iOS 18: How to use Clean Up to remove objects from photos

Photobombers have always been a headache; they ruin not only a perfect photo but sometimes your mood as well. Fortunately, Apple has found a solution for this. Leveraging the power of Apple Intelligence, Apple has added a new editing tool to the Photos app named Clean Up. The tool helps you remove any unwanted objects from your photos on an iPhone running on iOS 18.

Keep reading to learn what the iOS 18 Clean Up tool is, when, and how to use it on your iPhone to remove unwanted objects and people from your photos.

What is iOS 18 Clean Up tool?

A part of Apple Intelligence, Clean Up is very similar to Google’s Magic Eraser tool for Android users. With just a few taps, this powerful AI-driven feature lets you remove unwanted objects, people, or other distractions from your Photos. For instance, you went sightseeing and captured a beautiful landscape shot; however, when you open the photo, you discover that it has a uniform background and an unfortunate photo bomber in the foreground. That’s exactly where the new iOS 18 Clean Up tool comes in handy; you only need to draw over the items you want to remove, and Apple Intelligence handles the rest.

We tested the Clean Up feature across a plethora of pictures and with different types of objects — people, birds, or messy food on a dinner table — and found that the Clean Up tool did a pretty good job in most cases while lagging a bit in some.

Moreover, Apple’s Clean Up tool is absolutely free, unlike Google’s Magic Eraser, which requires a Google One subscription on phones other than Pixel devices.

What do you need to use the Clean Up tool on your iPhone?

As mentioned, the Clean Up tool is a part of Apple Intelligence (Apple’s take on Artificial Intelligence). While iPhones are known for their impressive performance, not all iPhone models have what it takes to run Apple Intelligence. As per Apple, only Apple devices with at least 8GB of RAM support Apple Intelligence. Thus, the only current iPhone models that can use the Clean Up tool are:

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e

Moreover, besides having 8GB of RAM, your iPhone must be up and running on iOS 18. As of now, the Clean Up tool isn’t available on a stable iOS 18 version, but it will be made available with iOS 18.1, which is currently in beta. So, you must opt for the iOS 18.1 developer or public beta to experience the magic of iOS 18’s Clean Up tool right now.

When to use Clean Up tool

The versatility of the Clean Up tool powered by Apple Intelligence is what makes it a stand-out feature, which almost all iPhone users are sure to love. Here are the most common scenarios where this tool can indeed turn valuable:

• Removing photobombers: Whether it is a random stranger who accidentally walks into your frame or one of your friends kidding with you, Clean Up can help you get rid of them.
• Eliminate background clutter: Many beautiful landscapes are marred with ugly powerlines, trash cans, and other unwanted objects. With your iPhone supporting Apple Intelligence, you can capture the landscape as it is and then use the Clean Up tool to enhance the image.
• Perfecting group shots: We all have one friend who almost always messes up an otherwise perfect shot by suddenly blinking or making a funny face. With Clean Up, you can rub them off and maintain the integrity of the shot. However, it can only be done if that friend is at the extreme right or left of the group.
• Correcting minor flaws: The Clean Up tool can be used to eliminate minor flaws, such as a smudge on the camera lens or an unexpected shadow.

How does the Clean Up tool Work?

Like Google’s Magic Eraser, Apple designed the Clean Up tool to help you get rid of photo bombers and unwanted objects in your photos, which in turn enhances the overall look and feel of the photo.

Below, I’ve detailed the working of the iOS 18 Clean Up tool in three brief steps:

1. The Clean Up tool automatically analyzes your photo to determine the objects that need to be eliminated using advanced machine learning algorithms trained on a vast dataset of images.
2. After identifying the object, Clean Up then determines the object’s edges. Once done, it removes the object and intelligently fills in the void, even if there are shadows and reflections.
3. As the tool is trained over vast images, it knows whether other subjects, like yourself or friends, overlap the object that needs to be removed. So, it won’t even accidentally replace a person or object you want to be the center of attraction of your photo.

How to remove unwanted objects from iPhone photos using Clean Up

The Clean Up tool works using advanced machine learning algorithms that Apple has trained on a vast dataset of images. Like Google Magic Eraser, iOS 18’s Clean Up tool can analyze your photo to identify the objects that need to be removed. However, it also lets you manually tap, circle, or brush the object.

Here’s how you can use the Clean Up tool on your Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone:

1. Open the Photos app and choose the Photo you want to use the Clean Up tool on.
2. Here, locate and tap the new Edit (three horizontal sliders) button at the bottom center toolbar.
3. Next, select the Clean Up (eraser) tool in the bottom toolbar.
4. Now, use your finger to tap, brush, or circle the object you want to eliminate from the photo.
5. Once done, Apple Intelligence will do its magic and remove the selected object from the photo in no time.
6. Finally, tap the Done button at the top right corner to save the changes.
   
   

Once you save the changes, you will notice a “Modified with Clean up” label when you swipe up the image, indicating that the image is edited using the Clean Up tool.

My take on Clean Up tool

During my initial testing of the new feature, I found it slightly inconsistent at times. While the Clean Up tools properly remove unwanted objects, the background gets somewhat blurred, which, to be fair, isn’t something uncommon. Background blurriness is a common issue with almost all the similar tools available. However, the background became blurrier when I used the brush to highlight the unwanted object, and the colors also spread.

All in all, the Clean Up tool is a great addition to the Photos app. However, Apple has kept it reserved only for particular iPhone models, which isn’t fair.

Video: How to Remove Objects from Photos with Clean Up tool in iOS 18

Photobombers eliminated…

And that’s it; this is how you use the new Clean Up tool in the Photos app to remove unwanted objects from your photos in iOS 18. It is worth mentioning that besides Clean Up, Apple Intelligence also sports an Image Playground app, which you can use to create AI images and Genmoji in various apps.

Did you find the Clean Up tool useful? Which Apple Intelligence feature are you most excited about? Share your thoughts in the comments.

More things to read:

• How to edit photos in iOS 18 on iPhone
• How to Customize iPhone Home Screen in iOS 18
• How to remove background from images on iPhone
• Is image Playground not working on iPhone? Here is how to fix it!