Remove objects in Photos with Clean Up in iOS 18

In the Photos app, users can select an image and circle an object or person they want to remove from it. Apple's on-device generative AI will then remove the unwanted or distracting object from the photo, making it as though it was never even there.

AppleInsider broke the news on Apple's new Clean Up tool in our exclusive report, published more than a month ahead of WWDC, and before Apple's iPad event in early May. In our original report, we provided a basic overview of the feature and compared it to similar products currently on the market.

The Clean Up tool bears some resemblance to existing third-party products, such as Google's Magic Eraser or the Generative Fill feature commonly found in Adobe software. These apps work in more or less the same way, by utilizing generative AI software to erase objects from an image.

In addition to iOS 18, Clean Up tool is also available on iPad via iPadOS 18 and the Mac through macOS Sequoia, where it replaces the Retouch tool found in macOS Sonoma.

Apple announced the Clean Up alongside other AI-related enhancements to the Photos app. Users will be able to search for images with Siri through natural language, once Apple Intelligence becomes available later this year.

The Photos application has received a significant design overhaul with iOS 18. Through a new Collections feature, users' photos are automatically organized into sections such as People and Pets, Recent Days, and Trips.

Also related to images and Apple Intelligence, Apple has announced a new Image Playground tool. With it, users can generate images and Genmojis in applications such as Messages, Freeform, and Keynote, or in the standalone Image Playground app.

It's worth pointing out, however, that Apple Intelligence will only be available on devices with the A17 Pro or M-series chips. This means that the Clean Up tool will be available exclusively to users with an iPad or MacBook equipped with an M1 or newer chip, or an iPhone 15 Pro.

Improvements to the Photos app were previewed on Monday alongside a host of new OS features, most of which are related to AI in some form. The built-in Mail application is getting on-device email categorization powered by machine learning, while Safari 18 features a new Highlights view that provides article summaries.