Apple adds AI photo editing tools to Photos app in iOS 27

In short: Apple says iOS 27 will add new AI-based photo editing features to the Photos app, but with limits meant to reduce misleading edits.

What happened

Apple previewed new photo editing tools coming to iPhones in iOS 27, which is expected later this year. The tools use generative AI, which means the phone can fill in missing parts of an image by guessing what should be there, like an automatic background painter.

The Photos app already includes a Clean Up tool that removes unwanted objects. In iOS 27, Apple says Clean Up will work better because it uses improved AI models, which are the systems that make these guesses.

Apple is also adding two new features called Extend and Spatial Reframe. Extend expands the edges of a photo by up to 25 percent by creating new background pixels. Spatial Reframe changes the perspective of a photo and fills in parts that were not captured.

Apple’s iPhone camera chief, Jon McCormack, said the company is not doing AI “for the sake of AI.” Apple is also putting guardrails on the tools. For example, the AI changes are limited mostly to the background, and the main subject’s face is not supposed to be altered.

Apple also plans to add Google DeepMind’s SynthID later this year. SynthID is an invisible watermark, which is like a hidden tag that can signal a photo was changed with AI, although researchers say watermarks are not perfect.

Why it matters

These tools can make everyday photos look better, but they also make it easier for edited images to look real. Apple’s limits, usage caps, and planned watermark are signs that phone makers are trying to balance easy editing with trust in personal photos.

Source: Wired