Frequently asked questions
32 straight answers about how bgclear works. Each one has its own page with the details.
Using bgclear
How does AI background removal work?
An AI segmentation model looks at the whole photo, decides which pixels belong to the subject and which to the background, and produces an alpha matte that keeps hair, fur and semi-transparent edges. bgclear runs it on its servers in about five seconds and returns a transparent PNG.
Full answer →How do I remove the background from an image for free?
Open bgclear.ai, upload a JPG, PNG or WebP (up to 10 MB), wait about five seconds, and download the transparent PNG. It is free, unlimited, needs no account and adds no watermark. Optionally pick a white or coloured background in the editor before downloading.
Full answer →How many images can I process for free?
Unlimited. bgclear has no daily cap, no credits and no watermark on the website, and you do not need an account. Process as many images as you like, one after another. Only the developer API is metered, because it serves software rather than people.
Full answer →Why is bgclear free?
bgclear runs its own efficient AI model on its own servers, which keeps the cost per image very low, and the website is supported by ads. The core background remover stays free and unlimited for people; the developer API is paid because it serves software at volume.
Full answer →Do I need an account to remove backgrounds?
No. Upload, remove, download — no email, no password. A free account is optional and only adds convenience: it keeps your processed images in "My Images" so you can re-download them later from any device.
Full answer →Is there a bgclear mobile app?
No app is needed: bgclear works fully in the mobile browser on Android and iPhone. Open bgclear.ai, tap Upload, choose a photo from your gallery or camera, and save the transparent PNG straight to your phone. You can add the site to your home screen for one-tap access.
Full answer →How do I remove a photo background on my phone?
On Android or iPhone, open bgclear.ai in Chrome or Safari, tap Upload, pick the photo from your gallery, wait a few seconds, and tap Download — the transparent PNG lands in your gallery or Files. No app, no signup, free and unlimited.
Full answer →How long does background removal take?
About five seconds for a typical photo, from upload to downloadable PNG. Very large images and busy moments take a little longer. Through the API, synchronous requests finish within 30 seconds and larger images run as async jobs with a callback.
Full answer →Can I change the background colour after removing it?
Yes. After removal, the editor lets you keep the background transparent or switch to white, black, blue and other solid colours, gradient and studio backdrops, a blurred version of the original, or your own photo — then add a shadow or outline and download.
Full answer →Can I remove backgrounds from many images at once?
On the website, images are processed one at a time with no limit on how many you run back to back. For true bulk, the developer API accepts batches of 50 image URLs per call, async jobs up to 50 MP, and callbacks when each result is ready.
Full answer →Quality & formats
What image formats can I upload?
JPG, PNG and WebP up to 10 MB on the website; the download is a transparent PNG at your image's original resolution. The API also accepts GIF and BMP, takes files up to 25 MB and 50 megapixels, and can return PNG, WebP or JPG.
Full answer →How accurate is the background removal?
For the typical case — a person, product, pet or logo on a contrasting background — the cutout is clean in one pass, including hair strands and fur. The hardest cases are very low contrast (white on white), glass and smoke, and busy backgrounds, which can need a quick manual touch-up.
Full answer →Does bgclear reduce image quality or resolution?
No. The website returns the cutout at your image's original resolution — there is no preview-versus-HD tier and no upscaling. PNG output is lossless. Through the API, preview-size results (up to 800 px) are free and full-resolution results cost one credit.
Full answer →Why does my cutout have a white or coloured halo around the edge?
The halo is colour from the old background bleeding into semi-transparent edge pixels — most visible when a cutout made against white is placed on a dark background. Fixes: shoot against a contrasting plain wall, check the result on a dark backdrop before exporting, and re-run with a sharper original.
Full answer →How do I make an image background transparent?
Upload the image to bgclear, let the AI remove the background, and download the result as PNG — transparency is the default. The checkerboard you see in the preview is not part of the file; anywhere you place the PNG, the background shows through.
Full answer →Can a JPG have a transparent background?
No. JPG has no alpha channel, so a "transparent JPG" is always flattened onto a colour, usually white. For transparency, save as PNG or WebP. If a form or marketplace insists on JPG, add a solid white background in the editor and export the JPG from that.
Full answer →ID & document photos
What background colour does a passport photo need?
Almost every country requires a plain, light background — India's Passport Seva asks for a plain white or light-coloured background, and the US asks for white or off-white. A photographed wall with shadows or colour cast is the usual reason for rejection; a digitally applied flat white passes.
Full answer →How do I make a passport photo background white for free?
Take a straight, well-lit photo against any plain wall, upload it to bgclear, let the AI remove the background, choose White in the editor and download. Then crop to the required size (2×2 in for Passport Seva, 35×45 mm for most Indian forms). Free, no signup, no watermark.
Full answer →What photo size and background does a PAN card application need?
Online PAN applications (NSDL/Protean and UTIITSL) ask for a recent colour photo on a plain white background, 3.5 cm × 2.5 cm, uploaded as JPEG within a small size limit that is commonly around 50 KB. Check the limit shown on the portal, as it changes.
Full answer →How do I make my signature background transparent?
Sign with a dark pen on plain white paper, photograph it straight-on without shadows, upload to bgclear and download the transparent PNG — only the ink remains. For forms that want JPG, apply White in the editor first; for PDFs and documents, use the transparent PNG.
Full answer →Selling online
Does Amazon require a white background for product images?
Yes for the main image: Amazon's image guidelines require a pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255) with the product filling most of the frame and no props, text or watermarks. Additional images can show lifestyle scenes. Flipkart and most marketplaces have the same main-image rule.
Full answer →How do I get white-background product photos for free?
Photograph the product on any plain surface in even light, upload to bgclear, let the AI remove the background, choose White in the editor and download. It is free and unlimited, so a whole catalogue can go through one image at a time; developers can automate it with the API.
Full answer →remove.bg
Is remove.bg shutting down?
Yes, as a standalone product. remove.bg's site states that the standalone website will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET, that background removal moves to Leonardo.Ai (part of Canva), and that unused credits expire on the same date.
Full answer →Will my remove.bg credits expire?
According to remove.bg's pricing page, credits expire on 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET, when the standalone site closes. Nothing transfers to another provider, so use them before then or write them off. bgclear credits, by contrast, never expire.
Full answer →What is the best free alternative to remove.bg?
For a free, unlimited, no-signup tool with full-resolution downloads, bgclear.ai is the direct replacement: remove.bg's free tier returned preview-size images and its site closes on 1 December 2026. Canva's remover is the official successor if you already work in Canva.
Full answer →What should I use instead of the remove.bg API?
If you only need background removal, a field-compatible API is the smallest change: bgclear accepts remove.bg's image_file, image_url, image_file_b64, size, format, bg_color and crop, so you swap the URL and the auth header. Leonardo.Ai is the official successor if you want its wider generative toolkit.
Full answer →Developers & API
Does bgclear have an API?
Yes. The bgclear REST API removes backgrounds with one HTTP call — multipart or JSON in, PNG/WebP/JPG out — plus async jobs up to 50 MP, batches of 50 images, callbacks and usage endpoints. Its request fields match remove.bg's. Preview-size results are free; full resolution is one credit.
Full answer →How much does the bgclear API cost?
Credit packs, no subscription: $9 for 100 credits ($0.09 per image), $39 for 500 ($0.078) and $129 for 2,000 (about $0.065). One credit is one full-resolution image; preview-size results (up to 800 px) are free and unlimited. Credits never expire and failed requests are never charged.
Full answer →Is there a free background removal API?
Free tiers rather than fully free APIs. bgclear gives unlimited free preview-size results (up to 800 px, no watermark) and 10 full-resolution credits with your first key, plus a free plan on RapidAPI. The open-source rembg is free to run on your own hardware.
Full answer →Is the bgclear API compatible with remove.bg?
For the fields almost every integration uses — image_file, image_url, image_file_b64, size, format, bg_color, crop — yes: same names, same meaning. You change the base URL and the auth header (X-Api-Key becomes Authorization: Bearer). Not supported: zip output and the type, roi, scale, position and add_shadow parameters.
Full answer →Privacy & terms
What happens to my images after processing?
Uploaded originals are automatically deleted from bgclear's servers within 24 hours. Your result stays downloadable in your browser, and if you use a free account, past cutouts can be re-downloaded from My Images. API results are likewise purged after 24 hours.
Full answer →Can I use bgclear images commercially?
Yes. Everything you create with bgclear is yours to use anywhere — online shops, ads, client work, print — at no cost and with no attribution required. The only condition is that you have the right to use the photo you upload.
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