A background changer app cuts out the subject of a photo so you can put a different scene behind it. For a focused Android option, start with the Photo Background Changer app. For artistic portraits, look at Prisma. LightX adds backgrounds generated from a text prompt.
The seven apps below include free downloads and paid features. That does not mean every background tool or finished export is free. Try saving one edited photo before you spend time on a batch.
What Is the Best Background Changer App?
Choose by the edit you need: a quick cutout, a stylized selfie, a generated scene, or a background swap followed by color and exposure adjustments.
Our selection includes dedicated background tools and broader photo editing apps. The latter make more sense if you also want to retouch a portrait or adjust the whole image.
For a realistic result, look for a way to correct the cutout. A new background will not hide missing fingers, a rough hairline, or a bright outline left from the old scene. For a creative collage, the range of backgrounds and effects may matter more.
The overview below keeps the seven apps in the same order as the individual entries. Store names and interfaces can change, so use each entry’s download link to identify the app.
7 Best Background Changer Apps
The recommendations below use each app’s documented tools to match it to a task. Try your own photo to judge cutout accuracy. Screenshots may differ from the latest app version.
1. Photo Background Changer
| Brand |
Brand
Lyrebird Studio
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| Available for |
Available for
Android
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| Free? |
Free?
Free with in-app purchases
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| Key Features |
Key Features
Simple background changing tools
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| Best For |
Best For
Anyone looking for a simple app for changing photo backgrounds
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The Photo Background Changer app is an Android option for removing and replacing a background without learning a full desktop editor.
Its current listing describes automatic detection of people and objects, plus manual edge corrections. Start with the automatic selection, then check hair, fingers, and gaps between the subject’s arms and body.
Choose it for a focused background swap or a cutout for another design. When adding a scene, compare the direction of the light on the subject with the light in the replacement image.
Google Play lists ads and in-app purchases.
Prisma suits portraits that you want to turn into illustrations or paintings. Its artistic filters are the reason to choose it over a tool aimed only at realistic cutouts.
The iOS listing describes replacing a selfie’s background with a template or a photo from your gallery. It also documents Portrait Segmentation, which lets you apply a style to the person or the background separately.
For example, you could keep the face less stylized while applying an art effect to the setting. Inspect the outline where the two treatments meet.
Prisma is available for Android and iOS. Both offer in-app purchases. Prisma Premium includes access to all styles and HD saving on iOS; do not assume the free download includes those exports or identical tools on both platforms.
LightX is the choice here for creating a background from a text prompt. Its mobile listings describe background removal, background color changes, and AI-generated scenes, alongside broader editing tools.
You can describe the setting you want or choose a prepared scene. A prompt such as “plain pale wall with soft window light from the left” gives you a more specific starting point than “beautiful background.”
Check whether the generated floor, horizon, and light fit the original subject. A convincing cutout can still look misplaced if the person is the wrong size for the scene or appears to float above the ground.
LightX: AI Photo Editor is available for Android and iOS. It includes in-app purchases; a free download does not establish unlimited access to AI generation.
Auto Background Changer is an Android app for cutting a subject out and placing it on another background.
Its Auto mode erases areas based on color, threshold, and texture. Use the manual brush or Extract mode when you want to control the selection yourself.
Restore brings back erased areas. Zoom, a magnifying view, brush-size controls, and Undo/Redo help you work around fine edges.
Choose a supplied background, a photo from your gallery or camera, or a solid color.
Auto Background Changer is available for Android. It is free to download and contains ads.
5. Adobe Photoshop Express
| Brand |
Brand
Adobe
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| Available for |
Available for
Android and iOS
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| Free? |
Free?
Free to use, with a separate Photoshop Express Premium subscription for advanced tools
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| Key Features |
Key Features
Advanced editing tool set, RAW file editing
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| Best For |
Best For
Advanced image editing
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Adobe Photoshop Express combines background replacement with image adjustments and portrait retouching. Choose it if the background swap is one part of a larger edit.
Adobe documents a Replace Background Quick Action on both iOS and Android. On iOS, select a photo and a new background, then use Edit, Rotate, or Blend. On Android, the documented route uses Remove under Actions, followed by Color or Selection Tools.
That is a more direct starting point than building every selection by hand. See Adobe’s background replacement steps for the platform-specific controls.
Photoshop Express also supports selected RAW formats. Adobe lists RAW editing among its Premium features on iOS, so do not choose it on the assumption that a free download includes that workflow.
Adobe Photoshop Express is available for Android and iOS. There is a separate Photoshop Express Premium upgrade. Check existing entitlements before buying it: Adobe says paid Photoshop subscriptions also include Express Premium features.
6. PhotoDirector: AI Photo Editor
| Brand |
Brand
PhotoDirector
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| Available for |
Available for
Android and iOS
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| Free? |
Free?
Free with in-app purchases
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| Key Features |
Key Features
AI enhancer, AI avatar maker, advanced retouching tools
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| Best For |
Best For
Advanced features if you want to upgrade
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PhotoDirector: AI Photo Editor is a CyberLink app for background changes, portrait retouching, and broader image adjustments. Its mobile listings document AI Background for changing or removing the scene behind a subject.
You can also replace skies. CyberLink’s mobile tutorial describes selecting a Sky preset and adjusting the result. This is a different task from removing the whole background around a person or product.
PhotoDirector also offers color controls, white balance, filters, text, and stickers. That combination suits edits where you need to match the cutout’s color to its new setting and finish the image in one app.
The iOS listing says core editing is free while advanced AI creations use credits; Premium includes further editing and export options. The listings do not establish that every background workflow is free, so test the exact change and save you need.
PhotoDirector: AI Photo Editor is available for Android and iOS.
Vivid Glam is an iPhone photo and video retouching app from CyberLink. It is the option to consider here if video background changes are part of the job as well as still-photo editing.
CyberLink’s video workflow uses New Project, then Cut Out to choose a replacement background. Check the subject’s outline throughout the clip, especially when hands move or hair crosses the background.
Its other tools include skin-tone adjustments, blemish retouching, teeth whitening, and facial reshaping. Use these sparingly if you want the portrait to retain the person’s appearance.
Vivid Glam Photo Video Retouch is only available for iPhones. It is free to download with in-app purchases and a Premium subscription.
How to Choose the Best Background Changer App
Start with your finished image. A product cutout on a plain background, a portrait in another location, and an illustrated selfie need different tools.
A general editing app makes sense if you need color adjustment or blur alongside the background change. A dedicated background tool may be enough if you only want to remove the old scene and add a new one.
Accuracy and Effectiveness of Background Removal Tools
Try a photo similar to the ones you actually want to edit. Zoom in around hair, fingers, clothing, and any spaces that should show the new background. Check for missing parts of the subject and patches of the original scene.
Look for an erase-and-restore brush or another way to correct the selection. A fast automatic cutout saves little time if you cannot fix an obvious mistake.
Then save the result and reopen it. Check pixel dimensions and any watermark on the exported file. Judge that saved image, rather than only the preview inside the app.
Advanced Editing Capabilities
For a convincing composite, the subject and background need compatible light direction, perspective, and scale. Match those before spending time on filters. A person lit by hard sunlight will take more work to blend into a softly lit room.
If you want to develop broader editing skills, consider an app with a wider toolset such as Photoshop.
Some photographers use background apps as composite tools for fantasy images or surreal collages.
You can also create composites by combining a cutout with a new setting. LightX is one option in this list for generating that setting from a prompt.
How Simple a Background App is to Use
Count the steps from opening a photo to saving the finished version. For repeated product photos, a consistent crop, backdrop, and export matter more than a long list of effects.
Free to download, free editing, a free trial, and a free export are different promises. Check the tool you need, whether it uses credits, and whether saving triggers an upgrade. Use one representative image to check the workflow before you subscribe.
Our Urban Smartphone Minimalism e-book is a great way to test your background remover app and create colorful composites!
How to Change a Photo Background on Your Phone
The button names vary by app, but use this sequence to assess a background swap:
- Open a copy of the photo. Start with a subject that is sharp and distinct from the old background.
- Remove the old scene. Use the automatic cutout, then correct the selection where the app allows it. Restore any missing parts of the subject.
- Add the replacement. Choose a plain color, a supplied scene, or another image as supported by the app. Adjust its position and scale.
- Match the two parts. Check the light direction, color, horizon, and the point where the subject meets the ground.
- Save and inspect. Open the exported file at its intended display size. Check edges, resolution, and any watermark before editing more photos.
For example, a shop product may need a plain background with room around the edges. A travel portrait needs a scene with a compatible viewpoint and light. Choose the background for that purpose before adding effects.
Conclusion
Start with Photo Background Changer for a focused Android workflow, Prisma for artistic selfies, or LightX for text-generated settings. Photoshop Express and PhotoDirector offer broader editing tools. Vivid Glam is worth considering when you also need to work on iPhone video.
Make one complete edit before choosing. The best app for your photo is the one that preserves the subject, lets you fix the edges, and saves the file you need within the access level you have chosen.
