To create a transparent background in Microsoft Paint, open your image, select Remove background, then save the result as PNG. These steps use updated Paint and Windows 11 menus. Background removal itself does not require a Copilot+ PC.
The short version
- Start here: Open your image in Paint and select Remove background.
- Limit the area: Make a rectangular selection before removing the background to restrict automatic detection.
- Check the canvas: Hiding the canvas background does not remove an opaque background embedded in a photograph.
- Keep transparency: Choose PNG when saving the finished image.
- Missing controls: Update Paint through Microsoft Store and reopen the app.
| Option | When to use it | Requirement or catch |
|---|---|---|
| Whole image removal | Automatically cut out a subject | Updated Windows 11 Paint |
| Rectangular selection | Restrict automatic detection | Select the area before removal |
| Copilot menu | Access background removal through the menu | Paint version showing this menu |
| Canvas background control | Hide the canvas behind your content | Leaves embedded photo backgrounds intact |
| Eraser | Remove unwanted background pixels manually | Visible lower layers can show through |
| Layer visibility | Hide a separate background image | Subject and background on separate layers |
| Object select | Select a subject to copy, move or erase | Windows 11 Copilot+ PC, Microsoft account and internet |
| PNG export | Preserve transparency when saving | Remove or hide the background first |
| File Explorer action | Start from a saved image file | Eligible Windows 11 installation and market |
| Click to Do | Start from an image on your screen | Compatible Copilot+ PC or eligible Cloud PC, outside the EEA |
| Click to Do in Recall | Work with an image in a snapshot | Configured Recall on a Windows 11 Copilot+ PC, outside the EEA |
| Click to Do setting | Enable the standalone entry point | Compatible Windows 11 Copilot+ PC |
| App action settings | Check a missing Paint action | Windows 11 build exposing these settings and Paint installed |
| Administrative policy | Permit standalone Click to Do | Managed device supporting the policy and Click to Do |
| Snipping Tool | Send a screenshot to Paint | Current Windows 11 Snipping Tool and Paint |
| Voice access | Operate Paint controls by voice | Windows 11 version 22H2 or later and a supported speech language |
| App and Windows updates | Address missing controls or entry points | Windows 11 |
| Official Paint product page | Access the official app | Use updated Windows 11 Paint for these workflows |
Open your image and remove the background
Open Paint, then open or paste the image you want to edit. Select Remove background in the toolbar and inspect the resulting cutout. You can then clean up unwanted pixels or save the result as PNG.
Some Windows 11 Paint versions also offer the action inside the Copilot menu. In those versions, select Copilot, then select Remove background. That menu does not make background removal exclusive to Copilot+ PCs.
To process only part of an image, use the rectangle selection tool to mark the area before selecting Remove background. This limits automatic detection to the selected area. Check the cutout, then save the result as PNG after any cleanup.
Hide the canvas or a separate background layer
For a drawing or layered composition, start by hiding the canvas background. Select Layers, find the Background tile at the bottom of the panel, and use Hide background. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + H to toggle canvas background visibility.
This control hides the canvas behind your content. An opaque background embedded in a photograph remains part of that image, so use Remove background or Eraser to remove those pixels. Save as PNG once the background you want to remove is gone.
When your subject and background are on separate layers, select Layers and use the visibility control on each layer containing unwanted background content. Keep the subject layer visible, hide the canvas background, and save as PNG. This method requires separate layers, so it does not isolate a subject from a flattened photograph.
Clean up unwanted pixels or select a subject
If unwanted background pixels remain, select the image layer and choose Eraser. Erase the unwanted areas, then hide the canvas background and any opaque layers underneath so the erased areas show transparency. Visible content on lower layers will otherwise show through. Save the cleaned cutout as PNG.
For another way to isolate a subject, updated Paint on a Windows 11 Copilot+ PC offers Object select. This route requires a Microsoft account and an internet connection. With your image open, select Object select in the toolbar, hover over the subject, then click it.
Once Paint highlights the subject, you can copy, move or erase it. If your PC does not meet the requirements for Object select, use the ordinary Remove background workflow to create a transparent cutout.
Save the transparent image as PNG
After removing or hiding the background, select File > Save as and choose PNG. Choose a destination and filename, then select Save. Paint supports saving transparent PNG images.
Choosing PNG preserves the transparency you created during editing. Saving an ordinary photograph as PNG alone does not remove its background. If unwanted background content remains, return to background removal, erasing, or layer visibility before saving again.
Send a screenshot to Paint
For an image displayed on your screen, you can take a screenshot of the image and send the capture to Paint. On Windows 11, press Windows + Shift + S and capture the area you want. Open the capture in Snipping Tool.
Select Edit > Edit with Paint in Snipping Tool. Once the capture opens in Paint, select Remove background, inspect the cutout, and save it as PNG. This route uses the current Windows 11 versions of Snipping Tool and Paint.
Start removal from File Explorer or your screen
On updated Windows 11 installations offering File Explorer AI actions, right-click the image file, or select it and press Shift + F10. Select AI actions > Remove background. Paint processes the image, and you can save the result as PNG.
This File Explorer route accepts .jpg, .jpeg and .png files on supported installations, including Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2. Availability varies by market, and Microsoft excludes the European Economic Area from the associated rollout. If the action is missing, open the image directly in updated Paint and use its Remove background control.
On a compatible Windows 11 Copilot+ PC or eligible Cloud PC with Click to Do and updated Paint, press Windows + Q, or hold Windows and click an image displayed in an app or browser. Select the detected image, then select Remove background with Paint. Save the processed image as PNG.
You can also open Click to Do with a right swipe on a touch-enabled PC, through the Snipping Tool menu, or by searching for Click to Do in Windows Search. The Snipping Tool entry requires version 11.2411.20.0 or later. Microsoft excludes this Click to Do image action in the European Economic Area.
Fix missing Paint controls and Windows actions
If Paint lacks background removal or transparency controls, open Microsoft Store and select Check for Updates. Install available updates, then reopen Paint. To access the official app, open Microsoft’s Paint product page and select Open Paint.
For Windows-integrated entry points, update Windows when needed through Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. On a compatible Windows 11 Copilot+ PC, open Settings > Privacy & security > Click to Do, then turn on Click to Do. Invoke Click to Do, select an image, and select Remove background with Paint.
On Windows 11 builds with app-action settings, open Settings > Apps > Actions when the Paint action is missing. Check whether the relevant Paint action has been disabled. Paint must be installed for its corresponding action to appear.
If you administer a managed Windows 11 device that supports the policy and meets Click to Do requirements, open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows AI > Disable Click to Do, or the equivalent path under User Configuration. Set the policy to Disabled or Not Configured to permit Click to Do. The corresponding MDM policy is WindowsAI/DisableClickToDo. This policy controls standalone access and does not affect Click to Do inside Recall.
If an older tutorial sends you to Paint 3D or Magic Select, use updated Paint’s Remove background workflow instead. Microsoft deprecated Paint 3D and removed it from Microsoft Store, although existing installations continue to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you remove a background in Paint using voice controls?
Yes, with updated Paint on Windows 11 version 22H2 or later, you can use Voice access with a supported speech language. With Voice access configured and listening, display Paint’s background-removal control and say Show numbers. Then say Click followed by the number displayed on that control, repeating for menu choices and saving. Microsoft does not document a dedicated spoken Paint background-removal command.
Can you remove the background from an image in Recall?
On a Windows 11 Copilot+ PC with Recall available and configured, open Recall and browse to a snapshot containing the image. Select the image, select Remove background with Paint, and save the processed image as PNG. You can also select Now to work with the current screen without saving the snapshot. Microsoft excludes this image action in the European Economic Area.
Does Generative erase make an image background transparent?
No, Generative erase fills the removed area with generated content. Use Remove background when you want a transparent cutout.
Can Paint open an existing transparent PNG?
Yes, Windows 11 Paint with transparency support can open transparent PNG images. You can edit an existing transparent image as well as create a new cutout.
