The Pixel 6's Magic Eraser has been the talk of the town. It's no surprise, considering it is a very useful feature that was previously only available to people through photo-editing software.
As of now, Google has made the feature exclusive to the Pixel lineup, but there are a fair number of apps that have Magic Eraser-like capabilities in them. Let's take a look at what we can achieve with these apps.
What Is the Magic Eraser?
For those who may be wondering, what exactly is the Magic Eraser, it's a feature within the Google Photos app that allows you to remove unwanted imagery from your photos. Whether it's a photobomb, an awkward person intruding on your selfie, or you want to remove some private information, the Magic Eraser allows you to do so with a swipe of the finger.
The selected area is erased and Google does its best to fill in the gap by analyzing surrounding elements and creating an accurate fill, that you will never be able to tell was not part of the picture.
1. Snapseed
First on the list, is Google's very own photo editor, Snapseed. Considered the Android version of Photoshop, the app is incredible. It brings you professional photo editing on your smartphone without taking its resources. Snapseed has a Heal tool that allows you to remove unwanted objects from a photo. Let's test it out and see what the results are like.
Unfortunately, Snapseed is not the best at removing objects. Unlike the Magic Eraser and the rest of the apps in this list, Snapseed doesn't use artificial intelligence or any sort of advanced algorithm to try to fill in the erasure.
It uses a very bare-bones approach to try and create a patch with surrounding elements, resulting in a blurry mess a lot of the time. This can work great if you want to fill in a pattern, but for regular photos, not so much.
Regardless of Snapseed lacking in its healing tool, it's still a very valuable and powerful photo editing app that you should consider getting—did we mention it's free?
Download: Snapseed for Android | iOS (Free)
2. TouchRetouch
TouchRetouch is an app specifically designed to remove unwanted objects from pictures. The app covers photobombers, all sorts of objects, and even skin blemishes and pimples. For people new to photo-editing, it provides a variety of tutorials to have you using the app's full potential.
The results with TouchRetouch are pretty great. You can see the object is completely removed and very subtle evidence of it remains. It's great for removing things off in the distance or making minor adjustments.
When we look at removing larger objects, the result is clean and the blur can be seen to blend with the photo. All of this is done in a second, and you can easily undo/redo your work until it looks perfect.
Download: TouchRetouch for Android ($2) | iOS ($4)
3. Handy Photo
Just like Snapseed, Handy Photo for Android offers a lot of tools for you to edit your photos to your liking. However, unlike Snapseed, it is pricey. The app has a nifty feature called Move Me that allows you to copy and paste objects from one photo to another.
Magic, not accidentally, is the name of another unique tool you have at your disposal, that allows you to uncrop photos. But, what we are here for is the retouch tool, which allows you to remove objects from photos.
Looking at the results, it isn't the best. While it does do its job effectively to a certain point—and through multiple erases you can perfectly remove certain elements—for its price, there are better options. If the other features interest you, give it a try.
Remember, you can always get a refund for an app on the Play Store within two hours of your purchase. So, don't hesitate to try out these apps for yourself.
Download: Handy Photo for Android ($2.99)
4. Lightroom
Lightroom Mobile is Adobe's mobile version of its photo editing software, Lightroom. The mobile app also comes with its own healing tool. The app itself is much more complicated to use for your everyday layman, being designed for the professional crowd. Let's see what Lightroom is capable of.
While Lightroom can be effective, the software requires accuracy and practice to master. Swiping your finger isn't going to get you much, but using a stylus and sitting down for a while, will have you getting the hang of it. Unfortunately, the mobile app is very heavy and resource-intensive.
Unlike the other apps, where the editing happens in a second, Lightroom takes much longer to perform the action. This combined with the fact that you will have to pay an Adobe subscription to access all the features, means it may not be the best choice unless you are interested in photography beyond having a convenient photo edit app.
Download: Lightroom for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
5. Cleanup.pictures
We have discussed quite a few apps that can bring you the magic erase functionality. Cleanup.pictures, unlike the rest, is a website. The web tool was created by the Samsung Research team, using the Samsung AI.
The website is accessible on all devices, is free to use, and features no ads. All you have to do is upload your picture, select what you want to erase, and watch the magic happen.
As we can see from the results, the tool is excellent. For something that comes at no cost, it's remarkable. With results on a par with TouchRetouch and exceeding other apps, if you don't mind a website, this tool is a great asset.
So Much Power at Our Fingertips
Using these apps, you may not get the results you want right away. It's important to realize that it may take multiple attempts to get your results. As with anything, practice makes perfect.
We have come a long way in image editing. Results that were only achievable through editing software on our PCs are now accomplishable in a phone swipe. It's exciting to imagine how much more we will be able to accomplish through our phones.