Free or $1.49 with no ads

Download
Score6.6

Background Eraser Pro

  • Functionality: .......................................6
  • Interface design: ...............................8
  • Value for money: ................................6
  • Final verdict: .......................................6.6
This is one of the most popular and simple apps to change the background of a picture. You just upload a photo, tweak a couple of parameters, and get an image with a transparent backdrop that you can place over any alternative background. Background Eraser is very good at what it does, however, has little to offer beyond removing a backdrop from a picture. And you can edit a photo background for free only on Android smartphones – the iOS version is paid.


Pros:
  • Very clear and uncomplicated interface
  • Lightweight – occupies only 3.3 MB
  • Effective automatic eraser tool
Cons:
  • Lacks built-in photo enhancement options
  • Suggests using other apps to add backdrops

Compatible with:

Android and iOS devices


Price:

Free with ads for Android

$2.99 for iOS

Download
Score8

Canva

  • Functionality: .....................................8
  • Interface design: ..................................9
  • Value for money: .................................7
  • Overall score: ...................................8
Canva is a web-based platform designed for making posters, ads, social media posts, and so on. But it serves as a photo app to change the background just fine. It has a huge assembly of templates for streamlined production and allows a team of editors to work on a project in real time. Canva offers photo post-production and graphic design functionality on par with desktop programs. However, you can’t edit the background of a photo for free – this feature is locked behind a paywall along with some others.


Pros:
  • One-click background removal
  • Lots of stock design elements and templates
  • Simple photo enhancement tools
  • Real-time team collaboration
  • Convenient export options
Cons:
  • Background remover is available only in the Pro version

Compatible with:

Any device with a stable Internet connection


Price:

Free, or from $12.99 per month

Download
Score8

Adobe Photoshop Express

  • Functionality: ....................................8
  • Interface design: .................................9
  • Value for money: .................................7
  • Overall score: ..................................8
Photoshop Express is Photoshop’s little brother designed for quick and uncomplicated editing on your phone. It has everything you need to change the background of a picture and enhance it in other ways: filters, color correction presets, defect removal tools, and more. To remove a background, you just have to upload a photo, tap “Cutout” and upload a new backdrop image. Photoshop Express has advanced tools as well, but you need a Creative Cloud account and a subscription to access them. However, making catchy images for social media with the free version of the app is completely feasible.




Pros:
  • One-click background removal
  • Expansive and easy-to-use toolkit
  • Desktop and mobile versions
  • Sleek and clean UI
Cons:
  • Windows version can’t remove backgrounds
  • Subscription plans are quite pricey

Compatible with:

Windows 8 or above, iOS, and Android


Price:

Free, or from $12.99 per month

Download
Score8.3

Superimpose

  • Functionality: .......................................7
  • Interface design: .................................9
  • Value for money: ................................9
  • Overall score: .....................................8.3
Superimpose is a simple app to change the backgrounds of photos on iPhones and Android devices. It is dedicated to removing backdrops and objects and imposing images. It allows you to create fun and expressive collages by replacing items and textures, along with color correction, hue, exposure, and saturation adjustment, and other basic editing. The app also includes various blending modes and automatic masking tools to make editing a breeze.



Pros:
  • Automatic masking tool
  • Plethora of various blending effects
  • User-friendly interface for streamlined work
Cons:
  • Can impose two layers only

Compatible with:

iOS and Android


Price:

$1.99 on App Store, $0.99 on Google Play

How to Change a Background in a Picture

We have covered different apps for any skill level and purse thickness. Hopefully, you have found a perfect program for your needs. But whatever option you choose, the process of removing a background is fairly similar across the board. Let’s see how to add backgrounds to pictures following common steps. Here’s what you’ll have to do:

Step 1. Get the best background changer app
Step 2. Open your picture in the backdrop editor
Step 3. Edit out the background of your photo
Step 4. Add a new backdrop
Step 5. Save the results

Step 1. Get the Best Background Changer App

Download the installation file of one of the best background editors on our list – PhotoWorks. Run this file and follow the instructions. Then launch the program from the desktop icon.

Step 2. Open Your Picture in the App

Drag and drop your picture from anywhere into the program window. Alternatively, you can click the Open Photo button to find your picture via the file browser.

Step 3. Edit the Background of Your Photo

Go to the Tools tab. Select the Change Background tool and set the brushes’ properties – size and border. Use the green brush to mark the object, and the red brush to highlight the background. Then click Next, and PhotoWorks will automatically remove the background. Erase any background leftovers or restore small object details with the same brushes if needed, and hit Next again.

Mark objects and the background

Paint the items you want to preserve and remove with the green and red brushes, respectively

Step 4. Add a New Backdrop

Click Select Background Image. Then pick one of the stock backdrops from the editor’s collection or upload your own. You can also move and resize the top image, blur its edges and adjust its color scheme with sliders. Once everything looks fine, click Apply.

Add a new background

Back up your traveling story with a proper backdrop

Alternatively, you can change the background color with the program’s built-in palette or drop a texture. This might work well for studio portraits and ID pictures.

Step 5. Save the Results

If you wish, you can use other tools to further enhance the image, such as color, exposure, and contrast adjustment, sharpness correction, and many other parameters. Then click the Save button and export the edited photograph as a JPEG, PNG, BMP, or TIFF.

Now you know how to change the background in a picture with PhotoWorks! The process of editing with other software is likely to be similar, so keep this guide in mind regardless of your choice. Use those apps to alter the background color, drop fun textures, or send models to alternative locations.


Which Background Changer App Is the Best for You?

You’ve come here looking for the best background changer app, so which is the one? Everyone wants to tell their own story and requires different means to do it. So consider your goals, editing preferences, and available devices – how they match the editors we have described.

If you want to quickly remove and replace a backdrop for a creative montage, try online editing with Canva. For shooting and imposing pictures on your phone right away – the Superimpose and similar backdrop apps are a great option. And for more inclusive and user-friendly editing on your PC – go with PhotoWorks, an all-in-one photo editor.

Want to explore some more handy backdrop editors? Check out a list of the best background removers. And if you want to go beyond backdrop replacement with your smartphone, read an in-depth review of the best photo editing apps for iOS and Android.


Frequently Asked Questions

How to change the background on a photo?

Here’s how to edit the background of a photo:


1. Download and install PhotoWorks

2. Load the needed picture into the program

3. Highlight the object and the background with special brushes

4. Pick a new fitting backdrop from the library or load your own

5. Save the edited picture as a new file


For a more detailed guide on how to put a background on a picture, check out a step-by-step tutorial.

Which is the best mobile app to change photo backgrounds?

That depends on the goals you set and the OS you are using. Here’s a short list of apps to put backgrounds on pictures for iOS and Android smartphones worthy of your attention:


Simple Background Changer

Automatic Background Changer

Background Eraser Pro

Superimpose

How can I change the background of a JPEG?

Use a background photo editor with a dedicated editing feature, for example, PhotoWorks. In this PC photo software, you can remove objects and backdrops and enhance JPG images. PhotoWorks can also work with PNG, BMP, GIF, and dozens of RAW formats of different camera models.

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