How to Use Clean Up in Photos on Mac in macOS Sequoia to Remove Unwanted Objects

Capturing the perfect photograph on Mac often leaves you with minor distractions in the frame—photobombers wandering across the background, unsightly power cables strung across historic buildings, reflections, or surface blemishes. While professional photo retouching previously required dedicated image editing suites like Photoshop, Apple Intelligence in macOS Sequoia (macOS 15.1 and later) introduces the native Clean Up tool inside the macOS Photos app. Powered by on-device diffusion and inpainting models running on Apple Silicon, Clean Up identifies distractions, synthesises background textures, and erases unwanted elements seamlessly while preserving photographic fidelity.

Hardware and Software Prerequisites

Because Clean Up executes high-parameter diffusion and machine learning models locally on device, specific hardware and system configurations are required:

• Apple Silicon Mac: A Mac computer powered by Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 family or later). Intel-based Macs do not support Apple Intelligence generative image features.
• Operating System: macOS Sequoia 15.1 or newer installed and updated.
• Apple Intelligence Activated: Navigate to System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri and ensure Apple Intelligence is switched on and that language models have finished downloading.
• Photos Library Access: The images you wish to edit must reside in your native macOS Photos library or iCloud Shared Photo Library.

Step-by-Step: Using Clean Up in the Photos App on Mac

Follow these steps to eliminate unwanted objects, distracting artefacts, or skin blemishes from any image:

1. Open the Photos application from your Dock, Applications folder, or Spotlight.
2. Double-click the photograph you want to edit to open it in full-size viewing mode.
3. Click the Edit button situated in the top right corner of the toolbar.
4. In the editing sidebar or top adjustment bar, select the Clean Up tab (identified by an eraser icon with subtle glowing sparkle accents).
5. Initial Model Download: The first time you launch Clean Up, macOS downloads the necessary machine learning weights in the background. Wait a brief moment for the status indicator to complete.

Selecting and Erasing Distractions

Clean Up provides three distinct interaction modes depending on the size and complexity of the object you want to remove:

1. Automatic Smart Detection (One-Click Tap)

Hover your mouse cursor over the photograph. Apple Intelligence continuously analyses scene composition and automatically highlights detected distractions (such as distant pedestrians, trash bins, or street signs) with a glowing, translucent outline. Simply click the highlighted object; Clean Up instantly erases it and inlays realistic background textures matching the surrounding lighting and depth.

2. Circling the Subject

For items that are not automatically highlighted by smart detection, use your mouse cursor or trackpad to draw a loop or circle around the target element. Clean Up automatically snaps the selection mask to the boundaries of the encircled subject, removes the pixels, and fills the void with contextual textures.

3. Manual Brushing with Resizable Brush

To remove irregular shapes, complex wires, or blemishes, use the manual brush tool:

1. Adjust the Brush Size slider located in the Clean Up control panel to match the scale of the object.
2. Click and drag your cursor over the precise areas you want to remove.
3. Release the mouse button; macOS immediately computes the replacement pattern.

Refining Details with Zoom and Retouching

For intricate portrait work or fine architectural elements, precision is critical:

• Pinch to Zoom: Use two fingers on your trackpad or press Command + + to zoom deeply into fine details like facial blemishes, dust spots on camera lenses, or small background artefacts.
• Pan Across the Canvas: Hold down the Spacebar and drag with your mouse or trackpad to pan around the enlarged image smoothly while keeping the Clean Up tool active.
• Pixel Blemish Removal: Click directly on small blemishes or sensor dust spots without brushing; Clean Up executes a rapid healing algorithm that preserves natural skin grain and photographic noise.

Comparing Changes and Reverting Edits

macOS Photos preserves non-destructive editing workflows when using Apple Intelligence:

• Toggle Before/After View: Press and hold the M key (or click the Show Original button in the top toolbar) to inspect the photograph prior to Clean Up edits. Releasing the key reveals your retouched version.
• Undo Specific Steps: Press Command + Z to sequentially undo individual object removals without losing other adjustments.
• Revert to Original: If you wish to discard all modifications, click Revert to Original in the top toolbar at any point in the future.
• Finalise: When satisfied with the composition, click Done in the upper right corner to commit the changes.