Adobe Firefly Generative Fill Makes Mobile Editing Finally Worth It

Phone image editing has always… well, been a bit annoying. Either you are using something too rudimentary or you have got clunky menus that make your fingers seem huge. I would genuinely lose hope in mobile photo editors. But that was all before I used the new Adobe Firefly Generative Fill feature.

This is not a watered-down version of desktop Photoshop. This is different. Adobe has brought its artificial intelligence editing features to mobile, and the overall experience is seamless. I found that I was editing in line for coffee, and not merely cropping or applying filters. I was cutting out people from the background, inserting objects, and transforming entire scenes in seconds.

How Adobe Firefly Generative Fill Actually Works?

At its simplest, this tool is straightforward. You mark what you want to alter, state what you want in its place, and the AI takes it from there. I launched the app, selected Generative Fill, uploaded a photo, and was editing in less than a minute.

Let’s say there is an unwanted individual strolling across your beach picture. You swipe across them with your finger, enter “replace with sand,” and the app provides a handful of options in an instant. I chose one that fit seamlessly into the shoreline. Done.

But it is not only about taking away. It is about putting things in, too. You can swoop over an empty space and say something like “add surfboard” or “put palm tree in the corner,” and it will create it, coordinating the lighting and viewpoint.

That was the most surprising thing. It does not merely stick a thing in your picture. Instead, it makes it look like it was there the whole time.

Even better, it does this without requiring the newest phone or some elaborate subscription. You have ten free Generative Fill edits per month, and then you can purchase more or integrate them into your Creative Cloud plan. The syncing between devices is seamless. I edited some shots on my phone, and then they were available immediately in my desktop library without having to transfer a file. That kind of cross-platform ease is a rarity.

What truly distinguishes Firefly from Google’s Magic Eraser or Apple’s Clean Up is that Firefly thinks further than deleting. They are excellent at erasing something. Firefly erases too, but then it inquires: what do you want to fill it with? That makes all the difference.

[Related Reading: Adobe Firefly Video Model Brings AI-generated Video Into The Real World]

A Day-to-Day Approach to Using Firefly’s AI Editing Tools

Let me demonstrate some surprising ways this feature assisted me aside from tidying up backgrounds.

1. Messy Table Fixes

I got a wonderful shot at a café, but there were a few crumbs on the table and some old napkins. I covered the mess, typed “clean wood surface with a book,” and the entire image seemed to belong to a styled shoot.

2. Boring Background Rescue

I did have a portrait that was okay, but the back of the head against the wall was bland. I replaced it with “brick wall with soft light” in one and “bookshelf with warm tones” in the other using Generative Fill. They both seemed like I had taken the time to set up the background rather than just working with what I had.

3. Mood and Setting Swaps

I tried altering the mood of some lifestyle images. A vacant corner was transformed into a window seat. A drab kitchen counter was made into a marble-topped station with flowers. Small things, but they altered the feel of the photo.

4. Product Photo Enhancements

Some product images simply looked too bare. I placed things such as “potted plant with shadows” or “stack of books nearby” to add space. It was better than attempting it in Photoshop, particularly because I was doing it through my phone.

5. Creative Replacements

One image had some people standing in the background. Rather than deleting them outright, I wrote “soft hill with flowers,” and the picture immediately appeared as if it had been snapped in the country and not at the busy park.

6. Travel Shots Cleanup

In vacation snaps, there is always someone trotting across the frame. With Firefly, I flagged them and typed “empty road” or “path with shadows.” It preserved the feel of the photo intact, just without the unwanted person.

7. Quick Mood Shifts

Sometimes I just needed a change of mood. A grey sky turned into a “sunset glow.” An alley shot turned into “lit by hanging lanterns.” It took seconds but provided me with the entire new photo.

8. No Layers, No Confusion

What I enjoyed most? I did not have to concern myself with layers or masks. I simply painted and typed. No technical menus, and no learning curve. It was creative, not work.

I did not think I would enjoy editing photographs using my phone. It was always a plan B, something to do when I was unable to access my laptop. But this is the first time it was better, or at least more enjoyable.

Adobe Firefly Generative Fill has disrupted my entire way of thinking when it comes to rapid edits. It is quick, intuitive, and produces surprisingly clean results. When I am repairing distractions, applying style, or just playing around, it allows me to do more with less work. And that is precisely what mobile editing ought to feel like.

[via makeuseof; Image credits: Adobe]

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