Live Background Removal
Remove and replace the background of the live camera, in the design editor and in surveys.
Remove and replace the background of the live camera preview, on the design editor camera and on survey photo questions, using a transparent, white, custom color, or image backdrop taken from an upload, a previous question, or a widget answer.
What is live background removal?
When live background removal is on, the camera preview shows the guest without their real background, and replaces it with a backdrop you choose. The guest sees the result before they take the photo, so there are no surprises afterwards. It runs on the device, so it uses no credits.
Screenshot placeholder — A guest in the live camera preview with the background replaced by an event image
On the editor camera
Turn it on once for the whole event, and every camera in the design editor uses it:
- 1
Open the event settings
Edit the event in the admin area and open the Toolbar settings, see Toolbar.
- 2
Find the camera settings
Scroll to the camera section.
- 3
Turn on Live background removal
Switch on Live background removal.
- 4
Choose a backdrop
Pick Transparent (PNG), White, a custom color, or an image.
Screenshot placeholder — The Live background removal switch and the backdrop options in the toolbar settings
On survey camera questions
Each Photo question has its own setting, which is off by default and does not use the event setting. This lets you use it on some questions and not on others.
- 1
Open the survey
Edit the survey and select a Photo question.
- 2
Turn on Live background removal
Switch on Live background removal in the question settings.
- 3
Choose a backdrop
Pick Transparent (PNG), White, Custom color, or Image.
- 4
Choose where the image comes from
For the Image backdrop, choose the image source below.
Screenshot placeholder — The Live background removal settings of a Photo question with the image source list
Backdrop options
The backdrop is what appears behind the guest:
Transparent (PNG)
Keeps only the person on a transparent background, ideal for stickers and cutouts over your design.
White
A clean white background, good for ID-style or catalog photos.
Custom color
A solid color of your choice, such as your brand color.
Image
A picture behind the guest, such as a venue, a stadium, or a scene.
Where the background image comes from
For the Image backdrop on a survey question, choose one of these sources:
Upload an image
Upload one image (up to 10 MB) that every guest gets as their background.
Previous question image
Use the image from an earlier Photo, Upload Photo, Image Select, or Drawing question, so every guest gets a different, personal background. Add one of those questions before the camera question.
Form widget image
Use an image link that a custom widget saved, for example a sticker or photo the guest picked. Enter the key the widget uses to send the image link.
Example: put the guest in their chosen scene
Here is a typical flow that combines these features:
- 1
Ask for the scene
Add an Image Select question where guests pick a scene, such as a beach, a stadium, or a castle.
- 2
Add a Photo question
Add a Photo question after it.
- 3
Turn on live background removal
Switch on Live background removal and set the backdrop to Image.
- 4
Use the previous question
Set the image source to Previous question image and select the scene question.
- 5
Map it to the design
Map the photo answer onto the design, see Surveys.
Screenshot placeholder — The camera preview showing a guest standing in the scene they picked in the previous question
For the cleanest results, ask guests to stand in good light with a plain area behind them, and test the backdrop with a few different people before the event.
Advanced use case: the clone photo
Show the same guest twice in one picture. The guest takes one photo with the background removed live, saved as a transparent PNG, and then a second photo in a different position. Both cutouts are placed on the design side by side.
- 1
Add the first Photo question
Title it, for example, Photo 1: stand on the left. Turn on Live background removal and choose Transparent (PNG).
- 2
Add the second Photo question
Title it Photo 2: move to the right and turn on Live background removal with the Transparent backdrop too.
- 3
Place both on the design
Add two image placeholders to the template and link each photo answer to its placeholder in Survey Mapping.
- 4
Optional: line up the second pose
Set the second question's backdrop to Image with Previous question image, so guests see their first pose while they take the second.
Screenshot placeholder — Two cutouts of the same guest in different positions, placed side by side on a design
See the full recipe in Advanced use cases: clone photo, and other ideas on Advanced Settings.
Live removal or Remove Background?
The platform has three ways to remove a background. Pick the one that fits:
Live background removal
Happens in the camera preview before the photo is taken. Runs on the device and uses no credits.
Remove Background button
A guest taps it on an image in the Design Editor after the fact. Uses 1 background removal credit.
Post-AI Processor
A survey removes the background from an image, including AI results, automatically. Uses 1 background removal credit. See Remove background in surveys.
Live background removal needs a modern device for best results. Test it on the same device you will use at the event.