Microsoft Designer launches new phone app for editing content with AI, wherever you are
Microsoft’s Designer platform is finally leaving the preview phase after two years and is becoming broadly available to all users. In addition to the expansion, the company is also launching a official app for Android and iOS devices.
If you’re unfamiliar, Designer is essentially Microsoft’s version of Adobe Express. It’s a website where you can create art, greeting cards, wallpapers, and more using generative AI (they even share a similar page layout). Additionally, users can upload their own photos or images, which can then be manipulated using Designer’s AI tools. Backgrounds can be removed, images can be modified to create a unique art style, and you can remove people or objects from a photo using the generative eraser.
Everything mentioned so far is present in the mobile app, and to sweeten the deal, several new features have been added, such as prompt templates. These are pre-made ideas that you can feed to the AI if you’re having trouble coming up with a prompt. You have the option to swap out certain words if you want to make changes.
Notable features
There are a couple of other notable features available, such as Frame Image. This allows you to upload photos and give them a frame around the photo. All you need to do is enter a descriptive prompt in the text box provided.
Microsoft says it plans to introduce another feature in the future, called Background Replacement, “in preview [across] select markets.” As the name suggests, this completely replaces the background of still photos with a new background created by AI.
The announcement states that “Designer comes with 15 free daily boosts” that you can use to quickly create or edit AI content. However, in our experience, we actually received 32 boosts. Without these tokens, the app would presumably take longer to generate images and files, but how long that will take is unknown. Microsoft did not provide any additional information.
Those looking for more boosts can purchase a Copilot Pro subscription for $20 per month to receive 100 boosts every day. Designer is free to download from Microsoft’s website . All you have to do is scan a QR code on the page. Or, if you prefer, you can install it from the Google Play or Apple App Store.
First Batch Updates
In addition to the app, users in the Windows Insider program have the opportunity to try out Designer in Microsoft Photos. It has similar features to the mobile version, such as the ability to remove backgrounds, but adds a few extra tools, such as automatic cropping.
Microsoft Designer is now available in Word and PowerPoint. The AI can generate content for you on the fly with a single prompt. Word is getting an exclusive feature soon that allows Designer to create a banner or design that mirrors the content in a document.
There’s a catch, though. According to the post, users will need to have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription, in addition to a Copilot Pro subscription. That means you’ll have to pay around $27 per month or $324 per year to get access to the service. At that price, it seems like the Word integration is aimed more at professionals than the average person.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for clarification on the price, and asked a few questions as well. This story will be updated if we hear back. Until then, check out TechRadar’s list of the best AI photo editors for 2024.
