How to Manually Brush or Outline with Clean Up in iOS 18

Apple's iOS 18 introduces the AI-powered Clean Up tool in the Photos app, designed to remove distracting elements and unwanted objects from your images seamlessly. While the system automatically detects potential distractions with intelligent suggestions, users also have full manual control to either circle or brush directly over items they wish to eliminate. This article covers how these manual gestures work and how to use them effectively for precise photo editing.

Manual Outlining and Brushing in Clean Up

Yes, users can manually interact with photos using the Clean Up feature. You are not limited to automatic recommendations. If an object is not highlighted automatically, or if you want to remove a specific part of a photo, you can use your finger to manually target the area.

There are two primary manual methods available:

  • Circling / Outlining: Draw a complete loop around an unwanted person, object, or shadow. Once the loop closes, Apple Intelligence interprets the enclosed boundary, isolates the subject, and replaces it with synthesized background texture.
  • Brushing: Drag your finger across the unwanted area to paint over it. This is ideal for smaller blemishes, glare, photobombers, or complex shapes where drawing a neat outline is difficult. The tool treats the painted area as the target zone for removal.

How to Use the Manual Controls

To manually brush over or outline an item in iOS 18:

  1. Open the Photos app and select the picture you want to edit.
  2. Tap the Edit icon (represented by the sliders) at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Select the Clean Up tool (indicated by an eraser icon).
  4. If the item does not glow with an automatic suggestion, simply use your finger to circle the object or brush over it entirely.
  5. Release your finger to let the tool process the removal and blend the background.
  6. For fine details, use two fingers to pinch and zoom into the photo before brushing over smaller areas to adjust the brush size and increase accuracy.
  7. Tap Done to save the changes, or use the Undo arrow at the top if you need to retry the selection.