AI Background Remover: Transparent PNG in Your Browser

How the background is removed

This tool uses IMG.LY's open-source background removal library, which runs an IS-Net segmentation model with ONNX Runtime and WebAssembly inside your browser. The model looks at the whole photo and estimates, for every pixel, how likely it is to belong to the main subject. That estimate becomes the alpha channel of the result: subject pixels stay opaque, background pixels become transparent, and edge pixels can be partly transparent, which helps with soft edges such as hair.

There are no settings to tune. The model decides what the subject is.

The first run downloads the model

The model and its runtime files are not part of the web page. The first time you press Remove Background, your browser downloads them from IMG.LY's content network (staticimgly.com). They are large compared with a normal web page, so the first run can take a while on a slow connection; the browser usually caches them so later runs start faster.

Only program and model files are downloaded. Your photo is not sent to IMG.LY or to Image York; it is processed on your device. Because the files come from IMG.LY's servers, those servers do see an ordinary download request, including your IP address, as with any web resource.

What it handles well and what needs checking

Good results: people, pets and products with a clear separation from the background.
Check carefully: fine hair against a busy background, glass and other transparent objects, shadows (which may be kept or removed), objects touching the frame edge, and photos with several possible subjects.
Not designed for: removing a specific object while keeping the rest, or keeping the background and removing the person.

For simple graphics on a flat colour (a logo on white, for example), the colour-based Transparent Background Maker can give cleaner straight edges.

Using the result

The download is a PNG with transparency, at the original image size. Keep it as PNG or WebP; converting to JPG would fill the transparent area with a solid colour. To put the cut-out on a new background, use Change Background or Background Color Changer, or open it in the Advanced Image Editor as a layer.

Processing is done on your device's processor, so a large photo on an older phone can take noticeably longer than on a laptop. If the tab runs out of memory, resize the photo first.

Software credit

The background removal library and model are published by IMG.LY under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL).

Questions about this tool

Why is the first run slow?

Your browser is downloading the segmentation model and runtime. Later runs reuse the cached files.

Does it work offline?

Only after the model has been downloaded and cached by your browser, and only if the page itself is still loaded. The site does not offer a full offline mode.

I need a photo of myself without the background for a profile or document. How do I do it?

Open the photo and press Remove Background. The model finds you and makes everything else transparent. Download the PNG. To put it on a plain colour instead, use Background Color Changer.

Part of my subject was removed, or some background was kept. Can I fix it?

This tool has no settings, because the model decides what the subject is. Photos with one clear subject and good contrast give the best results. For a product or logo on a plain background, try the Transparent Background Maker, which lets you adjust what is removed.

I saved the result as JPG and the background turned white or black. Why?

JPG cannot store transparency, so the transparent area gets filled with a colour. Keep the file as PNG, or use WebP if you need a smaller file that stays transparent.

How do I put the cut-out on a new background?

Use Change Background to place the subject on a colour or a picture of your choice, or open the PNG as a layer in the Advanced Image Editor.

Is my photo uploaded to remove the background?

No. The model runs on your own device. Only the model files are downloaded from IMG.LY the first time; your photo stays in your browser.