How to Replace the Sky in a Photo on iPhone
Cleanr by MRVL lets you replace the sky in your iPhone photos with one tap, choosing from 6 curated presets including Blue Day, Golden Hour, Sunset, Dusk, Overcast, and Stormy. The app handles the background detection and blending automatically, with no manual masking required.
What Cleanr's Sky Replacement Does
Cleanr is a photo cleanup studio in one app that includes sky replacement as part of its background editing toolkit. When you open a photo, tap Background, then select Sky Replace from 15 different preset options. Six of these are dedicated sky presets: Blue Day for bright outdoor shots, Golden Hour for warm afternoon light, Sunset for orange and pink tones, Dusk for deep blue evening skies, Overcast for grey moody weather, and Stormy for dramatic cloudscapes. The app uses Vision framework detection to isolate the sky, then blends your chosen preset naturally into the frame. No brushing, no masking, no learning curve. As of June 2026, this is one of the fastest ways to swap skies on iOS without desktop software.
How to Use Sky Replacement in Cleanr
Open your photo in Cleanr and tap the Background tool from the home menu. You'll see the background removal + preset options. Scroll to the Sky Replace section and tap one of the six sky presets. Cleanr detects your existing sky and replaces it with your choice in real time. If the result needs fine-tuning, you can also use the Adjustments sliders afterwards to match brightness, saturation, or warmth to the rest of your photo. For users who want more control, the AI Pro tier unlocks HSL colour adjustments and selective brush adjustments so you can tweak specific areas after the sky swap.
When to Use Each Sky Preset
Blue Day works best for daytime photos shot in flat or overcast light, instantly adding clarity and depth. Golden Hour suits portraits and landscapes taken in warm afternoon or early morning conditions. Sunset is ideal for evening shots or when you want to add drama and warmth without reshooting. Dusk adds a cool, moody blue tone perfect for architectural or urban photos taken after sunset. Overcast creates a neutral grey sky that works well for product photography or when you want to keep the focus on the subject. Stormy is the most dramatic option, adding dark clouds and mood to landscape or adventure photos. All six presets are available even on the free tier, with 2 sky replacements per day.
Cleanr's Other Background Options
Sky replacement is one of 15 background presets in Cleanr. Beyond the six sky options, you can also set the background to transparent (for PNG exports), blur the background with adjustable intensity, replace it with solid colours, or apply gradient backgrounds. This gives you flexibility: if a solid colour or gradient fits your creative intent better than a sky, you have that option too. The background removal itself uses Vision subject detection, so it works on portraits and product photos as well as landscapes. All backgrounds can be combined with other edits like auto-enhance, object removal, or brightness adjustments.
Free Trial and Pricing
Cleanr's free tier includes 2 sky replacements per day, all 6 sky presets, and no watermark on exports. If you want unlimited sky replacements and batch processing, the Plus plan costs £3.99 per month or £29.99 per year. The Pro tier (£7.99/mo or £59.99/yr) adds commercial licensing and pro-quality inpainting. AI Pro (£12.99/mo or £99.99/yr) unlocks HSL colour, tone curves, selective adjustments, face retouching, and generative fill for more advanced edits after your sky swap. There's also a Core Lifetime plan for £4.99 if you just want the fundamental tools without subscription commitment.
What Sets Cleanr Apart
Cleanr doesn't watermark free exports, doesn't use a confusing credit system, and includes the core toolkit (sky replacement, object removal, auto-enhance, background removal) all in one place. Most users juggle 4-5 separate apps to do what Cleanr does in a single interface. The app is built for both faith creators and everyday iPhone users frustrated by dark-pattern subscriptions. If you need more than sky replacement, Cleanr also handles blemish removal, photo restoration, text overlays, batch processing, and night denoising, so you can go from raw photo to polished export in minutes without leaving the app.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I replace the sky in a photo for free on iPhone?
Yes. Cleanr by MRVL lets you replace the sky for free, with 2 replacements per day. All 6 sky presets are available on the free tier, and there's no watermark on your exports.
Does sky replacement work on any iPhone photo?
Sky replacement works best on photos where the sky is clearly visible and distinct from the foreground subject. Cleanr uses Vision detection to isolate the sky, so complex horizons with trees or buildings may require fine-tuning with the Adjustments sliders afterwards.
Can I create my own custom sky preset in Cleanr?
Cleanr offers 6 fixed sky presets (Blue Day, Golden Hour, Sunset, Dusk, Overcast, Stormy) and 9 other background options (transparent, blur, solids, gradients). You can't upload custom sky photos, but the AI Pro tier lets you adjust the final sky colour with HSL controls and selective brush adjustments for a custom look.
Is Cleanr's sky replacement tool the same as background removal?
Sky replacement is part of Cleanr's broader background editing toolkit. Background removal includes 15 preset options: 6 dedicated skies, plus transparent, blur, solid colours, and gradients. Sky replacement is the specific feature for swapping the sky alone.
Do I need a subscription to use sky replacement?
No. The free tier includes 2 sky replacements per day with all 6 presets and no watermark. For unlimited replacements, the Plus plan costs £3.99/mo or £29.99/yr.
Can I replace the sky and remove objects in the same photo?
Yes. Cleanr includes both sky replacement and object removal as separate tools in the same app. You can apply them in any order and save the result without leaving Cleanr, making it faster than using multiple apps for one photo.