The iPhone now has access to Google's popular Magic Eraser tool, but there are also some apps in Apple's App Store that do the same thing. The ability to remove objects or photobombers, capture a landscape or cityscape without people, or just clear trash or clutter from an otherwise perfect shot is quite useful, and these apps make it quick and easy.
Google's Magic Eraser was previously an exclusive feature of its Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series smartphones, but the company has now made it available to Google One subscribers on both Android and iOS. This means that any iPhone user with a Google One subscription can now use Magic Eraser in the Photos app. Google One plans start at $1.99 per month for 100GB of storage. Once subscribed, download the Google Photos app from the App Store. Next, back up photos from the iPhone to Google Photos. To do this, open the app, tap the profile picture or initials in the top right corner, scroll down to 'Google Photos settings,' tap 'Backup' and then turn on the toggle next to 'Backup.' Users will have to wait a while for all the photos on their iPhone to back up to Google Photos.
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Use Google Photos' Magic Eraser On iPhone
It's worth noting that users can also manually upload photos to Google Photos from a PC by opening the Google Photos website on their browser, signing in, and then tapping 'Upload' at the top. Once the relevant photos are backed up, open the Google Photos app on iPhone and select a photo to edit. Next, tap the edit button (three horizontal lines) at the bottom and tap 'Tools.' Tap 'Magic Eraser,' wait for the app to provide suggestions, and tap 'Erase.'
If no suggestions are provided, make sure 'Erase' is selected on the screen, and then highlight the object that needs to be removed by drawing a circle around it. Magic Eraser will automatically remove the object and blend the area into the background. It might take a few tries to get the perfect result. To go back to the original image, tap 'Reset,' or to save the edited image, tap 'Done.' Tap 'Save Copy' to save a copy of the edited image to Google Photos. To share the photo, tap the share button (box with upwards arrow) and then 'Share to' to share it in an app of choice.
Other Object Eraser Apps For iPhone
On Apple's App Store, several apps offer object removal, which might be better known as a repair tool that can erase unwanted people and details from a photo. One of the best examples comes from the repair tool in Pixelmator ($9.99), which is also a full-featured, multi-layer paint app. Choosing the 'Retouch' option, then tapping 'Repair' allows brushing over an object, scratch, or blemish to be removed. When done, the app uses portions of the background to fill in the highlighted area, blending the edges to produce a usable result in most cases.
Adobe's Photoshop Express (free) also has a capable repair tool that works in a similar way. Start by tapping 'Retouch', selecting a photo, then painting over any objects or flaws to have them erased from the image. TouchRetouch (free) is an app that specializes in this one feature, with no need to look for the proper tool. Tap 'Quick Repair' to highlight the part of the picture that isn't wanted, and it is immediately erased.
Erase Objects Using The Photos App On Mac
While not all iPhone users may own a Mac computer, for those that do, there's a way to erase objects for free using the Photos app. Although Photos is available on both iPhone and Mac, the editing tools are far superior on a Mac computer. The Mac Photos app has the quick one-touch editing tools available on iPhone, but users can also go deeper to adjust different parameters. To edit an iPhone photo on Mac, users will first need to transfer it. The easiest way is by using iCloud, which will automatically sync images to the Photos app on a Mac. Alternatively, iPhone users can AirDrop a photo to Mac and then open it in Photos.
In the Photos app on Mac, select the photo that needs to be edited, and then click on the 'Edit' button in the top-right corner. In the sidebar on the right, scroll down to the 'Retouch' option. Tap on 'Size' to adjust the size of the brush using the slider tool. It's important to use the right size brush for this. Now, place the brush over the object that needs to be removed and click on it a few times or drag the brush over it to remove the object and blend it into the background. Zoom in to get a better look at the details if required.
Using the Retouch tool might take a bit of practice at first, but once perfected, it can be used quite effectively. Once done making the changes, click on 'Done' to save the image. Now transfer the edited photo to the iPhone. It's a bit of a workaround, but the larger screen of the Mac makes editing easier and is a great object-removal option for iPhone users who have access to a Mac.
Google Magic Eraser Vs. Other Apps
All the object removal methods outlined above use a similar algorithm. However, the results will be different, and which is best will vary with the particular image, which portion is selected, and how accurately that is done. Google is an AI leader with proven expertise and enormous resources that most app developers can't compete with, so it has the potential to produce better results than the others, but there are enough variables that it is impossible to quantify without a considerable amount of comparative research. Adobe, on the other hand, is the developer of Photoshop, the app synonymous with retouching photos.
Each app produces good results, and none are perfect. The cost is low enough, even free for the solutions on Adobe and the Mac, making it easy to try them all. Something Google offers that is currently lacking in the other iPhone apps is automatic object selection. The Magic Eraser will automatically highlight people in the background, making it a one-touch process to remove them from the picture. For those who have a Google One subscription, using the Magic Eraser feature on iPhone is made easy with the use of the Photos app.
