Windows Photos gets its own AI Magic Eraser

You no longer need a brand-new Pixel or a Photoshop subscription just to vanish a photo crasher or an ugly dog leash from your snapshots. Windows is turning that into a basic desktop utility.

Even Windows 10 gets the upgrade

Microsoft just announced Generative erase for the built-in Windows Photos app. The tool works much like Google's Magic Eraser, letting users brush over unwanted background clutter and let generative AI fill in the gap.

The real surprise is availability. Microsoft is not keeping this exclusive to Windows 11: it is also backporting Generative erase and other recent AI features, such as background removal, to Windows 10 and Arm64 PCs.

The rollout is currently live for Windows Insiders across all channels, with Windows 10 testers accessing it via the Release Preview Channel on Photos app version 2024.11020.21001.0 or newer. Notably, Microsoft has not specified whether edited shots will carry watermarks or metadata tags.

Why it matters

Object removal is easily one of the most practical everyday use cases for generative AI. Baking it directly into the default OS photo viewer saves everyday users from hunting down third-party apps or paying for extra software.

We think backporting the feature to Windows 10 is an uncharacteristically generous move. Microsoft usually leverages fresh perks to push users into upgrading to Windows 11, so treating its older install base with parity here feels refreshingly consumer-first.

The lingering question is provenance. When generative manipulation becomes this effortless and widespread on hundreds of millions of PCs, omitting clear disclosure tags or watermarks feels like a missed safeguard.