Apple Introduces a 'Mystical Obliterator' for its iPhone Lineup
When Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, their collection of generative AI capabilities, they highlighted one of their new offerings as "De-clutter." This fresh Photos feature enables you to pinpoint undesired entities and things in your images, and through the wonders of generative AI, erase them from your snapshot.
If you find this idea familiar, it's because Google was there first. Their Magic Eraser function operates in a similar vein, and has progressed from being a Pixel-exclusive feature to a Photos option on both Android and iOS devices. However, the majority of iOS users don't have Google Photos, so De-clutter is likely the first generative AI-driven object elimination tool iPhone users will test out for themselves.
Although you can't experiment with Apple Intelligence and its De-clutter feature using the most recent public version of iOS, the feature is available for those prepared to take on a bit of a risk: Apple introduced it with the third developer beta release for iOS 18.1, the upcoming software update that will usher in Apple Intelligence for compatible iPhones (currently just the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max). If you subscribe your compatible iPhone to the latest developer beta for iOS 18.1, you'll have the chance to try it.
A word of caution: Running any beta software on your device is risky, as the software is still undergoing testing. There may be bugs or other issues yet to be exposed and corrected, which could affect your device and its data. If you opt to install the iOS 18.1 beta, do so at your own risk.
How Apple Intelligence's De-clutter feature functions
Once the most recent developer beta of iOS 18.1 is running on your iPhone, open a picture from Photos and tap Edit. You'll find a new De-clutter button along the bottom toolbar. Tap it, and iOS will prompt you to, "Tap, brush, or circle what you want to remove." So, if you'd like to eliminate an intruder seagull from your beach snapshot, circle it; if you'd like to expel a stranger from the background of a group photo, tap the person; if you'd like to clear some litter from the image, brush over it.
The aforementioned gestures tend to perform in a similar fashion, although they can do different things depending upon the specific situation. For example, you can introduce pixelation to people's faces in your photos by circling them, as demonstrated in this article on X.
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The integration of Apple Intelligence's tech capabilities has expanded beyond photography, potentially leading to a wider range of clean-up tools in the future. Despite not currently being available on mainstream iOS versions, Apple Intelligence's 'De-clutter' feature, showcased in the third developer beta for iOS 18.1, relies on Apple's advanced AI to intelligently identify and eliminate unwanted objects from images, utilizing user-guided brushing or tapping to select items for erasure.
