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macOS: How to Remove the Background from an Image

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In macOS Mojave and later, the Finder includes Quick Actions that make it easier to perform quick edits to files without having to open the apps associated with them.

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In the default set that Apple includes with every macOS install, there's a very handy Quick Action that allows you to remove the background from a selected image or photo.

The feature lifts the subject out of the picture and turns it into a PNG file, which makes the background transparent. The Quick Action works best on images with a clearly defined subject in the foreground, like a person or object, set against a fairly uniform background.

To use the Remove Background feature in macOS, simply right-click an image file in Finder, hover your cursor over the Quick Actions submenu, then click Remove Background.

Wait for the image to be processed (you may see a progress bar appear if the image is particularly complex), and you should soon see a transparent PNG version of the file appear in the same location as the original image, titled "[original filename] Background Removed.png."

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Aside from the default Quick Actions that Apple includes in macOS, Apple encourages third-party developers to add support for Quick Actions in their apps. You can also create your own custom ones using the Automator app.

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