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Faudo's avatar
Faudo
Iron Contributor
Nov 05, 2025

The best way to remove people from images?

Hi everyone,

I hope it's okay to ask this here. I'm not great with photo editing, but I've run into a problem a few times now and I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction. I have some really nice vacation pictures and family photos, but there are often strangers in the background that kind of ruin the shot. I'd love to learn how to clean them up.

I've heard there are AI powered apps that can do this automatically, but I have no idea which ones are good or easy to use for a beginner. I don't do anything fancy, just simply remove people from images so the focus is back on my family or the beautiful scenery.

9 Replies

  • Blisszacy's avatar
    Blisszacy
    Iron Contributor

    Okay. If you run into a complex photo and want to remove people from images, try Magic as a quick backup. Only consider GIIMP if you find yourself doing this all the time and want a permanent, unlimited solution.

  • Ostarari's avatar
    Ostarari
    Iron Contributor

    How to remove people from images? Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark) is a user-friendly online design tool that offers some basic photo editing features, Adobe Express is excellent for quick, simple edits, but it isn't ideal for free and seamless removal of people from images. For that, more advanced tools like Photoshop or G1MP are recommended.

    To Remove People from Images:

    1. Go to Adobe Express.
    2. Upload your photo.
    3. Look for the "Remove Object" or "Background Remover" tool (the name might vary slightly).
    4. Brush over the person and let the AI work.


    Limited Object Removal: Adobe Express mainly focuses on creating graphics, social media posts, and simple edits. It doesn't have a robust feature for removing objects or people seamlessly.
    Workaround: You can try to hide or cover unwanted people using tools like cropping, adding overlays, or blending with background shapes, but this often results in less natural results compared to dedicated removal tools.
    Best for Quick Edits: If the person is on the edge of the photo or small, covering or cropping might suffice for quick fixes.

  • Koenpk's avatar
    Koenpk
    Iron Contributor

    G1MP is a powerful free and open-source image editing program that can definitely be used to remove people from images. While it doesn't have a dedicated "Magic Eraser" tool like some mobile apps, it offers a variety of tools and techniques that can achieve similar results with some practice.

    Steps of Removing People from Images Using G1MP

    1. Open Your Image  
      Launch G1MP and open the photo you want to edit.
    2. Use the Clone Tool or Heal Tool  
      These tools allow you to paint over the person or object with pixels from the surrounding area, effectively "covering them up."
    3. Select the Clone Tool  
      In the toolbox, select the Clone Tool (looks like a stamp).
      Hold down Ctrl (or Command on Mac) and click on an area near the person you want to remove to select the source pixels.
      Then, paint over the person to replace them with the background.
    4. Use the Heal Tool for Fine-Tuning  
      The Heal Tool works similarly but blends the area more seamlessly.
      It’s great for fixing small imperfections and blending edges.
    5. Use Selection Tools to Isolate the Person  
      You can also use selection tools (like the Free Select or Paths Tool) to outline the person.
      After selecting, you can delete them or fill the selection with cloned pixels.
    6. Remove people from Images
      Zoom in and carefully work on blending to make the removal look natural.
      Use multiple layers if needed for non-destructive editing.
  • Treysil's avatar
    Treysil
    Iron Contributor

    The Magic Eraser feature is a great tool for removing people from images, especially if you're using apps like Google Photos, Snapseed, or Photoshop. It's designed to automatically detect and erase unwanted elements with minimal effort, making it very user-friendly for beginners.

    How to remove people from iamges:

    1. Go to the website.
    2. Upload your photo.
    3. Use the brush to highlight the person.
    4. Download the result. No account needed.

    Tips for Using Magic Eraser Effectively

    • Use high-quality, well-lit images for better results.
    • Make sure to carefully highlight or select the person or object you want to remove.
    • Sometimes, small touch-ups might be needed afterward to perfect the background.
  • Nathanelp's avatar
    Nathanelp
    Iron Contributor

    Removing people from images can really help your photos look cleaner and focus on the main subjects. Since you're looking for a simple, beginner-friendly way, I recommend using AI-powered apps that automatically do the work for you. Here's a basic approach:

    1. For quick and easy edits, try TouchRatouch (available on iOS and Android). It's specifically designed for object removal.
    2. Open the app and upload the photo you want to edit.
    3. Use the app's tools (usually a brush or selection tool) to highlight the person or object you want to remove.
    4. The app will automatically fill in the background based on surrounding pixels, removing the selected people from images.
    5. Make any necessary touch-ups, then save your edited photo.

    Choose photos with a clear background behind the person you want to remove, as this makes AI editing more accurate. Sometimes, minor touch-ups might be needed after the automatic removal.

  • MadisonClark's avatar
    MadisonClark
    Iron Contributor

    Honestly, the AI provides a superior and more forgiving user experience for removing person from images. It is inherently non-destructive, typically creating new layers and offering multiple variations for every edit. This means you can experiment and undo results without harming the original image.

    In contrast, a misstep with a manual tool can permanently alter the original layer, forcing you to start over. This combination of power, intelligence, and a non-destructive workflow makes AI the clear winner for this task.

  • PatrickHarris's avatar
    PatrickHarris
    Bronze Contributor

    Honestly, the online free AI tool is more recommended if you really need to remove people from background images.

    AI tools dramatically outperform traditional desktop editors in speed and ease of use. What once required meticulous manual work with tools like the Clone Stamp and Healing Brush, a process that could take 30 minutes or more for a complex removal, can now be achieved in seconds. With an AI tool like Generative Fill, you simply make a rough selection and let the AI handle the rest, making advanced editing accessible to everyone, not just seasoned professionals.

    The key advantage of AI is its contextual intelligence. Unlike traditional editors that merely copy and blend pixels from another part of the image, AI analyzes the entire scene to understand textures, patterns, lighting, and objects. This allows it to generate entirely new, believable content that matches the missing area, seamlessly reconstructing complex backgrounds like grass, water, or architectural patterns that would have been difficult or impossible to recreate manually.

  • My favorite tool is Generative Fill, a groundbreaking AI-powered feature built directly into Adobe Photoshop. It uses Adobe's Firefly AI model to analyze the content of your image and generate new pixels that seamlessly blend with the existing scene.

    Instead of just copying and pasting other parts of the image (like the Clone Stamp tool) or making a simple blend (like the Healing Brush), Generative Fill intelligently creates new content based on the context of what's around your selection.

    How to remove person from image with Photoshop AI

    Step 1: Open Your Image and Unlock the Background

    Open your image in Photoshop. If the layer is called "Background" with a lock icon, double-click on it to convert it into a normal, editable layer (usually named "Layer 0"). Generative Fill needs to work on a pixel layer.

    Step 2: Make a Selection Around the Person

    Use any selection tool you are comfortable with to select the person you want to remove. The goal is to have a rough selection of the person. It doesn't have to be pixel-perfect, but it should cover the entire object.

    Step 3: Activate Generative Fill

    With the active selection (the "marching ants") around the person, you have two options:

    Go to Edit > Generative Fill.

    Right-click inside the selected area and choose Generative Fill.

    A new Generative Fill layer will be created in your Layers panel, and the taskbar at the bottom will change to the Generative Fill interface.

    Step 4: Choose Your Favorite Result and Save

    In the Properties Panel, you will see three thumbnail options under "Generative Fill." Click on each one to see how it looks on your main image.

    Once you are happy with the result,  simply save the file as a PSD to keep the Generative Fill layer editable.

    To finalize it, flatten the image (Layer > Flatten Image) or merge the layers before saving as a JPEG or PNG.

    Note: For best results, after selecting the person, go to Select > Modify > Expand and expand the selection by 2-5 pixels. This gives the AI a little more context to work with and creates a cleaner blend in order to remove people from images.

  • Dyloinan's avatar
    Dyloinan
    Silver Contributor

    AI-Powered mobile apps. This is the best method for beginners and for quick edits on the go. These apps use powerful AI to identify and remove objects (including person) with a single tap.

    Best For: Quick fixes, social media photos, and casual users with no editing experience.

    Top Tools:

    • Adobe Photoshop Camera: Offers a "Content-Aware Fill" mode that works surprisingly well.
    • TouchRetouch: A dedicated app specifically for removing objects and blemishes. Its "Brush" and "Lasso" tools are very effective.
    • Snapseed (by Google): The Healing tool is excellent for removing smaller people or objects from a clean background.
    • YouCam Perfect: Has a specific "Object Removal" feature that works well for people.

    How to remove people from image

    1. Download your chosen app.
    2. Open the image and select the object removal tool (often called "Heal," "Repair," or "Remove").
    3. Brush over or outline the person you want to remove.
    4. The app will automatically analyze the surrounding area and remove person from images free with AI.

    Pros: Incredibly easy, very fast, done directly on your phone.

    Cons: Can struggle with complex backgrounds or very large objects, less control over the final result.

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