Apple Catches Up in AI Photo Editing With New Photos App Features in iOS 27

Apple is preparing a significant expansion of its built in photo editing tools across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with a stronger push into artificial intelligence powered workflows designed to close the gap with competing Android platforms, according to a Bloomberg report. 

The update is expected to arrive with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 later this year, introducing a new set of AI driven features under the Apple Intelligence umbrella.

A New Direction For Apple Photos Editing

The current Apple Photos editing system is relatively simple, built around Adjust, Filters, Crop, and Clean Up. Clean Up is the only tool that uses AI at the moment, mainly for removing unwanted objects from images. 

The report said that Apple is now planning to expand this into a broader AI editing suite that sits more prominently inside the Photos app.

The new section will be called Apple Intelligence Tools and will include Extend, Enhance, Reframe, and an updated Clean Up. These tools are designed to handle more of the editing process automatically, with on device processing that typically takes a few seconds.

Extend allows you to generate new image content beyond the original frame. For example, if you shot a tight composition of a landmark, the tool can fill in missing background detail around it. Users can adjust how much is added by expanding the image edges directly with touch controls.

Enhance focuses on automatic improvements to lighting, color, and overall image quality. It works in a similar direction to existing one tap enhancement tools but relies more heavily on AI analysis.

Reframe is aimed at spatial photography, particularly Apple’s 3D image format used with Vision Pro. It lets you adjust perspective after capture, shifting the viewpoint within the scene.

Apple Catching Up In AI Photo Editing

Apple’s move reflects a broader shift across the smartphone industry, where AI based editing tools have become a key competitive feature. 

Google has been offering advanced editing features on Pixel devices for several years, including Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and generative image expansion. Samsung has also introduced its own AI editing tools across the Galaxy lineup, building similar capabilities into its camera and gallery apps.

The Bloomberg report notes that Apple is now working to integrate comparable functions directly into its native ecosystem rather than relying on third party apps or limited tools. This positions Apple more directly in the same space as Android manufacturers that have already leaned heavily into computational editing.

The AI editing expansion is part of a wider Apple software update cycle focused on Apple Intelligence. 

According to Bloomberg, Apple is also exploring deeper integration of third party voice assistants and more advanced multi command processing within Siri.

The direction is clear. Apple is moving toward a more AI centric ecosystem, with photo editing becoming one of the most visible parts of that transition for everyday users.

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