Apple adds AI editing tools to Photos app

Apple announced on Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026) that it is integrating its Apple Intelligence platform into its Photos app. This integration introduces a suite of new artificial-intelligence-powered editing capabilities to the consumer application. The announcement, made during the company’s annual developer event, represents a direct application of Apple’s generative technology to its core consumer software ecosystem.

The update brings three editing features to the Photos application, designed to modify image composition and remove unwanted elements:

• Reframe: This new spatial feature can allow users to adjust image perspective using artificial intelligence. The tool can help users adjust the perspective of their captured images to fix composition issues. For example, it can help if a user accidentally captures an unwanted sign above a subject’s head, if a photo would have been more symmetrical by stepping slightly to the right, or if eye contact with a subject was missed by a fraction of a second. Users can touch and drag photos to adjust the perspective as if they had repositioned the camera in the original scene, with the ability to preview the effect in real time. As the photo is being adjusted, a blur appears around the edges of the original image, which is later filled by Apple’s generative models. To ensure the reframed photo remains consistent with the original scene, the feature only generates new content to fill in the gaps where the perspective has been affected.
• Extend: This new tool allows users to expand images or straighten horizons. It expands images to give subjects more breathing room or to straighten a crooked horizon without cropping out important elements. Users can pinch to zoom out or adjust the crop to add more to the scene.
• Cleanup: This tool is being upgraded to allow users to remove distractions from their photos with better quality. The upgraded version uses generative AI to provide more realistic infill. The feature allows users to tap, brush, or circle the specific distractions they want to remove from the image.

Why it matters

This integration marks a significant expansion of Apple Intelligence into core consumer applications, directly enhancing the utility of the Photos app with generative AI capabilities.