Local Background Remover

Format guide · 5 min

How to make a transparent PNG on iPhone

The checkerboard is only a preview. The file format is what decides whether your finished image actually contains transparency.

By David Balderston, the app’s developer · Published · Updated

To save a transparent image on iPhone:

Remove the background, set Background to Clear, and export as PNG. Save or share the exported file itself. A screenshot captures the preview background and loses transparency.

Restore and Erase tools around a cat cutout in Background Remover
Refine the subject first, then choose Clear and PNG for export.

What transparency means

A digital image normally stores red, green, and blue values for every pixel. A transparent image adds an alpha value that says how visible each pixel should be. Fully transparent pixels let the eventual background show through; partially transparent pixels keep soft edges such as hair and fur from looking cut out with scissors.

Editors commonly display transparency as a gray-and-white checkerboard. That pattern is not baked into the export. It is a visual convention so empty areas remain visible while you work.

Create the file

  1. Choose the source photo and let the app create the foreground mask.
  2. Keep the subject or subjects you want.
  3. Open Refine and inspect narrow edges at a useful zoom.
  4. Leave Background set to Clear.
  5. Open Export and select PNG, or leave the file format on Auto when Clear is selected.
  6. Share the file or save it to Photos.
Do not choose JPEG for transparency.JPEG has no alpha channel. An editor must flatten empty pixels onto a color before writing a JPEG.

Why a transparent PNG can look white

Some preview screens use white behind transparent pixels. Send the file into a design app or place it over a colored background to verify it. If the image was exported as PNG with Clear selected, a white-looking preview does not necessarily mean transparency was lost.

Another common problem happens after export. Messaging apps, social networks, and image optimizers may convert a PNG to JPEG. Share the file as a document when preserving the exact format matters.

Keep the original resolution

A fast editor can show a smaller preview while you work and return to the original image for the export render. This avoids making every brush movement operate on a large image while preserving the source dimensions in the finished file. Check the exported pixel dimensions when a marketplace, print workflow, or design template has a requirement.

Check the exported PNG before sending it

  1. Open the exported file in an app that supports transparency.
  2. Place it on a colored background. The new color should show through the removed area.
  3. Inspect hair and fur on both a light and a dark background to catch unwanted edge halos.
  4. If you see a fixed white rectangle, check that you chose Clear and PNG, then export again. Renaming a JPEG to .png does not add transparency.

Local Background Remover is a one-time app purchase with full-resolution export and no subscription. Get Background Remover: PNG Cutout on the App Store.

When PNG is the wrong choice

PNG is excellent for cutouts, logos, graphics, and images that need transparency. A high-resolution photographic PNG can be much larger than a JPEG. If the background is final—white, black, or another solid color—and file size matters, JPEG may be more practical.

Next: make a white-background product image →