Picsart is an amazing photo-editing app available on both Android and iPhone. Learn how to use it to change the background of a photo for free on your mobile device.
Tip: Picsart is not the only good app for image editing. If you love having options, explore these top photo-editing apps you can get for free!
How to Change the Background of a Photo in Picsart for Free
The premium version of Picsart, aka Picsart Gold, offers a direct swap option to change the background of photos. However, the free version has no such option. Changing the background of a photo in the free version requires you to remove the original background, then add a new background.
Remove the Existing Background
- Launch the Picsart app (Android | iOS) on your Android phone or iPhone.
- If this is the first time you are using the app, you will be asked to create an account. Alternatively, tap on the “Skip” button at the top.
Note: you may be asked to get the premium version of Picsart several times while using the app. Press the back button, swipe to go back, or hit the cross icon at the top to discard the Picsart Gold screen.
- Open the photo with a background you want to change in Picsart.
- Scroll through the list of tools at the bottom and tap on “Cutout.” This tool allows you to select the subject and remove it from its background, creating a photo cutout or sticker.
- You will be greeted by different cutout tools to separate the subject from its background. Tap on the “Portrait” tool to let Picsart automatically detect the subject in the image based on the type of object. Choose from these options: a person, face, clothes, sky, and head.
- Tap on the “Outline tool” if you aren’t satisfied with the automatic selection or want to manually select the subject that you want to keep. Outline the subject or drawing on it to select it. The highlighted portion will be kept while the rest will be removed, so mark accordingly.
Tip: you can even use the Brush or Shape tools on Android to select the cutout.
- On Android, tap on the “Erase” tool to activate the eraser. Paint over the area you want to remove to highlight it. Adjust the size and hardness of the eraser tool using the available sliders to fine-tune the selection.
On iPhone, tap on the checkmark icon at the top, then tap on the Erase tool.
- At any point, if you want to see whether the subject has been selected correctly, tap on the “eye” icon to preview the highlighted subject without its background.
- Once you are satisfied with your selection, tap on the “checkmark” icon (Android) or the “Save” button (iPhone) at the top.
- If you just want to remove the background of the picture, you are done. Tap on the “Download” icon at the top to save the image to your phone.
But if you want to change the background of the picture tool, check the next section.
Add a New Background
- With the photo cutout open in Picsart, scroll through the list of tools at the bottom and tap on “Fit.” This tool allows you to resize the cutout and add a background to it.
Tip: use the Text tool to add a watermark to your photos.
- Tap on the “Ratio” tool and select the desired image size – such as 3:4, 16:9, square, or portrait – from the available options.
- Use the pinch-in-and-out gesture to adjust the subject on the background.
- You can add a solid color, Picsart background, or an image from your phone as the background using the options next to the Ratio tool: Color, Background, Image.
Color: if you prefer a solid background, tap on “Color” and select the preferred color. Use the color picker to select a color or use the eyedropper tool to pick a color from your subject and add it to the background.
Background: tap on the “Background” option to choose an image from Picsart’s gallery.
Image: alternatively, tap on the “Image” option to select an image from your phone. Tap on the “Add image” icon on the left side in the bar carousel above, press the arrow icon at the top, then select the folder containing your image and choose the image that you want to use as the background.
- After adding the background to your image, tap on the “Shadow” button to enhance the complete picture and make it look real by adjusting its blur and shadow properties.
- When you are happy with the final image, tap on the checkmark icon (Android) or the “Apply” button (iPhone).
- Finally, press the “Download” icon at the top to save the image to your phone.
Remove Unwanted Objects
Looking for more image-editing tips? Learn how to turn a picture into wallpaper and remove unwanted objects from a picture.
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