Apple testing AI object removal in new Photos app

Apple just dropped a subtle hint about its AI ambitions right on its homepage. The interactive graphic for its Tuesday event allows users to erase parts of the Apple logo with a cursor, and it turns out this might not just be teasing a new stylus.

According to a report from AppleInsider, Apple is internally testing a generative AI image-editing tool for its built-in Photos app. In early builds of macOS 15, the feature is dubbed Clean Up, and it is designed to finally bring modern photo editing to standard Apple hardware.

Out with retouch, in with generative fill

The new Clean Up tool is slated to replace the long-outdated Retouch tool tucked inside Apple's editing menu. While Retouch was mostly good for minor blemishes and small spots, Clean Up relies on generative AI to remove larger objects from an image seamlessly.

Testers can use a brush tool with an adjustable radius to paint over people, trash cans, or unwanted distractions. The system then removes the object and reconstructs the background so it looks like nothing was ever there.

If this sounds familiar, it is because Adobe has offered similar Generative Fill features across Photoshop and Firefly for some time, and Google made a big splash with Magic Eraser on Pixel phones. However, baking this directly into macOS and iOS photo libraries changes the friction level entirely.

While major operating system features usually wait for WWDC in June, there is a chance Apple previews Clean Up during Tuesday's Let Loose event. Apple is expected to launch new iPad Air and iPad Pro models, with rumors pointing to a new M4 chip with an upgraded Neural Engine. Demonstrating Clean Up with a new Apple Pencil would be an easy way to show off the tablet's local AI chops.

Why it matters

For everyday users, object removal is one of the very few AI capabilities that provides immediate, tangible value. Nobody wants to pay a monthly Creative Cloud subscription or upload private family pictures to random cloud services just to erase a photobomber. Putting this feature straight into the default Photos app across Mac, iPad, and iPhone instantly raises the baseline experience for hundreds of millions of people.

For the tech industry, this signals how Apple plans to play the AI game. While competitors spent the last year pushing experimental chat interfaces, Apple appears focused on practical utilities woven directly into daily workflows. When an operating system owner integrates a feature like this natively, it tends to commoditize single-purpose utility apps overnight.

We think the main question is device compatibility. If Apple runs these generative fills entirely on-device to preserve its privacy stance, older iPads and iPhones might get left out in the cold. But making photo cleanup effortless and free is one of the smartest ways to convince regular consumers that AI is genuinely useful.