How to Use Google Photos to Remove Image Background on Android & iPhone

Have you ever taken a great photo with your phone, and there's something or someone in the background that is ruining the shot? Well, worry no more. In this article, you'll see how to use Google Photos to remove background of your photos by getting rid of unwanted elements and make them look exactly how you want, all from your Android or iPhone. We'll also share some cool new features that Google Photos introduced this year. So, let's begin.

Part 1. Google Photos Image Sharing and Editing App for All Users

Google Photos is a service from Google that was launched in May 2015 as a way to store, search, edit, organize, and share your photos and videos all in one place.

When Google Photos first arrived, it was part of Google's broader push into smart photo management technology and tied closely to the Google Pixel line of phones that started in 2016, where features like unlimited storage at original quality were highlighted as big perks for Pixel users.

Over the years, Google expanded the app so that it now works on any Android device, iPhones, tablets, and on the web to let you access your photos and videos from almost anywhere.

Part 2. How to Use Google Photos to Remove Image Background on Android and iPhone

• Step 1.Launch Google Photos, and open a photo you want to remove the background from. Then, tap "Edit".

  

• Step 2.Now, you'll see the editing menu. Here, tap the Actions option.

  
  

  Now you get Magic Eraser showing up as an option right below the photo. Tap "Magic Eraser".

  

• Step 3.Use your finger to tap or brush and point out which elements to remove in the background. Then, tap Erase.

  

• Step 4.Google Photos will now start to work and erase what you don't need. Preview the changes and tap "Done" indicated by the tick when you're done making edits to your image.

  
  

  If you want to save the newly edited image to your Android device, then tap "Save as Copy".

  

Part 3. What are the New Features of Google Photos?

Google Photos is not just about saving and sharing your images. It offers you a few cool features that are worth having this app installed on your phone.

1. Back Up and Keep All Your Memories Safe

One of the biggest reasons people use Google Photos is automatic cloud backup. Once you turn backup on, all the photos and videos on your device are saved to your Google account. That means if you lose your phone, your memories are still safe and can be accessed from any device where you sign in with Google.

Not only that, you can control how and when backup should occur, like whether it uses mobile data or only wifi. That lets you protect your data and save mobile data if you want.

2. Edit Photos Using AI Tools

Google Photos offers you smart editing tools powered by AI that help you improve your images.

First, there is Magic Eraser, which removes unwanted objects or people from a photo. You just need to tap or draw on the area you want gone, and Google Photos fills it in using the surrounding background.

Next is Photo Unblur, which helps fix slightly blurry images.

You also get Markup tools. These let you draw, highlight, or add simple marks directly on your image. Markup is helpful when you want to point something out, add quick notes, or make simple annotations before sharing.

Google Photos also includes three basic filters:

• Enhance, which automatically adjusts brightness, contrast, and color balance.
• Dynamic, which adds stronger contrast and color depth
• Boost, which increases vibrancy and sharpness.

Also, you can crop an image by straightening or rotating it at a certain angle. Another useful feature is the ability to move an object within an image. With supported edits, you can reposition an element by selecting it and shifting it to a different area of the photo.

Plus, Google keeps improving the editor to bring more powerful AI tricks previously available only on Pixel phones to all users.

3. Super Fast Search

You can find any photo in Google Photos quickly by searching with plain language. If you typed "dog on beach" or "Emma painting," Google's AI will show the right photos - even without tags. It also recognizes people, pets, places, objects, and screenshots.

4. Organize Photos Automatically

Google Photos doesn't just store photos. It organizes them for you using smart tools:

• Photo Stacks groups similar photos together.
• Albums are easy to create and manage, including for screenshots or documents.
• Sensitive photos can be moved to a Locked Folder with extra protection.

5. Custom Sharing Options

Sharing photos and albums is simple in Google Photos. You can send pictures to contacts, create shareable links, or even generate a QR code that people can scan to see an album. It makes sharing at events or with friends super easy. You can also set up partner sharing, where Google Photos automatically shares photos that include specific people or from a certain date onward with someone you choose.

6. Manage and Customize Your Memories

Google Photos automatically creates highlight reels, animations, collages, and recap videos of your best moments. These are pulled together using machine learning, so you can look back on a timeline of memories.

If you don't want to see certain people in those memories, Google has added a block option that hides their faces entirely from the Memories carousel. That gives you more control over what shows up.

Google Photos will even turn moments into year recaps that show standout photos, cool highlights, and creative stats like most-snapped pics. These reels are great to share on social media or with friends.

Part 4. Best Alternative to Google Photos to Remove Photo Background Online

The Google Photos app gives you a convenient way to remove unwanted elements from the background of a photo. However, there are limits. It cannot completely remove the background. You might want the background to be totally transparent so you can use the image in a new project or place it over a different background, but Google Photos simply cannot do that.

In that case, you need a tool that can make the job easier and remove the entire background instead of just cleaning up parts of it. One such tool is HitPaw Free Image Background Remover. The best part is that it runs online, so you don't have to install anything on your mobile device or desktop.

HitPaw Image Background Remover Use Cases

Here are a few use cases for you to get rid of the whole background from an image using HitPaw Image Background Remover:

1. Product Images

Product photos often come with messy or distracting backgrounds that make them look unprofessional. You can remove unwanted products, replace poorly placed items, or completely isolate a product from its background. This is especially useful for online listings, catalogs, or promotional images where a clean presentation matters. HitPaw Image Background Remover helps you get a transparent image that you can reuse across different designs without retaking the photo.

2. Signature

A signature is often used on documents, certificates, or branded materials, but the background around it can make it unusable. By removing the background, the signature can appear clean and natural on any surface. This makes it easier to place the same signature on invoices, PDFs, contracts, or images without visible edges or white boxes around it.

A transparent signature gives you the flexibility to reuse it anywhere without editing it again.

3. Logo

Logos usually come with solid backgrounds that do not fit every design. Removing the background lets the logo sit naturally on websites, banners, thumbnails, or social media graphics. A transparent logo helps maintain brand consistency because you can place it over any color or image without reworking it each time. This is especially useful when it needs to be reused across multiple layouts.

4. Animals

Animal photos often have busy surroundings that take attention away from the subject. HitPaw Image Background Remover can remove the backdrop and make the photo useful for posters, creative edits, profile images, or designs where the animal needs to be placed on a different background or used as a cutout.

5. Vehicles and Real Estate

The background of car or real estate photos can be roads, parking areas, or objects around them. Once you remove the background, the photo presents the vehicle or the property alone. It can then be placed on a neutral or branded background without visual noise, which is beneficial for use in listings, comparisons, or promotional visuals.

6. Graphics

Transparent images are useful when designing banners, thumbnails, posters, or overlays. Once the background is removed, the graphic can be reused across different designs without clashing with other elements. This saves time and avoids repeating the same edits again and again.

7. Portraits

Another common use case is removing the background from your own portrait to make it suitable for official documents. This includes passport photos, ID cards, driving licenses, or any form that requires a clean and simple background. Many photos are taken at home or on a phone, where the background is not acceptable. By removing the background, you can place the portrait on a plain white or required color background and make it look like a proper document photo without going to a studio.

How to Remove Photo Background Using HitPaw Image Background Remover

You can remove the entire background of any photo with a few clicks and totally free in HitPaw Image Background Remover. Here are the steps:

• Step 1.First, open the HitPaw Online Image Background Remover page. From there, click the Remove BG Now option.

  

• Step 2.Click Choose Images to upload your photo.

  

• Step 3.As soon as you upload the image, the tool starts working. It begins processing the image automatically and then shows you the result with a transparent background. Not only that, but it also gives you templates for different background colors and podcast cover designs.

  

• Step 4.To download the final image, just click Download.

  

Part 5. FAQs of How to Use Google Photos to Remove Background

Conclusion on How to Use Google Photos to Remove

In this article, we've discussed how to use Google Photos to remove background using your Android or iPhone. You've seen where Google Photos helps with cleaning up unwanted elements and where its limits start, along with the newer features that Google Photos offers today. We've also shared the best alternative, which is HitPaw Online Image Background Remover, if you need a fully transparent background for free.