Remove a person with Clean Up in Photos
Menu names as of October 2026, following Apple's help page. They can move between iOS versions.
Check that your iPhone has Clean Up
You need iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 or a later model such as iPhone Air, with Apple Intelligence turned on. Clean Up came with iOS 18.1 (iOS 18.4 in the EU). See Apple's device list.
Open the photo and tap Edit
In the Photos app, open the photo and tap Edit, then Clean Up. On newer iOS versions it may sit under a Tools tab.
Tap, brush or circle the person
Items that glow are suggested removals you can tap. Otherwise brush over the person, or draw a circle around them. Include their shadow.
Tap Done
Check the edges, then tap Done. The original is kept: open the photo, tap Edit and choose Reset to go back.
Why Clean Up does not work in mainland China
Apple says (October 2026) that Apple Intelligence features such as Clean Up are not available in mainland China in two cases: on iPhones bought in mainland China, and on iPhones bought elsewhere when you are in mainland China and your Apple Account region is mainland China.
Apple Intelligence supports Simplified Chinese, but Apple adds that some features may not be available in all languages or regions. Changing the language setting does not turn Clean Up on.
There are two other routes. If you can reach Google's services, use Google Photos. Otherwise, use a web tool in the browser: it needs neither Apple Intelligence nor a Google Account.
Clean Up, Google Photos or a web tool
Requirements as of October 2026, from Apple's and Google's help pages.
| Clean Up (Photos app) | Google Photos | Web tool (this site) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone | iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 and later | At least 3 GB of RAM | Any iPhone with a current browser |
| iOS | 18.1 or later (18.4 in the EU) | 18 or later | No requirement beyond a current browser |
| Account | Apple Intelligence turned on | A personal Google Account; work and school accounts are not supported | A free account on this site |
| Mainland China | Not available | Needs access to Google's services | Works in the browser; no Apple Intelligence or Google Account needed |
| Cost | Built into Photos | Magic Eraser has been free since April 2024 | 2 credits a photo; 10 free credits at sign-up |
| Best for | One or two people | One or two people, on iPhones without Clean Up | Crowds, large people near the camera, keeping one person |
Without Apple Intelligence, use Google Photos
Install Google Photos from the App Store and sign in with a personal Google Account. Open the photo, tap Edit, then tap, circle or brush the person. Use Refine selection if it picked too much or too little, then tap Erase, Done, and Save or Save as copy. Magic Eraser is also listed under the Actions tab. Steps from Google's help page, October 2026.
Google lists iOS 18 or later and at least 3 GB of RAM, and says some tools need 4 to 6 GB. Save as copy keeps your original photo next to the edited one.
If Clean Up pixelates a face instead of removing it
Some users on Apple's support forums report that brushing over a face can pixelate it, which they call a “Safety Filter”, instead of removing the person, and that there is no setting to turn it off. Apple does not document this behavior, so treat it as user-reported.
If it happens, try brushing the whole body instead of only the face, or use Google Photos or a web tool for that photo.
Photos where a web tool is the easier route
Real phone-style photos run through this site's people remover, with the words that were typed. Drag the handle to compare.
BeforeAfter
Dozens of swimmers and sunbathers in a cove, with their umbrellas and towels, removed with one sentence. The boats in the bay were not in the sentence and stayed. 
BeforeAfter
“the guest holding the phone”: a large figure standing right behind the couple, removed. The other guests stay. 
BeforeAfter
“everyone in the background”: visitors walking through the temple gate removed; the man in front is kept. 
BeforeAfter
“the tourists on the platform”: a group at the railing removed, and the wet boards rebuilt.
When to use a web tool instead
A crowd
With Clean Up or Magic Eraser you mark each person. On this site, typing “everyone in the background” clears a crowd in one run.
A large person close to the camera
A photobomber at your shoulder leaves a big area to fill, right next to your hair. On this site you can name them, such as “the stranger making a face behind her”, instead of brushing that close to yourself.
Keep one person, remove the rest
Type who stays, such as “everyone except the man in the black hoodie”. With a brush you would paint around them by hand.
An older iPhone, or mainland China
A web tool runs in Safari and needs neither Apple Intelligence nor a Google Account. Upload the photo straight from your library: JPG, PNG, WEBP or HEIC up to 20 MB.
What to watch for on iPhone
- Clean Up is not available in mainland China. Apple says it does not work on iPhones bought there, or on iPhones bought elsewhere when you are in mainland China and your Apple Account region is mainland China.
- Faces may be pixelated rather than removed. This is user-reported on Apple's forums, not documented by Apple.
- What was behind the person is a guess, in any of these tools. Check edges, shadows and repeating patterns.
- This site's results are the size of your upload, up to 2048 px on the long edge. For a large print, run the result through the Image Upscaler.
Questions about removing people on iPhone
Your iPhone is older than iPhone 15 Pro, Apple Intelligence is turned off, iOS is older than 18.1 (18.4 in the EU), or you are in a region where it is not offered, such as mainland China. Apple also says some features may not be available in all languages or regions.
No. Apple says it is not available on devices bought in mainland China. A web tool in the browser works instead; on this site a free account gets 10 credits, enough for 5 photos.
Yes. It is part of the Photos app on supported iPhones. There is nothing to buy.
Yes. Google Photos' Magic Eraser runs on iPhones with iOS 18 or later and at least 3 GB of RAM, and it has been free since April 2024. A web tool works on any iPhone with a current browser.
Yes. Remove People from Photo takes HEIC, JPG, PNG and WEBP up to 20 MB, straight from your photo library.
It can remove a person if you describe the edit, but it is a generative edit and other parts can change. See can ChatGPT remove someone from a photo.
Last checked Oct 24, 2026 First published. Device, region and app requirements checked against Apple's and Google's help pages, October 2026.
