How do I get the old Remove Background tool back?

Question

How do I get the old Remove Background tool back?

Caruso, Elizabeth 0

The new AI tool for removing backgrounds is unusable. There is no magenta selection options to pick and choose what part of an image to keep and what to get rid of. The AI is awful. How do we revert to the old tool on a Mac?

Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

Bill Stigliani 0 Reputation points

2026-06-01T01:41:29.32+00:00

I totally agree with Elizabeth! This AI remove background tool is completely useless. The legacy tool that I have been using for years was a wonderfull assest in slide preparation. I don't know what to do now with this useless tool that has been foisted on me!!!
John Korchok 236K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-06-01T17:44:40.4266667+00:00

To fix this problem, please see my answer below on this same page.
Paula Teeuwen 0 Reputation points

2026-06-07T18:32:59.67+00:00

I also agree. The new AI tool is awful and doesn't work most of the time. If it does work, the background removal is really bad and nowhere near the functionality of the old tool. Please bring back the normal tool so I can make my thesis figures without being extremely annoyed with this new tool.
John Korchok 236K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-06-07T23:59:21.28+00:00

You can register your discontent by choosing Help>Feedback>Make a Suggestion and posting your request. But you'll get quicker results by adding the old command to the Quick Access Toolbar, as shown in the reply marked as an answer here.

Answer recommended by moderator

John Korchok 236K Volunteer Moderator

Here's how to work around this Microsoft 365 design flaw:

Click on the three-dot icon at the right end of the Quick Access Toolbar, then choose More Commands. The Ribbon & Toolbar dialog opens.
Change the Choose command from dropdown to All Commands.
Scroll down to Remove Background and select it.
Click on the Add button.
OK out. The old version of the Remove Background tool is added to the QAT.

Paula Teeuwen 0 Reputation points

2026-06-07T18:35:01.1366667+00:00

This doesn't work for me unfortunately. The newly added remove background tool isn't usuable in the toolbar, so it seems I'm still stuck with the AI tool.
John Korchok 236K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-06-08T00:01:36.2+00:00

"Not usable" What issue are you having? Please provide more details or a screen shot. It's the same tool as was in previous versions of PowerPoint.
Lee Vaughan 0 Reputation points

2026-07-22T02:13:45.7833333+00:00

Thank you, John, but I'm using an up-to-date Microsoft 365 subscription on Windows 11, and when I add the Remove Background tool as instructed, I still find the new tool, which is useless. According to Copilot, I may be out of luck. Hope that's not the case as I really rely (relied) on this particular tool.
Stefan Blom 352K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-07-22T21:01:40.06+00:00

[...] I'm using an up-to-date Microsoft 365 subscription on Windows 11, and when I add the Remove Background tool as instructed, I still find the new tool, which is useless. According to Copilot, I may be out of luck. Hope that's not the case as I really rely (relied) on this particular tool.

@Lee Vaughan

Since you are using a different version of PowerPoint on a different operating system, you should start your own thread. Use the Ask a question option (see the screen shot below). Good luck.

The current thread is old and it will be closed.

1 additional answer

Bill Stigliani 0 Reputation points

2026-06-01T01:41:29.32+00:00

I totally agree with Elizabeth! This AI remove background tool is completely useless. The legacy tool that I have been using for years was a wonderfull assest in slide preparation. I don't know what to do now with this useless tool that has been foisted on me!!!
John Korchok 236K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-06-01T17:44:40.4266667+00:00

To fix this problem, please see my answer below on this same page.
Paula Teeuwen 0 Reputation points

2026-06-07T18:32:59.67+00:00

I also agree. The new AI tool is awful and doesn't work most of the time. If it does work, the background removal is really bad and nowhere near the functionality of the old tool. Please bring back the normal tool so I can make my thesis figures without being extremely annoyed with this new tool.
John Korchok 236K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-06-07T23:59:21.28+00:00

You can register your discontent by choosing Help>Feedback>Make a Suggestion and posting your request. But you'll get quicker results by adding the old command to the Quick Access Toolbar, as shown in the reply marked as an answer here.
Paula Teeuwen 0 Reputation points

2026-06-07T18:35:01.1366667+00:00

This doesn't work for me unfortunately. The newly added remove background tool isn't usuable in the toolbar, so it seems I'm still stuck with the AI tool.
John Korchok 236K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-06-08T00:01:36.2+00:00

"Not usable" What issue are you having? Please provide more details or a screen shot. It's the same tool as was in previous versions of PowerPoint.
Lee Vaughan 0 Reputation points

2026-07-22T02:13:45.7833333+00:00

Thank you, John, but I'm using an up-to-date Microsoft 365 subscription on Windows 11, and when I add the Remove Background tool as instructed, I still find the new tool, which is useless. According to Copilot, I may be out of luck. Hope that's not the case as I really rely (relied) on this particular tool.
Stefan Blom 352K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-07-22T21:01:40.06+00:00

[...] I'm using an up-to-date Microsoft 365 subscription on Windows 11, and when I add the Remove Background tool as instructed, I still find the new tool, which is useless. According to Copilot, I may be out of luck. Hope that's not the case as I really rely (relied) on this particular tool.

@Lee Vaughan

Since you are using a different version of PowerPoint on a different operating system, you should start your own thread. Use the Ask a question option (see the screen shot below). Good luck.

The current thread is old and it will be closed.

Answer 1

Hi Caruso, Elizabeth

Based on my research, the legacy Remove Background tool known for pixel‑level editing and the magenta selection workflow has been replaced in current Microsoft 365 builds by an AI‑driven experience. The earlier tool does not appear in the application, and no setting or option provides a way to restore it. In the current version, the available method you can try:

Select the image
Go to Picture Format > Remove Background
PowerPoint attempts automatic background detection
If the standard tool is available, refine using Mark Areas to Keep or Mark Areas to Remove
Select Keep Changes to apply. You can see: Remove the background of a picture in Office - Microsoft Support

The newer experience does not provide the same level of fine manual control as the previous implementation. If the magenta selection and marking options are not visible, this is expected in some of the newer image editing workflows, where the interface has been simplified and manual controls may be reduced.

For scenarios requiring detailed or pixel‑level editing, the recommended approach is to use a separate image editing application, export the image with a transparent background (for example, PNG format), and then insert it back into PowerPoint as workaround

If this change significantly affects workflow, feedback can be submitted through Help > Feedback in the application so that it can be reviewed by the Microsoft product team.

(Please understand that we're not Microsoft support, this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators have no backend access and cannot directly intervene in Microsoft products. We provide only technical guidance and best-practice recommendations based on reported issues).

I hope this information helps and if you have any question, please feel free to ask via comment section!

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Anonymous

2026-05-26T05:28:54.77+00:00

Hi Caruso, Elizabeth

Just checking in to see if you've had a chance to check my previous reply.

Please let me know in comment section if you have any further questions.