How to Lift and Isolate Subjects from Photos on iPhone and iPad

With iOS 16 and later versions, Apple introduced a machine-learning capability within the Photos app that allows you to instantly isolate and lift the primary subject of a photograph from its background. Powered by on-device neural processing, this feature detects people, pets, plants, food, and everyday objects, cutting them out with clean transparent outlines without requiring complex image editing applications like Photoshop.

System Compatibility Requirements

Visual subject lifting requires Apple’s A12 Bionic processor or newer. It functions automatically on:

• iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and all iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 models.
• iPad models equipped with A12 Bionic or M-series chips running iPadOS 16 or later.
• The feature works across standard photos, screenshots, Live Photos, and paused video frames.

How to Lift a Subject from an Image

Extracting a person or object takes a single touch gesture:

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap to open any picture featuring a distinct subject (such as a portrait of a person, a pet, or a car).
3. Press and hold your finger directly on the subject.
4. You will feel a subtle haptic vibration, and a shimmering glowing aura will animate around the contours of the subject.
5. Lift your finger; a small popup menu will appear displaying Copy, Add Sticker, and Share…

Ways to Use Your Isolated Subject Cutout

Once you lift a subject, you have several creative options to share or reuse the transparent graphic:

• Copy and Paste: Tap Copy, then open Messages, WhatsApp, Notes, or Mail, tap a text field, and select Paste. The image pastes as a clean PNG graphic with a transparent background.
• Add Sticker: Tap Add Sticker to save the cutout directly to your iOS sticker drawer. You can apply visual effects (such as Outline, Comic, or Shiny) and peel-and-stick the cutout onto chat bubbles in iMessage.
• Drag-and-Drop Across Apps: Press and hold the subject until it lifts, then continue holding your finger down while using your other hand to swipe up to the home screen, open another app (like Keynote, Canva, or Pages), and release your finger to drop the image directly into your project.

Lifting Subjects from Paused Video Frames

You are not limited to still photographs; you can extract cutouts from video clips as well:

1. Play any video recorded on your iPhone inside the Photos app.
2. Pause playback at the exact frame where the subject is in focus.
3. Press and hold the subject on the paused frame until the glowing outline appears.
4. Select Copy or Share to export the frame’s subject instantly.