Image editing has come a long way, and you don’t need to be a Photoshop expert to touch up your photos anymore. If you’ve taken a group photo with an unwanted photo bomber, or a cityscape shot that was almost perfect if it weren’t for that one person in the shot, the Galaxy S21’s new Object Eraser feature could be the solution you didn’t know you needed. Thanks to AI-based image editing on the best Samsung phones, you can now remove subjects from an image with just a few taps.
Products used in this guide
- The best cameras: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra ($1,000 at Amazon)
- Pocket-friendly: Samsung Galaxy S21 ($700 at Amazon)
How to enable Object Eraser
Open the Gallery app.
Select an image with an object you want to remove.
Tap the pencil icon to open the image editor.
Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the Gallery app, then tap Labs.
Tap the switch next to Object Eraser to enable the feature.
Because Object Eraser is still a beta feature, you’ll need to enable it before the option will appear in the Gallery app. If the option isn’t available in the settings, check to ensure you’ve updated both your phone and the Gallery app to the latest available version.
How to use Object Eraser
With Object Eraser enabled, jump back into an image with an object you want to remove.
Scroll to the rightmost point of the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and tap the new Object Eraser icon.
Tap the object you want to remove. The object will be highlighted in purple; you can tap to highlight multiple objects at once.
Tap Erase to remove each highlighted object from the image.
If you’re unhappy with the results, you can use the undo button to try again.
Once you’re happy with the image, tap the checkmark in the bottom right corner of the screen to replace the original image and save your results.
Just like the Content-Aware Fill feature in Photoshop, Object Eraser analyzes your image and intelligently removes the objects you’ve selected, replacing them to its best ability based on the surrounding environment. It isn’t perfect, and if you enlarge the image, you’ll likely be able to see some artifacting, but in my testing, I’ve been impressed with how well this feature works in most cases. Give it a whirl and see how it works with your photos!
Our top equipment picks
The best cameras
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
$1,000 at Amazon
$1,000 at Best Buy
$1,000 at B&H
Samsung’s top-of-the-line flagship
The Galaxy S21 Ultra has it all: incredibly versatile cameras, a gorgeous 120Hz display, powerful specs, and a stunning design. This is the very best phone in Samsung’s lineup, and it even works with the S Pen for precision input and drawing.
Pocket-friendly
Samsung Galaxy S21
$700 at Amazon
$700 at Best Buy
$700 at B&H
A great phone for hundreds less than its Ultra counterpart
If you’re after a smaller or more affordable phone, the Galaxy S21 is a fantastic option with impressive cameras and an eye-catching design. It packs all of the Ultra’s same powerful specs, and has a beautiful flat display and Android 11 software.
