--- title: "Apple Photos Clean Up Tool: How It Works" description: "How to use the Clean Up tool in Apple Photos on iOS 18. Remove unwanted objects from photos with AI-powered erasing. Step-by-step guide with tips." url: https://dblabsapps.com/blog/apple-photos-clean-up-tool-guide/ date: 2026-03-16 --- Updated April 7, 2026 By Jack Smith, iOS Developer at DB Labs # Apple Photos Clean Up Tool: Complete Guide iOS 18.1 introduced the Clean Up tool in Apple Photos, letting you erase unwanted objects, people, and distractions from your photos using on-device AI. Here is how to use it effectively. March 16, 2026  ·  8 min read ## How the Clean Up Tool Works The Clean Up tool in Apple Photos uses **Apple Intelligence** to remove unwanted objects from your photos. Open any photo, tap **Edit**, then tap the **Clean Up** button (eraser icon). Brush over, circle, or tap the object you want to remove. The AI analyzes the surrounding area and fills in the background seamlessly. It works best on objects against simple backgrounds like sky, grass, or walls. The edit is **non-destructive** -- your original photo is preserved and you can revert at any time. Clean Up requires iPhone 15 Pro or later. ## How to Use Clean Up Step by Step ### 1 Open the Photo Open the **Photos** app and navigate to the photo you want to edit. Tap the photo to view it full-screen. ### 2 Enter Edit Mode Tap **Edit** in the top-right corner (or swipe up on the photo on iOS 18). This opens the editing toolbar at the bottom of the screen. ### 3 Select the Clean Up Tool Tap the **Clean Up** button -- it looks like an eraser icon and is located in the editing toolbar. When you activate it, the AI automatically scans the photo and may highlight objects it thinks you might want to remove with a glowing outline. ### 4 Select the Object to Remove You have three ways to select an object: **Tap** on a small object (like a piece of litter), **brush** over a larger object by dragging your finger across it, or **circle** an object by drawing around it. The AI highlights the selected area. ### 5 Review and Save The AI processes the removal in a few seconds. Review the result. If it looks good, tap **Done** to save. If not, tap **Undo** to try again with a different selection. You can make multiple removals in the same photo before saving. ## What Clean Up Works Well On - **Photobombers:** People walking through the background of your shot. Clean Up excels at removing them when the background is relatively uniform. - **Power lines and poles:** Thin, linear objects against sky are among the easiest things for the AI to remove cleanly. - **Litter and debris:** Small objects on the ground, sidewalk, or beach are removed seamlessly in most cases. - **Signs and text:** Street signs, exit signs, or text overlays that distract from the composition. - **Shadows:** The AI can remove shadows cast by objects, though results vary depending on the complexity of the shadow. ## Limitations to Know About - **Complex backgrounds:** When the object you are removing sits against a detailed, patterned, or busy background, the AI fill may look artificial or blurry. - **Large objects:** Removing something that takes up more than about 30% of the frame rarely produces convincing results. The AI does not have enough context to fill in that much area. - **People touching other people:** Removing one person from a group shot where people are overlapping or touching is very difficult for the AI. - **Reflections:** The AI removes the object but may not remove its reflection in water, glass, or shiny surfaces. - **Edge cases:** Objects at the very edge of a photo are harder to fill because the AI has less surrounding context. ## Tips for Better Results - **Zoom in first:** Pinch to zoom into the area before using Clean Up. This gives you more precision when selecting the object and lets you see the result more clearly. - **Use brush for irregular shapes:** The circle method works for round objects, but brushing gives you more control over the exact area to remove. - **Remove objects one at a time:** If you have multiple objects to remove, do them individually rather than selecting them all at once. The AI produces better fills when working on smaller areas. - **Try different selections:** If the first removal looks off, undo it and try selecting a slightly larger or smaller area. Sometimes including a small margin around the object produces a cleaner fill. ## Clean Your Photos, Clean Your Library Apple's Clean Up tool fixes individual photos. Swype Photo Cleaner fixes your entire camera roll. Swipe left to delete, right to keep. Free · iPhone · iOS 16+ · 100% on-device, zero uploads Free · iPhone · iOS 16+ ### You Might Also Like - [Apple Intelligence Photo Cleanup Overview](https://dblabsapps.com/blog/apple-intelligence-photo-cleanup/) - [Best iPhone Photo Editing Tips (2026)](https://dblabsapps.com/blog/best-iphone-photo-editing-tips-2026/) - [iOS 18 Photos App: What Changed](https://dblabsapps.com/blog/ios-18-photos-app-what-changed/) - [How to Use Visual Intelligence on iPhone](https://dblabsapps.com/blog/how-to-use-visual-intelligence-iphone/) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Clean Up tool in Apple Photos? The Clean Up tool is an AI-powered object eraser in iOS 18.1 and later. It lets you remove unwanted objects, people, and distractions from photos by brushing over, circling, or tapping them. The AI fills in the background automatically using on-device processing. ### Which iPhones support the Clean Up tool? Clean Up requires Apple Intelligence, available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 models. Standard iPhone 15 and earlier do not support it. ### Does Clean Up permanently change my original photo? No. Clean Up applies a non-destructive edit. Your original photo is always preserved. You can revert to the original at any time by going to Edit > Revert to Original in the Photos app.