How to Remove Objects From Photos With Clean Up and Magic Eraser

A stranger walking through the background, a trash can next to a monument, a stray power line across the sky: small distractions can pull attention away from an otherwise good photo. Both Apple and Google now include tools in their photo apps that remove these objects and fill in the space. On iPhone the tool is called Clean Up. On Pixel it is Magic Eraser in Google Photos.

Device lists and menu paths below come from Apple's and Google's help pages, as of October 2026.

1. Which devices can use them

Clean Up (Apple). Apple describes Clean Up as "a feature powered by Apple Intelligence in the Photos app that can help remove distracting objects in a photo." Its requirements page lists:

• iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• Any iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later, and any Mac with M1 or later
• iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later

Apple adds regional limits: in the European Union, Apple Intelligence on iPhone and iPad needs iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 or later, and Clean Up does not currently work on devices bought in mainland China. The current iPhone User Guide also notes that Clean Up is not available in all languages or regions.

Magic Eraser (Google). Google's Photos Help for Pixel says Magic Eraser "is available on Pixel 4a and later." Google's separate Android help page lists Magic Eraser under Actions without a Pixel-only note, so check your own Google Photos app.

2. How to use Clean Up on iPhone

1. Open the Photos app and open the photo.
2. Tap the Edit button.
3. Tap Tools, then tap Clean Up.
4. Tap, brush, or circle what you want to remove. Apple notes that "some items may be highlighted automatically so you can quickly tap to remove them."
5. If you are using High Quality processing, tap Clean Up to apply it.
6. Tap Done to save and close the photo.

Two details that help:

• You can pinch, zoom, or pan with two fingers while in Clean Up, which makes it much easier to circle small objects precisely.
• If you remove too much, there is a restore button to bring back something you erased.

2.1. Choosing quality versus speed

Apple lets you pick how Clean Up processes the edit: Auto, Fast, or High Quality. Tap Auto during the Clean Up process to choose. Fast is useful for quick previews; High Quality is worth the wait for a photo you plan to keep or print.

2.2. Undoing it later

Clean Up edits are reversible. After saving, open the photo, go back into Edit > Tools > Clean Up, and tap Reset.

2.3. Related tools in the same menu

On the current iPhone User Guide, the same Tools menu also includes Extend, which expands the edges of the original frame, and Reframe, which changes the point of capture after the fact. Both can be reset the same way.

3. How to use Magic Eraser on Pixel

1. Open the Google Photos app and select the photo.
2. Tap Edit, then Actions, then Magic Eraser. On some versions you might need to tap Edit photo > Tools > Actions instead.
3. Tap a suggestion. Google Photos may highlight distractions it has already found.
4. Use the circle or brush to erase anything else. Google's Android page also shows an Erase button after you select an area.
5. Tap Done.

3.1. Camouflage: when erasing is too much

Sometimes removing an object leaves an obvious patch, or the object is too large to erase cleanly. Magic Eraser has a second option for that: Google says, "To make objects blend in with the photo, tap Camouflage and use the brush." The object stays in the picture but blends in, so it stops drawing the eye.

4. Tips for cleaner results with either tool

1. Start with small, isolated objects. A single person on an empty beach or a sign against a plain wall gives the tool simple background to fill in.
2. Zoom in before you mark. Tight outlines leave less work for the fill and fewer smudges at the edges.
3. Work in a few passes. Remove one object, check the result, then move on, rather than circling everything at once.
4. Check edges and repeating patterns. Fences, tiles, brick, and text are the hardest backgrounds to rebuild, so inspect those areas closely.
5. Keep the original. On iPhone, Reset brings it back. In Google Photos, Google's editing help describes two ways to save: Save changes the original, while Save as copy "makes a new photo with your edits without changes to the original." You can also tap and hold the preview to compare the edit with the original before saving.

5. When not to remove objects

These tools change what a photo shows. For personal snapshots that is usually fine, but for photos that need to document something as it was, such as an item you are selling, damage for an insurance claim, or a news event, leave the scene untouched.

6. Quick comparison

7. Key takeaways

• iPhone's Clean Up runs on Apple Intelligence and needs an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later.
• Open a photo, tap Edit, then Tools, then Clean Up, and tap, brush, or circle the distraction.
• Pixel's Magic Eraser is in Google Photos under Edit > Actions on Pixel 4a and later.
• Camouflage on Pixel blends an object into its surroundings when erasing it would look wrong.
• Zoom in, remove one thing at a time, and keep an unedited version of photos that need to stay accurate.