A background change app can remove a subject, replace a scene, or generate a new background on a phone. The results depend on the subject, hair and edge detail, source image, export settings, and the controls available in the app.
The Photo Background Changer app is a simple Android option for replacing backgrounds without a full desktop editor. Its free tier and current features should be checked in the store before use.
The other apps below cover artistic filters, AI-generated backgrounds, manual controls, and broader photo-editing workflows.
What Is the Best Background Changer App?
The best background changer app depends on the subject, the level of manual control you need, the device you use, and the app’s current free and paid limits. A free tier is useful, but export resolution, watermarks, ads, and subscriptions also matter.
There are some excellent camera apps and photo editing apps. And while we have included some more advanced editing apps in this article, we’ve tried to focus on more accessible applications.
Changing and removing backgrounds is becoming more popular. We’re seeing it more with sophisticated photo editing, but it’s also popular with social media users, influencers, and content creators.
Background removal tools are often included in larger photo apps, alongside dedicated background changer apps. This list includes both types.
You can see a quick overview of the best background changer apps in the table below. We look at each app in more detail in the following section.
7 Best Background Changer Apps
Now we look at each background changer app in more detail.
1. Photo Background Changer
| Brand |
Brand
Lyrebird Studio
|
| Available for |
Available for
Android
|
| Free? |
Free?
Free with in-app purchases
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Simple background changing tools
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone looking for a simple app for changing photo backgrounds
|
The Photo Background Changer app removes a background and lets you replace it with another image or a built-in option. It is focused on this task rather than broader photo editing, which may suit users who want a short workflow.
The app can automatically detect a subject, so many images do not require a full manual selection. Check hair, fine edges, and overlapping objects before exporting.
Once removed, you can quickly add the new background. You don’t have the option to add your own background photos, but they have an extensive library you can choose from.
It is not a full photo editor, but it includes touch-up and minor adjustment tools. These can help blend a subject with a replacement background, although the result still depends on the source image and edge mask.
Brush and cut-and-paste tools help you fine-tune an edit and remove unwanted objects or people when the automatic mask needs correction.
The app makes it easy to share your transformed images on social media once you’re finished with them. You can upload photos directly to platforms like Instagram.
The main complaint about this app is the ads. They can be frustrating, but that’s the price you pay for a free app. It’s also only available for Android smartphones.
Prisma is a photo editing app that applies artistic styles and includes background-editing tools. It is better suited to stylized images than to a detailed, natural-looking cutout workflow.
Background editing is one of Prisma’s top selling points. Changing the background in selfies is a one-click operation. You can replace the original background with one of Prisma’s eye-catching templates. Or you can use another photo from your phone’s gallery.
You can also add artistic styles and filters. These effects can create a more illustrative or film-inspired result, and the subject and background can be edited separately in supported workflows.
One key aspect of the editing tools is that you can edit the subjects and background separately. This helps you get the final finish you want, giving you more creative freedom.
The basic Prisma app is free, but there are in-app upgrades you have to pay for. It’s available for Android and iOS systems.
LightX combines background editing with AI-assisted tools and broader image adjustments. It is aimed at users who want more than a single-purpose cutout app.
The app uses AI to detect the background and separate it from the subject. Automatic masking can save time, but inspect the result and use manual tools where edges or fine detail need correction.
The AI background generator can create a new scene from text prompts. Generated backgrounds can be useful for creative composites, but check perspective, lighting, scale, and subject edges before using the result.
You can also choose from a library of pre-designed backgrounds instead of generating one from a prompt.
The app has other AI features you can use to enhance your images. A text-to-image AI bot creates imagery and stickers. There’s an AI that replaces clothes. And there’s a Magic AI eraser that removes unwanted objects from your photos.
The basic version of the app is free, and this does include some background removal tools. However, some of the more advanced AI tools are only available once you sign up for a monthly subscription.
LightX: AI Photo Editor is available for Android and iOS systems.
Auto Background Changer is a basic, single-purpose option for users who want a short background replacement workflow. Its automatic and manual modes provide different levels of control.
The background tools include an automatic mode and a manual erase tool for correcting the mask with a finger. Undo, redo, and reset controls make it easier to test an edit.
There are cut and paste tools, so you can take elements from one image and insert them into another. And you can blur backgrounds to give portraits and selfies a lovely bokeh effect.
There are limits to the editing controls, but the simple interface may work for users who do not need a full editor.
Auto Background Changer is available for Android smartphones.
5. Adobe Photoshop Express
| Brand |
Brand
Adobe
|
| Available for |
Available for
Android and iOS
|
| Free? |
Free?
Free to use, with a separate Photoshop Express Premium subscription for advanced tools
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Advanced editing tool set, RAW file editing
|
| Best For |
Best For
Advanced image editing
|
Adobe Photoshop Express is a mobile photo editor with background tools and a broader set of adjustments. It may suit users who want more control than a dedicated background changer provides.
It isn’t a dedicated background change app, but you can remove and replace backgrounds using its editing tools. The workflow is more involved than a one-tap app, while the additional controls allow more manual refinement. You can use an image from your device as a background and fine-tune the result.
The app can open and edit supported RAW files as well as JPEGs, depending on the device and current version. It also includes filters, stamps, and custom watermarks.
Photoshop Express is another app that harnesses AI to streamline photo editing. The AI photo enhancer improves clarity, erases background noise, and dehazes images. You can even retouch portraits and selfies with just a tap of the screen.
Easily export finished images to social media with app integration links with Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Adobe Photoshop Express is available for Android and iOS smartphones. It is free to download and use for core edits, with more advanced tools reserved for a separate Photoshop Express Premium subscription rather than a full Creative Cloud plan.
6. PhotoDirector: AI Photo Editor
| Brand |
Brand
PhotoDirector
|
| Available for |
Available for
Android and iOS
|
| Free? |
Free?
Free with in-app purchases
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
AI enhancer, AI avatar maker, advanced retouching tools
|
| Best For |
Best For
Advanced features if you want to upgrade
|
PhotoDirector: AI Photo Editor is a broader editing app from CyberLink. Its free version includes background and retouching tools, while some features may require an in-app purchase or subscription.
The background change tool is available in the free version. And you can replace them using images from the PhotoDirector library or from your own smartphone camera reel.
You can also replace skies, choosing from the app’s sky gallery. It includes clear blue skies, overcast skies, and sunsets.
It also gives you tools to retouch your images. Removing red eye is simple, and there are specific tools for retouching selfies. You can also blur portrait backgrounds for a tasteful bokeh.
The app also includes tools such as white balance, HDR, and vignetting. Its AI Enhance feature applies an automated adjustment, but review the result rather than assuming it suits every image.
You can create stickers, apply filters, and add text to images, which may be useful for social content and simple composites.
Some of the more advanced features are paid, so compare the free tier, export limits, and subscription terms with the controls you actually need.
PhotoDirector: AI Photo Editor is available for Android and iOS.
Vivid Glam, another CyberLink app, combines photo and video editing tools. It may suit content creators who need background changes across both media types.
You can add any photo to create a new background in images, transforming selfies and portraits. And you can do the same with videos like vlogs. It brings a new dimension to your video content.
Its touch-up tools can adjust skin tones, reduce blemishes, whiten teeth, and reshape facial features. Use these controls carefully if you want the result to remain natural.
Like PhotoDirector, you do have to subscribe and pay to access the best, most advanced features. But the free version still gives you plenty of creative tools for editing photos and videos.
Vivid Glam Photo Video Retouch is only available for iPhones.
How to Choose the Best Background Changer App
The app you choose depends on the kind of results you want to have. If you want your app to add background to photos, download a general editing app with newer background-changing features.
Your choice also depends on your personal preferences. Perhaps other tools, such as color adjustment or blur, are essential to you.
Define the output, device, and level of control you need before choosing. Here are three useful attributes to compare.
Accuracy and Effectiveness of Background Removal Tools
Look at automatic cutout accuracy, brush control, edge smoothing, background choices, custom-background support, export resolution, watermarks, and current pricing.
One way to judge an app is to watch a recent editing demonstration or test it with a representative image. This shows how the tools handle hair, transparent objects, shadows, and busy edges.
It’s also worth looking at the difference between apps using a magic brush tool approach and an automatic background changer. If an app uses the brush tool approach, make sure you can zoom into the image to get the fine details.
Automatic tools can miss fine detail, especially around hair, hands, and similar colors. If that matters, choose an app with a brush, mask, or zoomed editing view.
Advanced Editing Capabilities
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 complicated composites like this with advanced app features. One such app is LightX.
How Simple a Background App is to Use
Other points to consider are how much you use the app and how straightforward you want the editing process.
This can matter for small businesses preparing social media product content. When editing many products, batch support and a predictable workflow may be more important than the largest feature list.
Simplicity is also essential for people who are not the most tech-savvy. Photo editing apps often have too many options, and you need to spend a few hours familiarizing yourself with the tools.
Some of the apps mentioned focus on one background task. That can be useful for people who value a short learning curve and do not need a full editor.
Our Urban Smartphone Minimalism e-book is a great way to test your background remover app and create colorful composites!
Conclusion
Improved mobile tools make it easier to remove and replace a background on a smartphone. The apps differ in cutout quality, editing controls, exports, device support, ads, and paid features.
We included simple apps that change the background without much fuss. But we’ve also shown you more advanced apps with sophisticated editing tools for changing backgrounds and much more besides.
Photo Background Changer is a straightforward option for Android users who want a focused workflow, while the other apps offer more editing or creative controls. Compare the current free tier, subscription, device support, cutout quality, and export requirements before choosing.
