How to Remove Someone from a Photo (Complete Guide)

That one photo from your vacation would be perfect — if only that stranger hadn't walked into frame.

Whether it's removing an ex from old memories, erasing tourists from landmark shots, or cleaning up that otherwise-perfect group photo where someone blinked, knowing how to remove people from photos is one of the most useful editing skills you can have. And in 2026, you don't need to be a Photoshop expert to do it well.

This guide covers every method for removing people from photos — from free quick fixes to professional-grade techniques — so you can choose the approach that fits your skill level and the complexity of your edit.

Why Removing People from Photos Is Tricky

Before diving into solutions, it helps to understand why this task can be challenging. When you remove a person from a photo, you're essentially asking software to:

1. Identify exactly what needs to go
2. Figure out what was behind the person
3. Generate convincing replacement pixels
4. Blend everything seamlessly so it looks natural

The difficulty varies wildly based on the background. Removing someone from a beach with uniform sand is much easier than removing them from a crowded street with complex patterns, shadows, and reflections.

"It'd be much easier to answer your question if you upload the photo in question and specify which people you'd like to remove. The background complexity matters a lot."— Reddit user in r/AskPhotography

Method 1: AI-Powered Object Removal Apps (Easiest)

For most people, AI-powered apps are the best starting point. They've gotten remarkably good at understanding context and filling in backgrounds naturally.

How AI Removal Works

Modern AI removal tools analyze your entire image to understand patterns, textures, and lighting. When you highlight a person to remove, the AI:

• Studies the surrounding pixels
• Predicts what should be behind the person based on context
• Generates new pixels that match the scene
• Blends edges to avoid obvious seams

AIPGEN — Best for Mobile

AIPGEN is our top pick for mobile object removal. The process is simple: open your photo, use your finger to paint over the person you want to remove, and tap to process. The AI analyzes the scene and fills in the background.

What makes it particularly effective:

• Context-aware fill — The AI understands perspective and lighting, so the filled area matches naturally
• No artifacts — Unlike older tools that leave obvious smudges or repetitive patterns
• Works on complex backgrounds — Beach sand, building facades, forests — all handled well
• Instant preview — See the result before committing

Best for: Quick removal on mobile, photos with moderate background complexity.

TouchRetouch — Budget Option

TouchRetouch has been around for years and remains a solid budget option at a one-time $4.99 purchase. It's less sophisticated than newer AI tools but handles simple removals competently.

Best for: Occasional edits on simple backgrounds, users who prefer one-time purchases.

Snapseed — Free but Manual

Google's Snapseed is completely free and includes a "Healing" tool for object removal. The catch? It's not AI-powered, so results depend heavily on your technique and the photo's complexity.

"I tried a bunch too, but here are my top three: TouchRetouch, Snapseed, Photoshop Fix."— Reddit user in r/iphone

Best for: Budget-conscious users with simple edits, or those willing to learn the technique.

Method 2: Desktop Software (Most Powerful)

When mobile apps can't handle the complexity, desktop software provides more control and power.

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop remains the gold standard for complex removals. With Generative Fill (powered by Adobe Firefly), you can remove people and have AI fill in remarkably convincing backgrounds.

The traditional approach (without AI) involves:

"You do this by copying other parts of the image and using it to cover up the area in question. There are several tools in Photoshop you should look at: Content-Aware Fill, Clone Stamp, and Healing Brush."— Reddit user in r/photoshop

Pros:

• Maximum control over the result
• Can handle any complexity with enough skill
• Generative Fill is genuinely impressive

Cons:

• Subscription required ($22.99+/month)
• Steep learning curve
• Overkill for simple edits

Best for: Professionals and serious hobbyists with complex edits.

GIMP — Free Alternative

GIMP offers similar manual tools to Photoshop (Clone Stamp, Healing tool) without the subscription. It lacks AI features but can handle most removals with patience and skill.

Best for: Users comfortable with learning curve who want a free desktop option.

Method 3: The Photography Trick (Prevention)

Sometimes the best approach is avoiding the problem in the first place:

"The best technique, if you can't just take photos when people aren't there, is set up a tripod and take long exposure photos over a longer period of time. Like take a bunch of 30 second exposures over 15 minutes."— Reddit user in r/photography

This technique works because people moving through a scene don't stay in one place long enough to register in a long exposure. The software then blends the frames, keeping only the static elements.

Best for: Landscape photography at tourist locations, architecture shots.

Step-by-Step: Removing a Person with AI Tools

Here's a typical workflow using an AI-powered app like AIPGEN:

1. Open your photo — Import the image you want to edit
2. Select the removal tool — Usually called "Erase," "Remove," or "Object Removal"
3. Paint over the person — Use your finger or stylus to highlight the entire person. Be thorough — include shadows and reflections
4. Process — Tap the remove/process button and let the AI work
5. Review — Check the result carefully, especially edges and where the person's shadow was
6. Refine if needed — Some apps let you touch up specific areas that didn't process perfectly
7. Save — Export at full resolution

Pro Tips for Cleaner Results

Regardless of which tool you use, these tips will improve your results:

1. Include Shadows and Reflections

The most common mistake is removing the person but leaving their shadow. This makes the edit obvious. Always paint over:

• The person's full body
• Any shadow they're casting
• Reflections (in water, glass, shiny surfaces)

2. Work on High-Resolution Originals

AI tools work better with more pixel data. If you're editing a heavily compressed image from messaging apps, the results will suffer. Always use the original photo when possible.

3. Don't Over-Select

While you need to select the entire person, avoid selecting too much extra area. The AI has to generate more replacement content for larger selections, increasing the chance of artifacts.

4. Check at 100% Zoom

What looks fine on your phone screen might show obvious errors when viewed full-size. Before saving, zoom in to 100% and check the edges of the edited area.

5. Consider the Background Complexity

Some backgrounds are harder than others:

• Easy: Sky, grass, water, sand, walls
• Medium: Forests, buildings, crowds
• Hard: Complex patterns, text, faces partially obscured

If you're working with a hard background, consider whether a different cropping might solve the problem more elegantly than removal.

When Removal Isn't the Answer

Sometimes removing a person isn't practical:

• They're obscuring important details — If the person is standing in front of what you wanted to photograph, AI can't know what was behind them
• They're too large in frame — Removing someone taking up 40% of the image means generating 40% new content, which rarely looks natural
• Complex overlapping — Multiple people overlapping makes clean removal nearly impossible

In these cases, consider:

• Cropping to exclude the person
• Converting to black and white (hides some artifacts)
• Using the photo as-is

Removing Multiple People

Need to remove several people from one photo? The approach depends on the tool:

• One at a time: Most reliable approach — remove one person, let the AI regenerate, then remove the next
• All at once: Faster but may produce inconsistent results if people overlap or are near each other

For best results with multiple removals, work from the edges inward. Remove people on the periphery first, then move toward the center of the frame.

The Best App for Your Situation

Here's a quick decision guide:

• Quick removal on phone: AIPGEN — try it free before committing
• One-time purchase, basic edits: TouchRetouch ($4.99)
• Free, willing to learn: Snapseed (mobile) or GIMP (desktop)
• Professional/complex work: Adobe Photoshop with Generative Fill

The Bottom Line

Removing people from photos has never been easier. AI-powered tools like AIPGEN can handle most casual editing needs in seconds, while professional tools like Photoshop exist for complex scenarios.

The key is matching the tool to the task. Don't overthink simple edits — a quick AI removal often works perfectly. But for photos you really care about, take the time to review results carefully and touch up as needed.

Start with your easiest option, and only escalate to more complex tools if the simple approach doesn't work. Most of the time, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how good the quick fix turns out.