Removex

How to remove a person from a photo on iPhone

Apple added a Clean Up tool to the Photos app — but it only runs on a handful of recent iPhones, and even then it struggles with large subjects. Pick your model and iOS version below to see exactly what your iPhone can do, and the best way to get a clean photo.

Can your iPhone remove people from photos?

Select your iPhone and the iOS version it's running.

Tip: find your iOS version under Settings › General › About › iOS Version.

iPhone Clean Up compatibility table

Apple's Clean Up tool requires both an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence (A17 Pro chip or newer) and iOS 18.1 or later. Removex works on every iPhone below, because it only needs iOS 17.6 or later.

iPhone Chip Apple Clean Up Removex
iPhone 17 Pro Max A19 Pro Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 17 Pro A19 Pro Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 17 A19 Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone Air A19 Pro Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 16 Pro Max A18 Pro Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 16 Pro A18 Pro Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 16 Plus A18 Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 16 A18 Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 16e A18 Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 15 Pro A17 Pro Yes · iOS 18.1+ Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 15 Plus A16 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 15 A16 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 14 Pro Max A16 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 14 Pro A16 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 14 Plus A15 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 14 A15 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 13 Pro Max A15 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 13 Pro A15 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 13 A15 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 13 mini A15 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone SE (3rd gen) A15 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 12 Pro Max A14 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 12 Pro A14 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 12 A14 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 12 mini A14 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 11 Pro Max A13 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 11 Pro A13 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone 11 A13 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone SE (2nd gen) A13 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone XR A12 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone XS Max A12 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+
iPhone XS A12 Bionic Not supported Yes · iOS 17.6+

Note: Clean Up is also unavailable on devices bought in mainland China. Apple Intelligence reached the EU in iOS 18.4.

How to remove a person with Apple's Clean Up tool

If your iPhone supports it, the built-in tool is the quickest route for small fixes.

  1. Open the photoIn the Photos app, open the photo and tap Edit.
  2. Tap Clean UpChoose the Clean Up tool. The first time, you may need to let the feature download.
  3. Brush over the personTap or brush the person you want gone. Apple Intelligence erases them and fills the background.
  4. SaveTap Done. Clean Up works well on small or distant subjects, but often smears the background when the person is large or close to the camera.

How to remove a person with Removex (any iPhone)

Works on every iPhone on iOS 17.6+, and is built for the cases Clean Up can't handle.

  1. Open a photo in RemovexPick the photo with the person you want gone.
  2. Tap the personRemovex detects the whole subject from one tap — no tracing. Select several people, or select all and exclude the ones to keep.
  3. Remove and saveRemovex reconstructs the background at full resolution and saves the clean photo back to your library.

Removex works on every iPhone — and on the hard photos

Whether or not your iPhone has Clean Up, Removex removes people in one tap, handles large foreground subjects that Apple's tool smears, and saves at full resolution. Free to try.

Download Removex on the App Store

Frequently asked questions

Can my iPhone remove a person from a photo?

Any iPhone can with a third-party app such as Removex (iOS 17.6+). Apple's built-in Clean Up only works on iPhone 15 Pro and later running iOS 18.1 or later. Use the checker above to see your case.

Which iPhones have the Clean Up tool?

iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models (including the 16e), iPhone Air, and all iPhone 17 models. The regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, iPhone 14 and older, and every iPhone SE do not support it.

Why is Clean Up not showing up on my iPhone?

Either your iPhone doesn't support Apple Intelligence, you're on an iOS older than 18.1, or Apple Intelligence is switched off in Settings. On unsupported devices it will never appear. See the full troubleshooting guide.

Can the iPhone 13 or iPhone 14 remove people from photos?

Not with Clean Up — neither supports Apple Intelligence, even on iOS 26. Use Removex instead. See iPhone 13 and iPhone 14.

Does Clean Up work on iOS 26?

Yes, but only on supported hardware. Installing iOS 26 on an older iPhone does not add Clean Up, because the chip lacks Apple Intelligence.

What's the best way to remove a large person from a photo on iPhone?

Clean Up is tuned for small objects and often smears large subjects. Removex is built for removing people, including large foreground subjects, and rebuilds the background at full resolution. Compare them side by side.