How to Use AI to Edit Photos on iPhone, Android and Galaxy

You took a great shot, but a stranger wandered into the corner, or a trash can sits right next to your friend. If you want to know how to use AI to edit photos on your phone, the good news is that the tools are already built into the apps you have: Google Photos on Android and iPhone, Photos on recent iPhones, and Gallery on Samsung Galaxy phones. This guide is for anyone who wants cleaner pictures without learning Photoshop. Most edits take under two minutes, and the first one may take five while you find the buttons.

Before you start editing

• Update your apps and phone software. AI tools move around between versions, so labels on your screen may differ slightly from the ones below.
• Check that your phone qualifies. Apple says Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 needs an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air or an iPhone 16 model or later. Samsung lists Photo assist for Galaxy phones running One UI 8, from the Galaxy S22 series up. Google's photo editing tools need at least 3 GB of RAM and Android 8.0 or iOS 15, according to Google.
• Sign in. Google Photos needs a Google account, and Samsung says you must be signed in to your Samsung account for Photo assist.
• Stay online for heavier edits. Some edits are processed in the cloud, so a Wi-Fi or data connection helps.
• Work on a copy if you can. Every app below either saves a copy or lets you revert, but it is a good habit for photos you care about.

Remove distractions with Google Photos on any phone

Google said in its own announcement that Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur and Portrait Light are available to all Google Photos users with no subscription required. That makes Google Photos the easiest starting point, since it runs on both Android and iPhone.

1. Open Google Photos and pick the photo.
2. Tap Edit at the bottom.
3. On the newer Android editor, open the Actions tab and choose Magic Eraser. On some versions you can simply tap or circle the object and press Erase.
4. Tap or circle what you want gone. If the app grabs the wrong thing, use the option to deselect or refine the selection.
5. Tap Erase, then the checkmark to accept the result.
6. Tap Save as copy so your original stays untouched.

Google suggests using Magic Eraser for small fixes, like a sign or a power line, and the generative erase tool for bigger or more complex areas, where the app has to invent more of the background.

Change part of a picture with a text request

The Android editor also has a prompt based tool. Android Central describes it as Reimagine: select an area, tap Reimagine, type what you want (for example, "make the sky a sunset"), then pick one of the results and save a copy. There is also a Move option that lets you drag a person or object to a new spot while the app fills the gap. On iPhone, Google's editor may still show the older Magic Editor layout, so look for the same ideas under a different button.

If your typed requests keep missing, our guide on how to write better AI prompts explains how to describe what you want more clearly.

Use Clean Up in Photos on iPhone

Apple's built in tool is called Clean Up, and iOS 27 added quality modes to it, according to Engadget and Beebom.

1. Open the photo in the Photos app.
2. Tap Edit, then go to Tools and choose Clean Up.
3. At the top, pick a mode: Fast, High Quality or Auto. Beebom reports that Fast runs on the phone, while High Quality sends the job to Apple's Private Cloud Compute, so it needs a connection.
4. Draw a circle around the object with your finger. Engadget notes that circling tends to work better than relying on automatic object detection.
5. Wait for the fill, then tap the checkmark and Done.

To undo it later, open the photo, tap Edit and choose Revert. Your original is kept. Apple also lists Extend and Reframe style tools among its iOS 27 photo editing features, and it says these server based tools are subject to daily usage limits.

One more requirement: Apple says your device language and Siri language must be set to the same supported language, and some features are not offered in every region.

Edit with Photo assist on a Samsung Galaxy

Samsung's version lives in the Gallery app. First switch it on: go to Settings > Galaxy AI > Photo assist and turn the switch on.

1. Open Gallery and pick a photo.
2. Tap the Photo assist icon.
3. Long press the object you want to move, resize or delete. You can also use the tilt lever to straighten the shot.
4. Tap Generate.
5. Tap Save copy.

Samsung's Photo assist support page lists a few extras. Sketch to image turns a rough drawing on top of your photo into an object (it needs Drawing assist turned on in Galaxy AI settings, and sketches are sent to a server). Portrait studio restyles a portrait as a comic, 3D cartoon, watercolor or sketch. Samsung also says images generated by AI get an AI watermark in the bottom left corner, so expect that mark on anything you share.

Pick the right tool for the job

Not every fix needs generative AI. A quick guide:

• A small object on a plain background: Magic Eraser or Clean Up in Fast mode.
• A person in a busy scene, like a crowd or patterned wall: generative erase in Google Photos, Clean Up in High Quality, or Samsung's generative edit.
• A blurry photo: Photo Unblur in Google Photos.
• Changing the sky or adding something new: Reimagine in Google Photos or Sketch to image on Galaxy.
• A badly framed shot: Auto frame in Google Photos crop, or Extend on iPhone.

If you shoot a lot and plan to lean on these tools, our comparison of iPhone vs Pixel covers how the two camera ecosystems differ, and our list of the best phone for photography can help if your current phone is not supported.

When the AI edit does not work

The button is missing. Your phone may not meet the requirements, or the app is out of date. On iPhone, check that Apple Intelligence is available for your model and language. On Samsung, confirm Photo assist is switched on in Galaxy AI settings.

The fill looks smeared or fake. Select a slightly larger area around the object, including its shadow. On iPhone, switch to High Quality. In Google Photos, try generative erase instead of Magic Eraser for larger areas.

Nothing happens after you tap Generate. Check your connection and your account sign in. Cloud based edits stop working offline, and Apple says its server side tools have daily limits.

Faces come out warped. AI fills struggle when the object overlaps a face or hands. Edit around the person instead, or crop.

You want the original back. Use Revert on iPhone, or open the untouched original in Google Photos or Gallery, since both saved your edit as a copy.

Be thoughtful about where edited photos end up. AI edits are fine for vacation shots, but some uses, like a profile photo for work, have their own expectations. Our look at AI headshots for LinkedIn covers that question, and you can find more guides like this on our AI page.

A final check before you share: zoom in to 100 percent on the edited area. Repeating patterns, odd edges and missing shadows are easy to miss on a small screen, and they are the giveaway that a photo was changed.