How to remove the background from a picture on a Mac

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open the picture in Preview, click the Show Markup Toolbar button and click the Instant Alpha button, the magic wand. Drag over the background until the part you want to remove is coloured, let go and press Delete. Repeat for the rest of the background, then save the picture as a PNG.

Preview can cut the background out of a photo without any extra software. Instant Alpha selects areas of similar colour, which works well for a product on a plain wall or a logo on white. For a busy background, the Smart Lasso lets you trace the outline by hand.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings.

Step by step

  1. Open the image in Preview

    Work on a copy: select the file in Finder and press Command + D to duplicate it first.

  2. Show the Markup toolbar

    Click the Show Markup Toolbar button at the top right, the pen tip in a circle.

  3. Click Instant Alpha

    It is the magic wand at the left of the Markup toolbar.

  4. Drag over the background

    Press on a spot in the background and drag slowly. The further you drag, the more similar colours are added to the selection, shown in colour. Stop before the selection spills into the subject, and let go.

  5. Press Delete

    The selected area is removed. If the picture is a JPEG, Preview asks whether to convert it to PNG, because JPEG cannot store transparency. Click Convert.

  6. Repeat

    Do the same for the remaining patches of background until only the subject is left.

  7. Or select the subject instead

    To keep only what you select: make the selection, choose Edit, Invert Selection and press Delete. For a subject with a clear outline on a busy background, open the Selection Tools menu, choose Smart Lasso, trace the edge of the subject and close the loop. Then choose Edit, Copy and paste it into a new file with File, New from Clipboard.

Good to know

On recent versions of macOS there is a one-click route: Control-click the image file in Finder and choose Quick Actions, Remove Background. The Mac saves a new PNG next to the original.

In the Photos app you can also Control-click the subject of a photo and choose Copy Subject, then paste it elsewhere.

Save the result as PNG. Saving as JPEG fills the transparent area with white again.

To change the size afterwards: how to resize an image on a Mac with Preview. To convert formats, see our free PNG to WebP converter.

In short: Preview, Markup toolbar, Instant Alpha, drag over the background, Delete, convert to PNG, repeat. Or Smart Lasso around the subject.

Sources
  • Apple Support: Extract an image or remove a background in Preview on Mac

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