How to Easily Remove Backgrounds from Images on Mac

Whether you are a student, a blogger, or a professional user, mastering the skill of how to remove background from picture on Mac can make your resume, presentation, and social media content more professional.

By @Crystal
Last Updated July 18, 2025

Why do Mac users need to remove image backgrounds?

  • Create a logo or product image with a transparent background.
  • Extract the portrait from a complex background for ID or social media use.
  • Keep the slides clean and uniform when creating a presentation PPT.
  • The character image needs to be added to the new background for compositing

Compared to the cumbersome software installation, many people prefer to complete the operation directly on their Mac, so removing background on Mac has also become a highly anticipated feature.

How to remove background on Mac [4 Methods]

Are you still worried about finding a simple, easy-to-use and completely free image background removal tool on Mac? Next, find the best way to easily remove the background on Mac.

🔰Want to quickly process a uniform background? - Use the Preview tool to experience the practicality of removing background preview Mac.

🔰Want to extract a portrait with one click? - The "Copy Subject" feature in the Photos app or Finder helps you remove background from a picture on Mac simply.

🔰Pursuing automatic background remove with HD quality? - The UltraPic Background Remover opens an efficient and free channel for you.

Whether you're a beginner just getting started with Mac or an advanced user seeking efficiency, you can find the right image processing method through this article.

Method 1. Use free online background remover for Mac

Whether it's a product image, a portrait, or a creative design material, image matting is often a technical job. UltraPic is your ideal background removal solution - a powerful and easy-to-use online free tool that allows you to get a perfect background-free image in seconds directly in the Safari or Chrome browser on your Mac without downloading and installing any software!

Get Started for Free

💻Zero installation:No downloading and installation process! UltraPic runs directly in a web browser (such as Safari, Chrome), without taking up valuable Mac hard disk space.
🆓 Completely free: No hidden fees, no subscription requirements, and no watermarks. It truly achieves "free cutout freedom".
Ultra-fast intelligent cutout: UltraPic AI can instantly and automatically identify the subject and remove the background in 3-5 seconds.
🎯 Excellent HD photos: For most common subjects (people, pets, goods, animals, items, etc.), UltraPic's AI matting effect is very accurate, and the details such as hair are handled quite well.

How to quickly remove background from picture on Mac [2 steps]

Step 1. Visit the official UltraPic website. Upload your image. AI background removal can quickly complete the separation of the subject and background.

Step 2. After the processing is completed, preview the effect. When you are satisfied, click the "Download" button. Save the downloaded transparent PNG image to your Mac for different commercial purposes.

Or further add the required white background for e-commerce product images:, more in line with the image specifications of Amazon, eBay and other platforms.

Method 2. Use the built-in Preview tool on Mac to remove the background

You might not know that the Preview tool in the Mac system itself has a powerful background removal feature. This is also the reason why many users search for removing background using Mac preview tool.

1. Double-click the image on the Mac and open it with Preview.

2. Click the "Mark" button on the toolbar to expand the tools.

3. Select the "Instant Alpha" tool;

4. Drag the selection until the background color range is fully covered.

5. Press the Delete key to remove the background;

6. Export the image as a PNG format to preserve the transparent background.

This method is suitable for images with relatively uniform background colors, making it very convenient for quickly handling simple background removal needs. It is one of the easiest ways to achieve "mac remove background from image."

Method 3. How to remove background from picture in Mac Finder

Apple offers an image background removal feature in both iOS 16 and MacOS Ventura. Next, we will demonstrate how to remove the background almost instantly in Finder.

1. Right-click on the image in Finder, right click Quick Actions > Remove Background.

2. After clicking, in Mac removing background from image background has been completed, leaving only the transparent PNG version of the file.

This method is especially suitable for handling portrait images and does not require complex operations, truly achieving "one-click background removal." It is an excellent response to the need for removing background Mac.

Method 4. Remove backgrounds from a photo in the Photos App

If you are running macOS Ventura and later, you can use the "Copy Subject" feature to delete backgrounds from images.

1. Open the Photos App on your Mac and select the photo from which you want to remove the background.

2. Right-click on the image, and from the pop-up menu, select "Copy Subject". You will see a white border surrounding the subject in the photo, indicating that the subject is being selected, and the background will be excluded.

3. The subject without the background is now copied to the clipboard. You can then paste it into another application (such as an email, text document, or another photo editing app) by selecting "Edit" > "Paste" in the menu bar, or by using the keyboard shortcut Command + V.

This method not only saves time but is also suitable for users who frequently need to process images. It is an advanced version of the "mac remove background from image" strategy.

🚩 Tips for enhancing background removal
✔When shooting, try to use a solid color background, as it is beneficial for system recognition.
✔Adjusting the image contrast and brightness before processing helps to more clearly distinguish between the foreground and background.
✔Save transparent images in PNG format to avoid background re-filling.
✔Try different selection methods, especially when using the remove background preview feature on Mac.
✔Mastering these details will greatly enhance your success rate and image quality when removing backgrounds on a Mac.

FAQ about removing background on MAC

Q1: What should I do if I don't see the "Instant Alpha" tool in Preview?

A: Please make sure you have enabled the "Markup" toolbar. If it still doesn't display, it might be due to the image format or macOS version limitations.

Q2: How to save an image with a transparent background?

A: When exporting, choose the PNG format and ensure the background image has been removed; otherwise, a white fill may appear after export.

Conclusion

Removing the background from an image doesn't necessarily require complex software. By following the methods introduced in this article, you have already mastered how to remove the background from a picture on Mac, which is very simple.