Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Microsoft is upgrading the Spot fix tool within the Windows Photos app with Generative erase functionality, letting users easily remove objects from images.
- This upgraded Photos app is currently available to Windows Insiders but will generally be rolled out to Windows 11 in the future.
- Microsoft is also bringing Generative Erase, Blur background, and Remove and Replace background AI features to the Photos app on Windows 10.
The Magic Eraser feature on Google Pixel smartphones is one of those features that feels like magic. You can take photos and remove unwanted people and objects for a clean image within a few clicks. Google took it one step further by adding an AI garnish with Magic Editor. Microsoft doesn’t want Windows to miss out on all the AI editing fun, so it is blessing Windows Photos with Generative erase and other AI editing features.
Microsoft has announced the new Generative erase feature for the Photos app, which is coming to Windows PC. Generative erase builds up on the Spot fix tool by adding AI capabilities.
The feature is rolling out to Windows Insiders on Windows 11 right now, but they will also be made available more generally in the future, and to Windows 10 users too. Windows 10 users will also get other Windows 11 AI editing features such as Blur background and Remove and Replace background.
With Generative erase, you can remove objects from images with ease. You can also erase multiple objects at once, whether they are in the background or are just visual clutter. Microsoft claims that the results from Generative erase are more seamless and realistic than what you could achieve with Spot fix, even when erasing large areas.
To use Generative erase in Windows (when it rolls out to the stable branch), open the image in the Photos app, go to Edit Image, and select the Erase option. Now, you can brush over the objects or areas you want to remove. To erase multiple objects or for finer control, you can disable Auto Apply to add or remove masks, where each mask represents an area that will be erased.
As mentioned, the update is rolling out to Windows Insiders first. You will also need to update your Photos app to v2024.11020.21001.0 or higher to get the feature on your device.
