(Credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft's AI-powered Designer app is out of preview mode and available for free on iOS, Android, and Windows, the company announced in a blog post.
Like its competitors Adobe Express and Canva, Microsoft Designer offers a library of templates for creating custom images, stickers, greeting cards, posters, invitations, and more. It can also help you edit or restyle images and create designs from text prompts.
Two noteworthy features of Microsoft Designer are "Restyle image" and "Replace background." With "Restyle Image," you can generate AI avatars by uploading a photo and providing a few prompts. The "Replace background" feature, which will soon be in preview for select markets, is pretty self-explanatory: it replaces an image background with something you choose.
Previously limited to the web and Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Designer is now accessible to everyone with a Microsoft account. However, you will need "Boosts" to use the Designer app's AI-powered features. You get 15 free Boosts daily, and they are automatically deducted every time you create or edit designs. Upgrade to a Copilot Pro subscription for $20 per month to receive 100 boosts per day, says Microsoft.
Beyond the standalone app and website, Designer will also be integrated into Microsoft tools like Word and PowerPoint via Copilot to give your documents and presentations a makeover without switching between apps. The only caveat here is that you'll need that Copilot Pro subscription.
Microsoft is also bringing Designer's capabilities to the Photos app on Windows 11. Windows Insiders can now test features for erasing objects, removing backgrounds, auto-cropping, and filters directly in Photos. In the future, Microsoft expects to bring similar capabilities to its Edge browser as well.