The quickest way to edit a photo with AI is the editor built into your phone's photo app: Clean Up on an iPhone, Google Photos on Android, or Photo assist on a Samsung Galaxy. For changes those tools can't make, like a new background or a different shirt color, you type the change into an editor such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Smart Editor. Below are the phone steps, a table matching common fixes to the right tool, how to word an instruction, and how to catch a bad edit before you share it.
What AI photo editing is
AI photo editing is editing where software creates new pixels instead of only adjusting the ones you shot. Traditional edits such as brightness, contrast and cropping change what's there. AI edits fill, replace or redraw parts of the picture. They come in three kinds:
- Erase and fill. You tap, brush or circle something, and the tool fills the gap with made-up background. Apple's Clean Up and Google's Magic Eraser work this way. The technique is often called inpainting.
- Typed or spoken instructions. You describe the change in words ("replace the gray sky with a blue one"), and the editor makes a new version of the photo. ChatGPT, Gemini, Google's Ask Photos and Smart Editor work this way.
- One-tap enhancement. The tool picks the fixes for you. Google Photos' AI Enhance offers several results to choose from, and Samsung's Edit suggestions include Remaster.
6 ways to edit a photo with AI
Here's how the main options compare as of September 2026.
| Method | Works on | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Photos (Clean Up, Extend, Reframe) | iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 models or later; Clean Up needs iOS 18.1 or later | Comes with iOS; Apple warns of possible usage limits | Removing distractions on a recent iPhone |
| Google Photos (Magic Eraser, Ask Photos) | Android 8.0 or later with at least 3 GB RAM, also on iPhone | Magic Eraser needs no subscription | Erasing, plus typed edits in Ask Photos (18 and over) |
| Samsung Gallery (Photo assist) | Select Galaxy phones and tablets with One UI 6.1 or later (Android 14) | Samsung says Galaxy AI basic features are free | Moving, removing and restyling on a Galaxy |
| ChatGPT | Web, iOS and Android | Free plan with a limited image allowance; Plus is $20 a month | Typed changes, with a selection tool for one area |
| Gemini app | Web and phone, users 18 and over for editing | Free with a daily limit; 1K downloads without a Google AI plan | Typed changes and combining photos |
| Toybox AI (Smart Editor, Object Eraser, Image Unblur) | Browser on any phone or computer | 75 to 110 credits per photo currently; Smart Editor needs Pro | Typed edits you keep refining, word-based removals, blur |
How to edit a photo with AI on iPhone
Start with the Photos app. On a supported iPhone (iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or an iPhone 16 model or later with Apple Intelligence), the Tools menu in the photo editor holds the AI tools. Apple notes that Clean Up is limited to some languages and regions.
- Open the photo in the Photos app and tap the Edit button.
- Tap Tools, then pick a tool.
- Clean Up: mark the thing to remove with a tap, a brush stroke or a circle. Photos may highlight some items for you.
- Extend: pull the edges outward with a pinch or drag so the background grows past the original frame, then tap Extend.
- Reframe: drag the photo to change the point of view, then tap Reframe. A tap on the photo shows the original for comparison.
- Tap the Done button, then Done again. To undo later, open the same tool and tap Reset.
Extend and Reframe sit next to Clean Up in Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, and Apple notes that usage limits may apply. For changes Apple's tools don't make, such as a new outfit or background, use an app or site that takes typed instructions: the ChatGPT app, the Gemini app, or a browser editor. For erasing people, the phone-by-phone removal steps go further.
How to edit a photo with AI on Android
On Android, Google Photos has two AI routes: Magic Eraser for tracing what to remove, and Ask Photos for describing an edit in words. Since a rollout that began on May 15, 2024, Magic Eraser has been available to Google Photos users without a subscription, on devices that meet Google's minimums. Google lists 3 GB of RAM and Android 8.0 as the minimum for most editing tools, and a few tools ask you to tap Install before first use.
To describe an edit with Ask Photos:
- In Google Photos, open the photo, tap Edit, tap Ask, and tap Continue.
- Type the change, or tap Microphone and say it. Google's examples include "remove the glare".
- Tap Enter, then Save. Save as copy leaves the original as it was.
Ask Photos is limited to personal Google Accounts (not work or school ones) and to people 18 and over, in some regions only. You opt in under Photos settings, then Preferences, then Gemini features in Photos, and it also needs Face Groups and location estimates turned on. To undo a saved edit, tap Edit, then Revert. Google notes that edits saved as a copy can't be reverted, so keep the copy and delete it if you don't like it.
How to edit a photo with AI on Samsung
Galaxy phones put the AI tools under Photo assist in the Gallery app. Samsung lists them for select phones and tablets with One UI 6.1 or later (Android 14). Samsung also requires a Samsung account and an internet connection.
- In Gallery, open the photo and tap Edit (the pencil icon).
- Tap Photo assist (its icon is a blue circle with stars).
- Choose a tool: AI Eraser to remove something, Move to drag an object to a new spot, Create to type what to add, or Style to restyle the whole photo.
- Tap Erase for AI Eraser, or Generate for Move, Create and Style. For Style, swipe to see more versions.
- Tap Save as copy.
Samsung says photos edited with Generative Edit are resized to 12MP at most, and AI-generated images get a Galaxy AI watermark. Swipe up on a photo for Edit suggestions such as Remaster and Erase reflections.
How to edit a photo with AI for free
Several AI editors cost nothing for basic fixes. Apple's tools come with iOS on supported iPhones, Magic Eraser needs no Google subscription, and Samsung says its Galaxy AI basic features cost nothing. ChatGPT's free plan caps how many images you can edit, and Gemini edits photos without a paid plan, with a daily limit and 1K downloads.
Toybox isn't free for photo edits. The 20 free credits a new account gets are enough for text tools, not image tools. Object Eraser is currently 80 credits and Image Unblur 75, both on the Free plan, and Smart Editor needs a Pro plan.
Pick the right AI edit for the problem
Match your fix to a row below. Each linked guide has the full steps for that job.
| What you want | Best kind of tool | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| A stranger or ex out of the shot | Phone eraser, or a word-based remover | Remove someone from a photo |
| A car, sign or trash can gone | Phone eraser for small ones, typed edit for large | Remove a car from a photo |
| Words or a date stamp gone | Typed removal | Remove text from an image |
| A new background | Typed edit or a background tool | Change the background of a photo |
| A blue sky instead of a white one | Typed edit | Replace the sky in a photo |
| A blurred background behind a portrait | Typed edit or portrait mode | Blur the background of a photo |
| A dark or yellow photo fixed | Typed edit or one-tap enhance | Fix lighting in a photo |
| Glare on glasses or a window reflection gone | Typed edit | Remove glare from glasses and remove a reflection |
| A shadow across a face or product gone | Typed edit | Remove a shadow from a photo |
| A different shirt, dress or hair color | Typed edit | Change shirt color, change clothes, change hair color |
| A blurry or soft photo sharpened | Unblur tool | Unblur a picture |
| A photo big enough to print | Upscaling or a high-resolution redraw | Make a photo high resolution |
| A person added who wasn't there | Reference-photo generation | Add someone to a photo |
| A faded family photo brought back | Restoration and colorizing | Restore faded photos |
How to use AI to edit photos with a typed instruction
A typed instruction works when it reads like a note to a retoucher: one change, where it is, what must stay, and the look you want. Point to the thing with its position and one detail ("the red car parked behind the fence"), not by what it means to you ("the ugly car").
These two instructions show the pattern, one for a look and one for a removal. They run in Smart Editor and work as starting points in ChatGPT or Gemini:
Blur the busy street behind me so it looks like a portrait taken with a wide-open lens, with the cars and signs softly out of focus. Keep me sharp: my face, hair, glasses, jacket and the edges of my shoulders unchanged.Remove the red car parked behind the fence and continue the fence and the hedge where it was. Leave the two kids on the swing set, their faces and their clothes untouched.There are more copy-ready photo editing prompts for light fixes, clothing, scenery and two-person photos. For portraits, the guide to editing a portrait without the face drifting has keep lists for eyes, teeth and skin tone, plus what to do once a face starts to drift.
Tips for a clean result
- Edit a copy. Google Photos and Samsung Gallery both offer Save as copy, so use it, and keep the original in your camera roll before uploading anywhere.
- Upload the real file. A screenshot, or a copy sent through a messaging app, has less detail to work from. Export the original as JPG or PNG.
- One change per edit. OpenAI's ChatGPT image guide advises adjusting a single element per request. Look over each result before asking for another change.
- Check the parts you didn't touch. Zoom in on faces, hands, jewelry, text and straight lines like railings and door frames.
- Watch the size. Some AI edits come back smaller than your original (Samsung's Generative Edit saves up to 12MP, and Gemini downloads are 1K without a Google AI plan). Keep the original for prints.
- Label edits honestly. Google Photos lets you check AI info on edited photos, and Samsung puts a Galaxy AI watermark on AI-generated images. When you share an AI-edited photo, say that it was edited.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No Clean Up under Tools | Unsupported iPhone model, iOS version, language or region | Compare your phone with Apple's requirements page, or edit in Google Photos or a browser |
| Ask isn't in Google Photos' editor | You haven't opted in, you're under 18, or it isn't offered in your region | Turn on Ask Photos under Gemini features in Photos settings, or use Magic Eraser |
| No Photo assist on a Galaxy | The model or One UI version doesn't support Galaxy AI | Update the phone, or use Google Photos on it instead |
| A face looks different after the edit | The editor redrew the face along with the change | Go back to the original and name the eyes, teeth and face shape in the keep list |
| The edit spread past the area you meant | Selections and descriptions aren't exact | Paint a little short of the edge, and describe the area by where it sits |
| The result is smaller or softer than the original | The tool saved a resized copy | Use a higher quality setting if the tool has one, and keep the original |
| The upload is rejected | The file is HEIC, too large, or not an image | Export a JPG copy, or set the iPhone camera to Most Compatible |
Edit it in Smart Editor, Object Eraser or Image Unblur
Toybox runs in your phone or computer browser, and each of these three tools takes one JPG or PNG up to 10 MB. Pick by the job: Smart Editor for any typed change, Object Eraser for removals described in words, and Image Unblur for blur.
- Smart Editor (Pro plan or higher). Upload the photo under "Your image" and describe the edit in "What should change?". Under "More options", set the quality and, if needed, a new "Shape", then press "Apply edit". It currently costs 85 credits for HD and 110 for 4K.
- Keep refining. After each result, choose "Latest result" under "Editing" to continue from it, or "Original photo" to start a new instruction from the untouched photo. Each edit redraws the whole image, so repeat the "keep" list every time.
- Object Eraser (Free plan). Upload the photo, describe what to remove in "What should we remove?" by position and one detail, and press "Remove it". It currently costs 80 credits. On a Pro plan, a follow-up change can go into "Want to change something?" (currently 85 credits), or you can open the result in Smart Editor.
- Image Unblur (Free plan). Upload a blurry photo, add an optional note under "More options", then "Notes", and press "Sharpen photo". It currently costs 75 credits. The sharper detail is the AI's best guess, not something the camera captured, so faces and fine print may not match the original exactly, and it doesn't upscale.
- Check and save. Zoom in on faces, hands and edges, then download the PNG or keep it in your gallery. Unsaved results stay available for 24 hours, and a failed generation refunds its credits automatically.
For current plan prices, see pricing.