Simplify Your Smartphone Photo Editing with AI and Other Tools

Photo editing has been around for centuries but the practice has picked up with the rise of social media and the desire to share the perfect image. Nowadays, advanced smartphones allow users to edit their photos easily using AI and other tools to significantly enhance their images. Vanity-driven editing is popular but AI-driven editing can eliminate unwanted distractions and blur. Here’s a guide to make the most of your smartphone’s editing capabilities.

Most smartphones come with built-in photo editing software that uses AI tools and machine learning to enhance photos. For example, Apple, Google and Samsung smartphone models have editing software that offers different features, such as Google Pixel’s apps, which include “unblur”, noise reduction, and adjustment of image quality, and Samsung Way phone models’ Object Eraser method, which removes objects from images.

If your phone’s firmware doesn’t have the editing features you need, you can download third-party software to get the job done. Many editing software options are available for Android and iOS, including Adobe’s Photoshop Express and Lightroom, TouchRetouch, and Google’s free Snapseed app. Adobe separates itself from other photo editing software since it leans heavily towards advanced photo editing. Learning how to use it requires more time compared to Google’s Snapseed and other free in-app downloads.

How It Works

In short, software with integrated AI tools and machine learning analyzes a photo and makes adjustments based on what a beautiful photo should look like. This is done as the photo is taken when the camera software is processing the file. For instance, AI software can detect the subject of a photo, add brightness and color to the surrounding area, and remove objects from images by copying and blending surrounding pixels.

What You Need

Depending on your hardware model, your smartphone’s built-in software may have different editing tools. Some may offer the object eraser method, some may have unblur options, while others may provide adjustable image quality. If your editing needs are greater than the software your phone provides, downloading a third-party application may be necessary.

Fixing Focus

Blurred photos can be caused by autofocus errors, shaking, or a dark lens. Dedicated programs, such as PhotoDirector and Remini (for Android and iOS devices), offer AI-driven reconstruction of blurred images to add definition and clarity. If you own a Pixel, you can use the Unblur option. On iPhone models, opening a photo in the Photos app and using the Sharpness slider can also help remove blurriness. Adobe Lightroom and Google’s Snapseed have a similar function to adjust available sliders.

Minor Maintenance

For small changes such as touching up old family photos or smoothing skin, most editing apps have a “healing” tool that removes errors by merging surrounding pixels. Using a smaller brush size produces better results since a bigger brush size can distort the image. Removing red-eye can also be done using dedicated tools from photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop Express.

Removing Distractions

An eraser tool quickly removes objects that distract from the subject of the photo. Things like power lines, street signs, garbage cans, or even annoying people can be banished from view. Some apps, like Google Photos, automatically create suggestions for things to remove when you click the “Magic Eraser” button. If removing objects with the eraser tool manually, move your finger over the object you want to remove and repeat the process if needed. Blurring the background of a photo can also be helpful to reduce distractions, and both iOS Photos and Google Photos apps have tools to quickly adjust the blurriness of photos.

All in all, AI has revolutionized the way we edit photos, offering a quick, easy and affordable way to take imperfect photos and enhance them. However, it is also important to remember that these modified images may not be completely true to the original image.