How to Remove Small Objects, Buildings, and Even People from Photos Taken on iPhone: Everything About the New Clean Up Feature

Creating cool photos just got easier with Apple’s new tool, Clean Up. This simple yet important feature allows you to remove objects from photos taken on your iPhone. No need to worry about angles or finding the perfect location for a photoshoot — just erase unwanted details, buildings, or even people from an already taken picture. We’ll explain who can use this tool and how to use it.

Which Devices Have Clean Up?

Before we dive into how to remove objects and even people from photos, let’s talk about which iPhones support the new Clean Up feature. Currently, it’s available on six versions that support Apple’s neural network: iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and iPhone 16/Plus/Pro/Pro Max. Additionally, this “eraser” can be used on iPads with the M1 chip and iPad mini A17 Pro, as well as Macs with M1 or later versions.

The key requirement is updating to iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1.

Good news: There’s no complex setup required to activate this feature. For example, changing the interface language is not necessary.

How to Remove an Object from a Photo Taken on iPhone

It’s very simple. The feature is integrated into the Photos app on iPhone:

1. Ensure your device is connected to the internet (either home or mobile network), as the tool won’t load and won’t work without it.
2. Open the “Photos” app and select the picture you want to edit.
3. Look for the button with three sliders at the bottom of the screen and tap on it.
4. Wait for the feature to load, and then find the “Clean Up” option at the bottom.
5. Once the tool is loaded, use your finger to circle the object you want to erase, shading it in. You can zoom in on the image to make sure you remove everything unwanted.
6. Save the changes by tapping “Done” in the top right corner.

What happens next? Instead of the unwanted object, Apple Intelligence will fill in the background seamlessly. The result gives the strong impression that the object, building, or person was never there.

The first time you use it, you might have to wait a few minutes for the generative deletion algorithm to load, but after that, the feature will always be available, even when the device is offline.

Interestingly, sometimes Apple Intelligence will even suggest which objects would be good to remove. In that case, just tap on the highlighted object once, and it will disappear from the photo.

What to Do if You Don’t Like the Result

For example, you removed something, saved the picture, and later changed your mind. Can you undo it? Of course! Here’s how to revert the changes:

1. Go to the “Photos” app and select the image with the saved changes that you want to restore to its original state.
2. Tap the icon with three sliders at the bottom and wait for the tool to load.
3. Tap the “Undo” button in the top right corner, which is highlighted in red.

After that, the changes made with Clean Up will be undone, and the photo will return to its original state. If you’ve adjusted brightness, colors, or other settings along with object removal, all those changes will also disappear.

With this capability, creating high-quality visual content has become much easier. And as Apple continues to expand its list of valuable features, soon third-party photo editors for iPhone may no longer be needed.

Reminder: If you’re having trouble removing an object from a photo on your iPhone or undoing edits, don’t worry — come to iSpace. Our consultants will show you how to use the new feature and help resolve any issues if it’s not working. Plus, they’ll recommend other devices and accessories, offer you a chance to test them, and even arrange a master class on any topic you’re interested in.