iOS 18.1 beta 3 lets you remove distractions from pictures with new 'Clean Up' feature – 9to5Mac

With the launch of iOS 18.1 beta 3 for developers today, Apple Intelligence is adding a new Clean Up feature to the Photos app. This feature, as announced at WWDC, can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo.

iOS 18.1 adds new Apple Intelligence features

The new Clean Up feature is accessible in the Photos app when editing a photo. It’s denoted by a new eraser-style icon in the bottom toolbar. The feature offers smart detection and uses multiple machine learning models to detect distractions, find the edges of an unwanted object, and then replace them. The feature can even identify an unwanted object’s shadow or reflection and remove it.

The Clean Up feature also knows where people are in the photo, so it can avoid accidentally removing or replacing part of a person.

Clean Up can intelligently identify distracting elements in a photo’s background, and the user can remove those distractions with a single tap. Users can also manually zoom in and use their finger as a retouch brush to remove distractions.

Finally, the feature works for any image in your Photos library, not just images shot on an iPhone.

The Clean Up feature is available in iOS 18.1 beta 3, which is available now for developers. The first time you use the feature, iOS 18.1 will “download” and “prepare” the necessary models. It’s also available in the latest iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 betas.

In addition to Clean Up, iOS 18.1 beta 3 also expands Apple Intelligence-powered notification summaries beyond Messages and Mail. Learn more about that change in our full coverage.

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