Skip to main content

How to use the Clean Up tool in iOS 18 to remove objects from your photos

how to use the ios clean up tool remove objects from your photos using iphone hero
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

The initial Apple Intelligence features are gradually being introduced into iOS 18.1 developer beta versions prior to a public release later this fall. In iOS 18.1 beta 3, one of the most exciting new AI-based features, Clean Up, has finally been introduced.

Difficulty

Moderate

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

  • An iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 18.1 beta 3 or later

  • Apple Intelligence activated on your device

With Clean Up, you can easily remove unwanted objects from your photos with just a few taps on your iPhone or iPad. It works with any image in your photo library, not just photos taken with your iPhone.

To use Clean Up and Apple Intelligence in general, you must have a compatible device. This includes the iPhone 15 Pro series, and iPads with M1 or later installed.

Here's how to use the Apple Intelligence Clean Up tool.

How to remove objects from photos using Clean Up

With iOS 18.1 beta 3 or later installed, you can now begin to use Clean Up on your supported device. Activating it is a seamless process.

Step 1: First, open the Photos app on your device.

Step 2: Next, browse your photo library and choose the image you'd like to edit.

Step 3: From there, you’ll need to enter Edit Mode. Do this by selecting the Edit button at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: Select Clean up.

Screenshots showing how to access the Clean Up tool on iPhone.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

Step 5: Note: The first time you attempt to use Clean Up, there will be a few minutes of delay as Apple must download the AI model to your device.

After tapping on the Clean Up icon, the tool will automatically identify objects to delete, such as people. These objects will be outlined in color.

Step 6: To remove any of the automatically found highlighted objects, select them one at a time.

Screenshot showing how to remove automatically found objects with Clean Up on iPhone.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

Step 7: You can manually remove objects in your image that Clean Up didn’t find by doing any of the following with your finger:

  • Tap on the object
  • Circle the object
  • Color in the object

You can use pinch-to-zoom to get closer to objects you want to remove.

Step 8: Remove the highlighted objects by tapping on them.

Screenshot showing how to manually select images with Clean Up and erase them on iPhone.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

Step 9: One you're finished editing your photo, choose Done.

How to undo the removal of objects with Clean Up

A change made with Clean Up is never permanent if you don't want it to be. After deleting objects, you can revert to an earlier version.

Step 1: To undo a change during the process, tap the Undo button at the top left of the app. This tool is designed to remove each change step by step.

Screenshot showing how to undo changes made with Clean Up on iPhone.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

Step 2: To undo changes later, select the image you wish to edit, then selct Revert. Choose Revert to original to confirm.

This tool is designed to remove all your changes.

Screenshot showing how to revert images that were cleaned up on iPhone.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

The Clean Up tool in Apple's Intelligence is currently in beta, so there may be changes to it before it's released to the public. As a result, the steps mentioned above could change, and we will update this article accordingly.

It is important to note that the effectiveness of the Clean Up tool may vary depending on the image’s complexity and the object you are trying to remove.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
This one thing is holding back the iPhone 16
Someone holding the iPhone 16.

Apple recently announced some new iPhones — perhaps you've already heard? The iPhone 16 family is upon us, and it's an interesting mix of expected and surprise upgrades. The regular iPhone 16 has a fresh new design, the Camera Control button is fascinating, and there's a welcome spec bump with Apple's latest A18 chip.

However, one aspect of the iPhone 16 didn't change at all — and it's an important one. For all of the upgrades and new features on the iPhone 16, the display remains nearly identical to the one on the iPhone 15. Unfortunately, that means another year of a 60Hz refresh rate.
Another year, another 60Hz display

Read more
The best iPhone 15 Pro cases in 2024: our 21 favorites
iBlason iPhone 15 Pro case sponsored

The iPhone 15 Pro is no longer a member of the latest iPhone range, thanks to the launch of the the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro at the Apple event on September 9. The new models are very desirable, and come with the newest tools for Apple Intelligence as a part of iOS 18.

However, if you're financially conscious, you may want to keep your iPhone 15 Pro instead of upgrading to the iPhone 16 version of the model right away, we got a list of phone cases for you to pick from to ensure your phone remains in pristine condition until it's time to switch. The case options range from sleek to rugged to decorative, depending on your aesthetic. Here are the 21 best phone cases for your iPhone 15 Pro, handpicked by us.

Read more
Does the Apple iPhone 16 have a headphone jack?
iPhone 16 models on display at Apple Park.

The new Apple iPhone 16 range features four new models with a lot to offer. Not only do the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max all have new and powerful processors, but Apple has slimmed down the display bezels, made a few small design tweaks, and added AI smarts for all four phones. But the phones have suffered some criticism too, including for having 60Hz screens on the two cheaper models.

A faster processor is nothing out of the ordinary for a generation-over-generation update, and the same goes for the return of a physical shutter button. But does the iPhone 16 range continue a tradition of a  hardware choice that gained steam in 2021? Does the new iPhone 16 range have a headphone jack?
The iPhone 16 misses out on the headphone jack
Unless you’ve been holding on to a really old Apple smartphone, you already know the headphone jack situation. The latest phones from Apple don’t make any changes in that regard. So, yeah, you'll pay at least $799 for the new iPhone and still won’t get a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Read more