The Photos app includes enough editing tools for most quick fixes: crop a messy frame, straighten a tilted horizon, brighten a dark image, apply a filter, or remove a small background distraction on Apple Intelligence-compatible models. Edits are non-destructive, so the original can be restored later.
This guide applies to iOS 17 and iOS 18. Clean Up requires an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, such as iPhone 15 Pro or later, running iOS 18.1 or newer.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if a good photo needs a quick crop, exposure fix, color adjustment, filter, or simple retouch before sharing.
Crop, Straighten, or Rotate
- Open Photos and select the image.
- Tap Edit.
- Tap the crop icon.
- Drag the grid corners to crop the image.
- Use the straightening dial to level a tilted horizon.
- Tap the aspect ratio button for shapes such as square or 16:9.
- Use rotate or flip if the orientation is wrong.
- Tap Done.
Adjust Light, Color, and Filters
- Open the photo and tap Edit.
- Tap the adjustment controls.
- Try Auto first for a quick balanced result.
- For manual control, adjust options such as Exposure, Brilliance, Highlights, Shadows, Contrast, Brightness, Black Point, Saturation, Vibrance, Warmth, Tint, Sharpness, Definition, Noise Reduction, and Vignette.
- Open Filters if you want a preset look, then adjust its strength.
- Tap Done to save the edit.
Small exposure and contrast changes often look better than heavy adjustments across every slider.
Remove a Small Distraction with Clean Up
- On a supported iPhone, open the photo and tap Edit.
- Tap the Clean Up tool.
- Tap a highlighted object, or circle something manually.
- Wait while Photos fills the background.
- Tap Done, or tap the removal again if you want to undo that specific cleanup.
Clean Up works best on simple backgrounds such as sky, pavement, walls, or grass. Busy textures are harder to repair convincingly.
Keep or Undo Edits
Revert to Original
Open the edited photo, tap Edit, then choose Revert and confirm. This restores the original even if the edit was made earlier.
Duplicate First
If you want both versions, use Share > Duplicate before editing. Edit the duplicate and keep the original untouched.
iCloud Photos
When iCloud Photos is enabled, edits sync to your other Apple devices, and the revert option remains available there too.
Sources
- Apple Support: Edit photos and videos on iPhone
- Apple Support: Crop, rotate, or flip a photo or video on iPhone
- Apple Support: Clean up photos with Apple Intelligence on iPhone