How to cut out a photo on iPhone and Android

You want just the dog, not the couch behind it. Both iPhone and many Android phones can lift a subject out of a photo with a long press. This guide shows the built-in way on each, what to do when it goes wrong, and how to cut out a whole batch to use as stickers.

How do I cut out a photo on iPhone?

Touch and hold the subject in the Photos app. iPhone lifts it away from the background. Apple says this works on iOS 16 and later, on iPhone XS, iPhone XR and newer.

1. Open the Photos app and tap a photo to open it full screen.
2. Touch and hold the subject until a glowing outline appears.
3. Let go, then choose Copy or Share.
4. Paste the cutout into a message, note or document, or send it with Share.

Button names can vary a little between iOS versions, and Apple notes the cutout cannot be pasted onto another photo. If you want a reusable sticker instead of a one-off copy, Apple also offers Add Sticker on newer iOS. The iPhone sticker guide covers that.

How do I cut out a photo on Android?

It depends on your phone. Two official routes:

Google Photos

Google says its sticker feature works on most Android devices with the latest update and enough memory.

1. Open Google Photos and tap a photo.
2. Look for the shimmer outline around the subject.
3. Touch and hold the subject.
4. Choose Copy or Share and paste it into a chat or app.

Samsung Gallery

Samsung says features can vary by device and software version. On Galaxy phones, open Gallery, pick the picture, touch and hold the subject, and tap Save as sticker.

More detail is in the Android sticker guide.

Why did the cutout go wrong?

Automatic cutouts are good, not perfect. Common causes:

• The subject and background are similar colors, such as a brown dog on a brown sofa.
• Fur, hair or fine details blend into the background.
• Something overlaps the subject, such as a hand, a blanket or a leash.
• The photo is dark or blurry.

The simplest fix is a better photo: good light, the subject in front and a plain-ish background. Built-in tools offer little control over the edge (Samsung Gallery, for one, lets you select or draw the area by hand), so when a photo is worth saving, an editor with an eraser and restore brush helps.

How do I cut out lots of photos and fix the edges?

The built-in tools work one photo at a time. PAPLO is built for the batch. It is a phone app for iPhone (iOS 15.5 or later) and Android (7.0 or later) that turns photos into stickers. It is on the App Store and Google Play.

1. Open PAPLO and tap Import photos, or Take a photo on an empty library.
2. Pick up to 50 photos in one go. PAPLO shows “Cutting out” while it works, and the cutouts are made on your phone.
3. On the finish screen, tap Done to go to your library. Other choices are Send all and Make a pack, and Put them together appears when you have at least 3 stickers.
4. In your library, tap any sticker to open the editor.
5. Open Cut-out, then tap Open cut-out editor. Use Erase to remove leftover background and Restore to bring back a piece that was cut off. You can change the brush size and undo or redo.
6. Add a Border or Text if you want, then tap Share.

If a photo will not cut out at all, PAPLO offers Fix it by hand or Use the whole photo as a sticker.

What can you do with a cutout?

A cutout on a transparent background is a sticker. Send it to a chat, build a pack, or put it on a collage. For chat apps, see the WhatsApp sticker guide. For ideas on what to make, try sticker ideas for your group chat.

Pet cutouts work well as a set, and Chaos cat, a 24-sticker orange cat pack that is part of PAPLO Plus, shows what a finished pet pack can look like.

Which method should you use?

You want to…	Better pick
Lift one subject and paste it once	Built-in long press
Cut out many photos	PAPLO
Fix a messy edge	PAPLO (Erase and Restore)
Add a border or caption	PAPLO

Try the built-in tool first, since it is already on your phone. Use PAPLO when you have a pile of photos or when an edge needs care. If something in the app is unclear, visit support or see all guides.