Microsoft Paint may soon introduce background remover tool

Microsoft Paint may be on its way to becoming a photo editor with the launch of a feature that lets you remove photo backgrounds. In the latest version of Windows available to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels (version 11.2306.30.0), Microsoft is testing a background remover tool in Paint. It works just like any other background remover, letting users edit photos with more control. Although Microsoft Paint is not exactly a photo-editing app — it is instead a photo, image, and clipart-creating app, the new background remover tool will help several users minimise their dependence on third-party software, most of which are paid.

“With background removal, you can now remove the background of any image automatically in just one click leaving a smooth cutout of the subject,” said Microsoft in a blog post.

The background remover tool is available to testers through the toolbar on the top of the Paint app. To use it, you can open an image and hit the background remover tool to instantly remove the background. Paint recognises the subject automatically to keep it in the image while everything in the background goes away. Microsoft, however, will give you full control over the image and let you manually select the portion of the background you want removed. The original background of the image is replaced by a whiteboard with the subject in its place. You can edit the background to add another image, fill it with a colour or any art.

Will this make Paint better?

Removing the background of an image is mostly required in the photo editing industry, especially when you are creating collages. There are many options on the market that you can use. I, for instance, rely on Canva to remove the backgrounds of images. But while Canva works brilliantly, it has put the feature behind a paywall. Unless I do not pay, I cannot access it — which is inconvenient because my work seldom requires images that involve background removal. If Microsoft decides to introduce the feature to Paint, it will become even more useful. Currently, Paint helps you resize, crop, and annotate images.

Paint is gradually turning into an app that can rival Adobe Photoshop. Microsoft does not have a full-fledged photo editing app. The current Photos app offers basic features. So does Paint, apart from the ability to create your own images on a blank canvas. Microsoft is also reportedly testing a text-to-image generator in Paint, allowing users to generate images using artificial intelligence (AI).