To change the background of a photo, you do two jobs: separate the subject from what's behind it, then put a new color or scene in its place. Phones handle the first job well and the second only partly. An iPhone can white out a portrait's background or lift the subject out as a cutout, while Google Photos and Samsung Gallery take a typed request on supported phones. Steps for iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac follow, then the cleanest route to a white background and when an AI swap does both jobs at once.
7 ways to change the background of a photo
For photos of people, pets and everyday scenes, the options compare like this as of September 2026:
| Method | Works on | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-Key Light Mono in Apple Photos | Portrait mode photos on iPhone XS and later; front camera only on iPhone XR | Included with iOS | A white background, when a black-and-white subject is fine |
| Copy Subject in Apple Photos | The Photos app on iPhone | Included with iOS | Cutting the subject out to paste onto a new background in another app |
| Ask in Google Photos | Google Photos on Android or iPhone, for adults in the regions where Ask is offered | Free for eligible users | Describing the new background in words |
| Create in Samsung's Photo assist | Some Galaxy models with One UI 6.1 or higher | Samsung says basic Galaxy AI is free and enhanced features may have fees | Describing a new background on a Galaxy |
| Background tool in Windows Photos | The Photos app on a Windows PC | Included with Windows | A solid white or colored background, subject kept in color |
| Remove Background in Preview | Preview on a Mac | Included with macOS | A cutout with no background, to place somewhere else |
| Background Swapper in Toybox AI | Phone or computer, in the browser | Currently 80 credits, or 90 with "Look up real places" | A whole new scene from presets, a description, or your own background photo |
How to change the background of a photo on iPhone
The iPhone Photos app has no button that swaps in a new scene. Two built-in features still cover most of the job: a portrait lighting effect that whites out the background, and a cutout you can paste anywhere.
How to change the background of a photo to white on iPhone
High-Key Light Mono is a Portrait Lighting effect that puts the subject, in shades of gray, against plain white. It works on photos taken in Portrait mode on iPhone XS and later with either camera, and with the front camera on iPhone XR. Regular Photo mode shots can get it too on the iPhone 15 and the newer models Apple lists, which leave out the iPhone 16e. Look for Portrait at the bottom of the edit screen: Photos offers it for pictures of people, dogs and cats.
- Open the Portrait mode photo in Photos and tap the Edit button.
- Tap the lighting button at the top. The Portrait Lighting effects show up under the photo.
- Touch the Portrait Lighting control and slide to High-Key Light Mono.
- Drag the slider below the effects to adjust its intensity, then tap Done.
- To undo it later, open the photo, tap the Edit button, and choose Revert, then Revert to Original.
The subject turns black and white along with the background. For a white background with the subject still in color, use Windows Photos, Preview on a Mac, or an AI swap.
Copy the subject onto a new background
The Photos app can lift the subject out of a photo as a cutout, and you paste that cutout over any background in another app.
- Open the photo in Photos.
- Press and hold on the subject until the Photos app outlines it.
- Tap Copy or Copy Subject, or tap Share to send the cutout straight to another app.
- Open the new background in a layers app and paste the subject over it.
Photos can't place the cutout onto a new picture itself, so this route always needs a second app. Zoom in on hair and fingers before you paste, since those edges are the hardest to cut cleanly from a busy scene.
How to change the background of a photo on Android
Google Photos and Samsung Gallery both accept a typed edit request on supported Android phones. Google lists changing backgrounds among the edits you can describe to Ask, alongside removing objects and fixing lighting.
Google Photos Ask on Android or iPhone
Ask is Google's conversational editor. It requires you to be at least 18 and signed in with a personal Google Account (not a work or school account), Face Groups and location estimates have to be switched on, and it's only offered in some countries and regions. Most Google Photos editing tools need at least 3 GB of RAM, plus Android 8.0 or iOS 18 or newer.
- Tap your profile picture and go to Photos settings. Under Preferences, open Gemini features in Photos.
- Switch on both Use Gemini in Photos and Ask Photos.
- In the photo, tap Edit, choose Ask, and tap Continue.
- Type the change, such as "replace the background with a plain white wall, keep the person as they are", or tap the microphone and say it.
- Tap the Enter button, check the result, then tap Save.
Samsung Galaxy phones
Photo assist has a Create option on select Galaxy models (Android 14, One UI 6.1 or higher) that changes a photo from a written description, so you can type the new background you want. Sign in to your Samsung account and stay connected to the internet while you use it.
- In Gallery, pick the photo, tap the pencil to edit, then tap the star-circle Photo assist button.
- Tap Create and describe the new background in the text field.
- Tap Generate, then zoom in on the hair and hands.
- Pick Save as copy so the unedited photo stays in Gallery too.
Samsung's camera can also restyle the background while you shoot. In PORTRAIT mode, the Backdrop effect turns the area around the subject gray with a gradient, and the subject stays in color.
How to change a photo background to white on a PC or Mac
A computer gives you the cleanest white, because you can pick the exact color instead of letting an effect choose it.
Windows Photos
The Photos app on Windows has a Background panel that selects the background for you and replaces it with a color you pick. According to Microsoft, the subject is separated on your PC, not in the cloud.
- Open the picture in the Photos app and click Edit image (Ctrl + E).
- Open the Background panel. The app selects the background automatically.
- If it missed a spot, switch Background brush tool on and use Add mask or Remove mask to fix the selection.
- Choose Replace, then pick white in the color palette or enter the RGB values 255, 255, 255.
- Select Apply.
Preview on a Mac
Preview's Remove Background button deletes everything behind the subject and leaves just the cutout, which you then place on white or on any picture.
- Open the image in Preview and click the Remove Background button.
- If Preview asks to convert the file to PNG, click Convert, or click Cancel and choose File, then Duplicate, to keep the original.
- Copy the result and paste it onto a white page or another photo in any app you use for documents or slides.
Product listings that must meet a marketplace's white-background rules are a separate job, covered in the guide to white backgrounds for product photos.
Tips for a new background that looks real
Run through these checks before you share a photo with a swapped background:
- Matching light direction. If the sun lights your subject from the left, choose a background where shadows fall to the right.
- Horizon at the right height. When the camera was at your subject's eye level, the horizon in the new background should cross near their eyes. A horizon at their waist makes them look like a giant.
- Clean edges. Old background likes to survive in flyaway hair, around glasses, and between an arm and the waist. Zoom in and check each spot.
- Something to stand on. Feet need a floor that matches. If the new ground doesn't fit, crop to the waist.
- Believable focus. A background as sharp as the subject looks flat for a portrait. A light background blur adds the depth a real portrait lens would give.
- Keep the real place when only one thing is wrong. If a stranger walked into the shot, erasing that one person keeps the real background instead of inventing one.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| High-Key Light Mono isn't in the list | It isn't a Portrait mode photo, or it was taken with the rear camera of an iPhone XR | Retake it in Portrait mode, or check for the Portrait option on iPhone 15 and later |
| The subject turned black and white | High-Key Light Mono makes the subject grayscale | Use Windows Photos, Preview, or an AI swap to keep the color |
| Copy Subject cut off hair or a hand | The subject blends into a busy background | Use a photo with more contrast behind the subject |
| Ask doesn't appear in Google Photos | Age, account type, region or opt-in settings | Turn on Gemini features in Photos, or use another method |
| A halo of the old background shows | The selection kept a sliver of old pixels at the edge | In Windows Photos, switch on the Background brush tool and fix the edge with Add mask or Remove mask |
| The white looks light gray | A near-white color was picked, or an AI drew the white | Enter RGB 255, 255, 255 in Windows Photos; don't expect exact white from AI |
| The subject looks pasted on | The light in the new scene comes from another side | Pick a background lit from the same direction |
| Background Swapper won't take the file | It's a HEIC or other format, or over 10 MB | Convert it to JPG, shrinking it if needed, and upload again |
How to change a background with Background Swapper
Background Swapper in Toybox replaces the background of your photo and keeps the person or pet in front of it. You can use it from a phone or computer browser.
- Open Background Swapper and sign in (new accounts are free).
- Under "Your photo", upload the photo to change, a JPG or PNG up to 10 MB.
- Under "New background", choose "Pick a scene" or "Use my picture".
- With "Pick a scene", choose a Scene: Match the vibe, Nature, City, Mountains, Beach, Studio, or Custom. Custom opens a text box for describing the background in up to 240 characters, such as "a quiet lake at sunrise with pine trees on the far shore".
- With "Use my picture", upload your own background photo under "Background picture". One lit from the same side as your photo works best.
- For a real landmark, open "More options" and switch on "Look up real places", which checks Google Images so the place looks right (scene mode only, currently 10 extra credits).
- Tap "Swap background". The new photo usually takes about 30 seconds.
- Zoom in on hair and hands before you download the PNG. With a Pro plan, "Want to change something?" takes one more instruction, for example "move the horizon lower, behind his shoulders".
Background Swapper works on every plan, Free included, at a current 80 credits a swap, so the 20 free credits on a new account don't stretch to one swap (current prices). It replaces backgrounds but doesn't cut out to transparency, and Studio gives a "Clean studio backdrop" whose color isn't fixed. You can type "plain white background" under Custom, but the white is drawn by AI, so it won't always be pure white. Smart Editor, on Pro plans and up, handles a background change plus another fix in one written instruction, such as "Replace the background with a softly lit white wall and remove the glare on his glasses. Keep his face, hair and shirt the same." For scene ideas to type into Custom, browse the background prompts.