This awesome Apple macOS photo hack is hiding in plain sight

Most of the time when Apple hacks do the rounds, they're not actually that impressive. Often, the definition of the word 'hack' is somewhat stretched (why, yes, I did know I can use my MacBook to send emails). But every now and again we see something awesome that's hiding in plain sight.

One Twitter user has shared a simple screen recording demonstrating how Preview on macOS is capable of removing an image's background just like the iPhone, along with the question "Have I been living under the rock?". Judging by the responses, the area under said rock has a very large population. (Want to try it for yourself? Check out the best MacBook Pro deals.)

Davey Heuser's screen recording shows that all the user has to do in Preview is right-click the file, select Quick Actions and click Remove Background. That's it. And just like the iPhone's mind-blowing photo cutout feature, Preview is able to detect and isolate the subject of the image. 

"What, that was possible the entire time?" One user comments, while another adds, "One year after buying it, still discovering what my Mac can do." Indeed, almost every week it turns out an awesome MacOS feature has been hiding under our noses. From long-exposure photos to, er, Siri-powered Harry Potter spells, the internet is discovering brand new hacks pretty much constantly.

Read more:

• iPhone Sound Recognition might just be the coolest feature of iOS
• iPhone 14 Pro Max review: similar to the 13, and similarly great too
• There's a cat hiding in this optical illusion