Microsoft's AI-Powered Designer App Goes Mobile: A New Era in Graphic Design

Microsoft has let its AI-powered Designer app out of preview mode

Microsoft's AI-powered Designer app has been unleashed from preview mode, with the Canva rival now available for free to everyone with a Microsoft account. And though it's an impressive productivity tool for those without major creative skills, it's not likely to be super welcome news for designers, artists, creatives, and those concerned about AI-generated artwork. Announced in a post on Microsoft's blog and available on its website, the tech giant's design platform has officially launched on iOS and Android, for mobile and desktop. Designer is a template-based editing app that lets users create and edit images, make greeting cards, invitations, posters, and other basic design work, and spruce up Word documents with AI, using Microsoft Copilot. The app channels a similar offering to Australian unicorn Canva, which launched Magic Studio, a suite of AI-powered tools, last year. Designer notably has a feature called Restyle Image, which can turn your photos into an AI-powered avatar using different styles like pop art, cubism, and stylised 3D -- exactly whose art the AI has been trained on is unclear. It's similar to the offerings from other tech giants like Samsung. TikTok has introduced AI-generated digital avatars, WhatsApp is working on a personalized AI image generator, and there was that whole thing with Lensa. It takes under a minute to generate. Here's a couple I generated using a photo of myself, and while they really look nothing like me, they're pretty cute and make me feel deeply guilty: If you have one of the expensive $20 per month Copilot Pro subscriptions, you can integrate Designer with Microsoft 365 software like Word and PowerPoint to enliven your documents and presentations with prompt templates and sticker generators. The app also connects with the Microsoft Photos app, so you can edit photos to erase and replace backgrounds, apply filters, and frame, or markup images. Copilot detects the subject in the photo and automatically highlights it like this for editing: There's also something called Boosts available in Designer, which apparently "create or edit AI-powered images and designs faster" according to Microsoft. Users get 15 free Boosts a day; Copilot Pro subscribers get 100. The platform might ring a few alarms for graphic designers, artists, creatives, and others concerned over the rise in AI-generated creative work. AI graphics tools like Microsoft's own Bing Image Creator using DALL-E 3 is just the tip of the AI-generated iceberg -- Midjourney, Google's SGE, MediaTek, Adobe's terrifying tools, the list goes on. There is a tool call Nightshade that can protect artists' work against being trained with AI image generators. In its blog post, Microsoft highlighted "stewarding responsible AI use" and included the following: "At Microsoft, we are focused on building tools that harness the incredible potential of generative AI while providing a safe experience for our users. We are committed to ensuring that our systems are used in a responsible and ethical manner."

Microsoft Designer app for AI editing, creation launched for Android and iOS

Microsoft has announced the general availability of its Designer app, now accessible with a personal Microsoft account. The app lets you create, edit, or make a design from scratch with the help of AI. Designer integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products, including Word, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Photos through Copilot, and is available as a standalone free app for Android and iOS with support for over 80 languages. Designer's generative AI editing and creation capabilities are now available to Microsoft 365 apps on the web and PC apps, provided there's a Copilot Pro subscription. The Designer's editing features can also be leveraged on the Microsoft Photos app (v2024.11070.12001.0 or higher). Without leaving Photos, you can edit your photos to erase objects, remove backgrounds, auto crop, make adjustments, apply filters, markup, or even add text without leaving your flow. But this is currently limited to Windows Insiders with the language set to English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese (Brazil), and available in most countries. You can access Microsoft Designer through the web or can download on Windows, iOS, and Android devices for free with a personal Microsoft account. Though the usage is free, there's a limit. It comes with 15 free daily boosts that you can use to create or edit AI-powered images. With a Copilot Pro subscription, users can get 100 boosts per day.

Microsoft's AI-Powered Designer App Is Out of Preview Mode

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.

Microsoft releases iOS and Android apps for Designer, its AI-powered Canva competitor

Use Copilot and OpenAI tools to make whatever visuals you want. Microsoft has officially its platform for AI image generation. After a long preview phase, Designer is now available to most people with a Microsoft account. Designer can be used on the web in more than 80 languages, as a mobile app for iOS and Android, and as a Windows app. You can create a brand new visual from the ground up with AI, or use Designer to edit and tweak a picture you've already made. There are plenty of templates available to guide the creation of common image types, like a greeting card, smartphone wallpaper or a profile avatar. More experienced artists can also build everything from scratch, developing their own templates and using their own art. While Designer can be used on its own, Microsoft is promoting its integration with the company's other services. Thanks to the company's , Designer images can be easily linked up to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint projects. Of course, taking full advantage of that will require a . If you've used Canva, then Designer will feel very familiar. The service takes a very similar approach to its user experience and now also has some AI options. According to from when Microsoft first announced the app back in 2022, Designer is integrated with OpenAI's image generator DALL-E. Copilot DALL-E 3 integration, as well as ChatGPT 4 Turbo, so it makes sense that Designer will sync up with those existing services.

Microsoft's AI-powered Canva-like Designer app lands on iOS and Android | TechCrunch

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that its AI-powered Designer app is officially coming out of preview and is now available to all users on iOS and Android. The Canva-like app lets people generate images and designs with text prompts to create things like stickers, greeting cards, invitations, collages and more. Designer is now accessible in more than 80 languages on the web, available as a free mobile app, and as an app in Windows. The app features "prompt templates" that are designed to help jumpstart the creative process. The templates include styles and descriptions that you can experiment with and customize, and you can share templates with others in order to build on each other's ideas. In addition to stickers, you can create emojis, clip art, wallpapers, monograms, avatars and more with text prompts. You can also use Designer to edit and restyle images with AI. For instance, you can upload a selfie and then choose from a set of styles and write in any extra details you want to see to transform your photo. Soon, Designer will include a "replace background" feature that will allow you to use text prompts to transform images. With the launch of the standalone Designer app, Microsoft shared that it's bringing the service to apps like Word and PowerPoint through Copilot. People who have a Copilot Pro subscription can create images and designs in their workflow. Soon, users will get the option to create a banner for their document in Word based on the content of their document. As part of Wednesday's announcement, Microsoft revealed that Microsoft Photos on Windows 11 is getting a deeper integration with Designer. Users can now use AI to edit photos without leaving the Photos app. You can now do things like erase objects, remove backgrounds and auto-crop images directly within the app.

Microsoft Designer launches new phone app for editing content with AI wherever you go

Microsoft's Designer platform is finally leaving its preview stage after two years, becoming widely available to all users. Alongside the expansion, the company is also launching an official app for Android and iOS devices. If you're not familiar with it, Designer is basically Microsoft's version of Adobe Express. It's a website where you can create art, greeting cards, wallpapers, and more through the help of generative AI (they even share a similar page layout). Additionally, users are able to upload their own photographs or images which can then be edited using Designer's AI tools. Backgrounds can be removed, pictures can be altered into a unique art style, plus you can take out people or objects in a photo via the generative eraser. Everything listed so far is present on 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 give to the AI in case you're having a hard time coming up with a prompt. You do have the option to swap out certain words if you want to make changes. There are several other notable features available like Frame Image. This lets you upload photographs and give them a frame to wrap around the picture. You just have to enter a descriptive prompt into the accompanying text box. Microsoft states it has plans to introduce another feature down the line called Replace Background "in preview [across] select markets." As the name suggests, this completely replaces the background of still photos with a new one made by AI. The announcement states "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, it would presumably take the app longer to generate images and files, but how long it'll take is unknown. Microsoft didn't provide any extra information. People who want more boosts can purchase a Copilot Pro subscription for $20 a month to receive 100 of them every day. Designer is free to download from Microsoft's website. All you need to do is scan a QR code on the page. Or if you prefer, you can install it from either the Google Play or Apple App Store. 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, like the ability to remove backgrounds, but adds a few extra tools like auto-crop. Microsoft Designer is also now available in Word and PowerPoint. The AI can generate content for you at any time with a single prompt. Word is scheduled to receive an exclusive feature where Designer can create a banner or design, mirroring the content in a document. There is a catch, however. According to the post, users will need to have a subscription to either Microsoft 365 Personal or Family on top of having a Copilot Pro subscription. This means you'll have to pay about $27 a month or $324 a year to have access to the service. At that price, it seems the Word integration is meant more for professionals than the average person. We reached out to Microsoft for clarification on the price and asked a couple of questions too. This story will be updated if we hear back. Until then, check out TechRadar's list of the best AI photo editors for 2024.

Microsoft launches free mobile app versions of Designer, its AI photo creator

Accessing Microsoft's generative AI image tool just got a whole lot easier. Since its debut about a year ago, Microsoft Designer, the generative AI image production tool formerly known as Bing Image Creator, has only been available on the web or through Microsoft Edge. That changed on Wednesday when Microsoft announced that Designer is now available as a free app for iOS and Android. The company added that Designer is also coming to more apps, starting today with Microsoft Photos for Windows Insiders. With Designer in Photos, you can click the new "Edit with Designer" button to access features like generative erase (similar to Google's Magic Erase), color pop, auto crop, text and markup, and more. Also: How to use: Midjourney | Craiyon AI | DALL-E 2 | Stable Diffusion | DALL-E 3 in ChatGPT Similar capabilities will be coming to Microsoft Edge in the future. Designer is already available in a few Microsoft apps, like Word and PowerPoint, letting you create images while you're working on something else or make a banner based on the content of your document. If you need a little help generating an image, Designer is adding new prompt templates that come pre-populated with ideas, styles, and descriptions -- similar to the AI wallpaper generator on Pixel phones. You can share these templates with friends or other creators, Microsoft says, and can even create custom stickers for social and messaging apps. "You can also create emojis, clip art, wallpapers, monograms, avatars, and more," the company stated in the announcement, "all starting with a simple description." Also: The best laptops for graphic designers: Expert tested Alongside the AI generation features, the new Designer app also has a few light image editing tools, like removing or blurring a background. A replace-background tool is rolling out soon and will let you upload a photo, explain your vision, and let the app create a whole new background for it. At the moment, Designer has 15 free daily boosts that you can use to jump the line and create or edit AI-powered images and designs faster. These boosts apply to your account, whether it's the app version, web version, or a version of Designer in another Microsoft app. You can upgrade to a Copilot Pro subscription to receive 100 boosts per day.

Microsoft Designer set to generate images on iPhone

Microsoft Designer, a generative AI tool that produces images, has left preview and is now available as a free iOS app. Previously available in preview for close to a year, Microsoft Designer has finally become available to everyone. Trialled using Microsoft Edge and other browsers through a website, Designer is now open to use on more platforms, including apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. The app itself is free, but requires a Microsoft account to sign in and use. Previously, elements have been available through Copilot in Microsoft's other apps, including Word. Designer follows the typical usage patterns of generative AI systems that produce images. Users can make a text prompt, which is used to create the image, but there are also templates to make it easier to create social media images and greetings cards, for example. Along with creating new images, the app also has an avatar creation feature, and options to edit existing pictures. The latter includes tools to remove or change backgrounds and objects within the scene, or to entirely restyle the picture. Though free to download, users will be limited to 15 "boosts" each day, which are automatically consumed when AI-based changes are made to images. Users could upgrade to a $20 Copilot Pro subscription to get 100 boosts per day. Microsoft's launch of Designer arrives as the world waits for Apple to introduce Apple Intelligence in its betas, ahead of the fall release. Apple's system includes a generative AI image tool titled Image Playground to create images based on prompts. Like Microsoft's implementation, the Apple Intelligence version also has hooks into various Apple apps, so you can easily insert generated images.

Microsoft's Designer AI image generator comes to iOS, Android with new features

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Microsoft's AI image generator Designer is finally coming out of preview. Today, the company announced that the service, powered by OpenAI's DALL-E 3 image generation model, is now available as free app on Android, iOS and Windows devices. The move to launch the mobile app will allow anyone with a personal Microsoft account to create a variety of styles of images and designs on the go. Microsoft also announced new capabilities for Designer, including the ability to restyle existing images the user uploads, and a set of prompts to help users get started on the blank canvas. The company hopes the new capabilities and expanded access will boost the usage of the tool, propelling it ahead of competing AI image generators from Midjourney, Adobe, Ideogram and others. Of course, many are also looking toward the release of Apple's new mobile operating system iOS 18 in the fall, in which users (at least those in the U.S.) will also have access to Apple Intelligence and image generation models baked right into the OS, accessible in popular native apps such as Messages. Designer was also identified by 404 Media as the service used to create pornographic deepfake images of musician Taylor Swift that hit the web earlier this year, though the company is said to have updated it to avoid future such unauthorized explicit deepfakes. What's new on Microsoft Designer? Since its debut last year, Designer has evolved as Microsoft's go-to platform for creating different types of graphics - right from illustrations to social media posts, backgrounds and brand kits - from text prompts. Throughout the preview, free users had access to Designer via the web and Edge browser. Meanwhile, those paying for the company's Copilot Pro subscription got the ability to use it across their workflows within Microsoft 365 apps like Word and PowerPoint. Now, building on this work, Microsoft is making the service available on Android, iOS and Windows devices with new features to help users create and edit with AI. On the creation front, the company is adding a bunch of prompt templates, pre-populated with ideas, styles, and descriptions, to jumpstart the creative process for users. People can test their ideas with these templates to get a hang of how they can write the right prompt to produce high-quality results on the platform. "When you're ready, you can even share templates with friends or fellow creators and build on each other's ideas, sparking inspiration across your creative community," Sumit Chauhan, corporate VP for the Office product group at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post. In addition to these templates, the refined homepage of Designer's mobile and web experience will feature dedicated categories to create new forms of content, including avatars, emojis, stickers, greeting cards and invitations. The user would just have to select the category and provide the text prompt - or use the provided template (if available) - to get the desired content. On the editing front, Microsoft Designer is getting the ability to restyle and frame images with AI-generated borders. Both these options would come in handy on mobile devices, as users will be able to upload their photos directly to transform them into styles like doodle, pop art or papercraft. Before this, the AI-powered tool edited images by doing basic stuff like adding filters, removing background or erasing objects. Microsoft says it will also get a background replacement feature, which will produce a background from scratch, based on the vision of the user. Native integration with Windows 11 Photos app While the dedicated app of Designer will provide users access to AI-powered creation and editing chops, Microsoft says it will also integrate the tool into the inbuilt Photos app of Windows 11. This way, users could edit all their photos right where they are. However, as of now, Microsoft is rolling it out to Windows Insiders. That said, it's important to note that free users, either on the web or on platforms like Android, iOS and Windows, will only have limited access to Designer and its capabilities. To generate more content through the tool as well as added capabilities like access within Microsoft 365 apps, users will have to take Microsoft's Copilot Pro subscription, priced at $20 per month. "Today, Designer comes with 15 free daily boosts that you can use to create or edit AI-powered images and designs faster. Boosts are automatically used whenever you're creating or editing images or designs both in the Designer app and where Designer is integrated across Microsoft apps. You can upgrade to a Copilot Pro subscription to receive 100 boosts per day," Chauhan added.

Microsoft Releases AI-Powered Designer App To Create Images

(RTTNews) - Microsoft (MSFT) has officially launched its AI-powered Designer App, where users can generate images and designs with the help of text prompts. Designer app is now available in more than 80 languages on the web, available as a free mobile app on Android as well as iOS, and as an app on Windows. The latest "prompt templates" option offers ideas, styles, and descriptions, which could be customized based on the user's need with the help of AI. Additionally, the users can create personalized stickers, emojis, clip art, wallpapers, monograms, avatars, and more, by providing simple descriptions. The platform will help users to turn their photos into new images with the "Restyle image" option, and add custom frames to their images with the "Frame image" option. The app has also integrated with Microsoft products such as Word and PowerPoint through Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Photos. Moreover, the company is planning to launch an update to the app on Word, where users can ask to create a banner for the document, and the design will be generated automatically based on the content. The tech giant encouraged people to use AI responsibly. It stated, "We have implemented a responsible AI process and taken actions to mitigate negative outcomes and further prevent misuse, including guardrails, threat monitoring, and abuse detection, and provenance technology, and we are continuously working to strengthen our safety systems to help create a safer environment". The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Microsoft Designer and its AI art will soon land on your PC

Designer will be powered by "Boosts," whose purpose isn't totally clear. Microsoft Designer's AI art and editing capabilities are becoming more formally integrated into Windows and Microsoft's services today, as they move into Photos, Word, and PowerPoint. Designer is the next stage of Microsoft's evolution of AI art, which began in 2022 with Bing Image Creator, migrated to the more advanced Dall-E 2 model, then became part of Microsoft Designer, the wonderful AI-powered design tool that debuted in 2022. Designer's layout elements compete directly with Canva, but Microsoft isn't confining the Designer elements to just the app. Instead, it's applying them to several different applications within Windows and Microsoft 365. The most simple integration is within Word and PowerPoint. You'll need a Copilot Pro subscription, but if you have one, you'll be able to use AI to generate a background for a PowerPoint slide or an integrated graphic inside of a Word document. This should all feel familiar. Before, you've pulled in images from the Web to fulfill these functions. Now, you can use AI as an option too. (Microsoft said that AI-generated banners will be coming soon within Word). Designer can already be used to create greeting cards, one of the features Microsoft is highlighting. You'll also be able to use Designer to create AI-generated "frames" for your art, plus stickers. Prompt templates (a sort of "Mad Libs" style suggestions with fill-in-the-blank elements) can be used, too. "Restyle image" can turn a photo into a painting or 3D art. Microsoft is also tapping (and branding) Designer within the Windows Photos app, too. You can already use Photos to remove backgrounds or make lighting adjustments. Photos allows you to "erase" objects by painting over them and removing with AI, though you have to do it manually. It sounds like Microsoft will be using AI to automate this process a bit more. However, this sounds like it won't be arriving on mainstream PCs quite yet, as the features will be released in preview for Windows Insiders in English, Spanish, German, Italian, or Portuguese-language regions. Russia, Belarus, and China are excluded. Finally, Microsoft is launching Designer as an Android and iOS app, which will include generative AI features. All of these AI capabilities are powered by "boosts," which will be showcased as a small icon in the bottom of the Designer screen. Designer comes with 15 daily boosts "to create or edit AI powered images faster." Boosts are automatically used when creating images both in Designer and where Designer is integrated. When you run out of boosts, presumably your creations will take a bit longer. A Copilot Pro subscription will unlock 100 boosts per day, Microsoft said.

Microsoft Designer Is Now Better Than Ever

Microsoft has announced significant upgrades to Microsoft Designer, including improved AI for creating more dynamic work, and closer integration with other programs across the Microsoft suite. Subscribers of Copilot Pro can now design cool images and graphics in Word and PowerPoint with the help of Microsoft Designer. Simply click the Copilot icon, jot down a few words describing what you want to create, and the AI will do the rest for you. Microsoft has also announced that Word and Designer will soon be able to create a banner automatically based on your document's content, but we don't yet know when this will be available. As well as a new Designer homepage, Microsoft has added AI prompt templates, offering ideas, styles, and descriptions that you can amend to your needs to help you overcome the mental block that sometimes comes with a blank canvas. As Microsoft says, "If you can describe it, you can design it." Once you've created the template, you can share it with others, aiding collaboration and inspiration. What's more, you can create custom emojis, wallpapers, and stickers for use in messaging apps and on social media, or greetings cards and invitations for your loved ones. And if that's not enough to get your creative juices flowing, you can transform photos into an art-style image, useful for creating fun avatars. Members of the Windows Insider program will also be able to trial the new partnership between Microsoft Photos and Microsoft Designer that enables users to remove objects and backgrounds from images, along with using a host of other editing tools, such as auto-crop, filters, markup, and adding text -- all without leaving the Photos program. The full suite of features is available to those with a Microsoft 365 Personal account, but you can also access a slimline version of the program online or via the mobile app (iOS and Android) for free. Do remember, though, that you'll need a Copilot Pro subscription to make the most of the new AI integration. Designer currently comes with 15 free daily boosts that you can use either within the program itself or in its 365 integration, and these are used up automatically each time you use Copilot's prompt to create your artistic content. A Copilot Pro subscription gives you 100 boosts a day. Microsoft says it "will be adding more features over time" to Designer, including a background replacer. Source: Microsoft

Microsoft Outpaces Apple, Introduces 'Designer' AI Image Generation Tool For The iPhone - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Microsoft Corporation MSFT has launched its AI image generation tool, Microsoft Designer, as a free iOS app, outpacing Apple Inc. AAPL as the world waits for the iPhone maker to introduce Apple Intelligence. What Happened: Microsoft Designer is now available to all users across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows. It was in preview for nearly a year and tested on a website using Microsoft Edge and other browsers. "A blank canvas no longer has to be intimidating -- just describe what you want to see, and Designer can create it for you. And if you're not sure what that is, Designer can help you get started," the company said while launching. The app enables users to generate images using text prompts and provides templates for creating social media images and greeting cards. It also includes an avatar creation tool and options to edit existing images, including background and object removal or alteration. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Although the app is free, it restricts users to 15 "boosts" per day, which are used when AI-based changes are made to images. Users can upgrade to a $20 Copilot Pro subscription for 100 boosts per day. Why It Matters: The launch of Microsoft Designer comes ahead of the expected release of Apple Intelligence, Apple's own generative AI image tool, slated for release this fall. Earlier this year, Microsoft expressed concerns over an agreement between OpenAI and Apple, fearing it could impact Microsoft's product ambitions. In July, Microsoft decided to relinquish its board observer position at OpenAI. Meanwhile, Wedbush Securities' Daniel Ives predicted a "monumental boost" to Microsoft's valuation due to the AI revolution, potentially adding a whopping $1 trillion to its market cap. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Read Next: Microsoft's 'iPhone Moment'? Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives Expects AI To Add $1 Trillion To Valuation Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs