Edit a photo with AI

beginner⏱ Rough guide only: 20–40 minutes per photo

Last reviewed by Amara Lewis

How do I edit a photo with AI for free?

Upload your photo to Gemini or ChatGPT (both have free plans with limits) and describe one change in plain English, such as 'remove the person in the background' or 'brighten this'. For background removal and quick fixes, Canva's free plan is easier. Keep your original and check faces haven't been subtly changed.

Copy-and-paste prompt

Swap the bits in [square brackets] for your own details.

Edit this photo: [describe the change, e.g. remove the person in the background on the left / brighten it so it looks like a sunny morning / change the background to a plain white wall]. Keep everything else exactly the same, especially faces. Then tell me what you changed.

How to do it

  1. Open Gemini, ChatGPT or Canva and start a new chat.
  2. Copy the prompt below and replace everything in [square brackets] with your details.
  3. Upload the photo and describe one change at a time.
  4. Compare the result with the original and keep the original file safe.

What a good answer looks like

Illustrative example written by the AI My Day team to show the kind of answer you can expect. It is not a captured tool output, and real results vary.

What I changed: 1. Removed the person walking behind you on the left and filled in the brick wall. 2. Left your face, hair and clothes untouched. 3. Kept the original colours and lighting. Tip: if the brickwork looks smudged, ask me to 'redo the wall so the bricks line up'.

Recommended tools

Gemini and ChatGPT can edit photos from a plain-English instruction; Canva adds one-click tools like background removal.

Gemini

Google's AI assistant, which works alongside Gmail, Docs and other Google apps.

Free planbeginner

ChatGPT

A general-purpose AI assistant you can chat to by typing, talking or sharing photos.

Free planbeginner

Canva (Magic Studio)

A drag-and-drop design app with built-in AI tools for making images, text and layouts.

Free planbeginner

Top tips

  • Ask for one change at a time – big multi-step requests go wrong more often.
  • Don't edit photos of other people in ways they wouldn't agree to.

Frequently asked questions

Will AI change people's faces?

It can, subtly. Always compare with the original, and ask it to keep faces unchanged.

Can I use edited photos anywhere?

Check each tool's terms, and be honest when an image has been altered, especially for listings or dating profiles.

Which AI is best for this?

Not sure which tool suits you? Take the 60-second quiz.

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