How to Remove People in Background iPhone
Are your travel photos always ruined by strangers? Are precious group photos spoiled by random passersby? Master the hidden skills of the iPhone photo album, and you can easily remove people from the background of your iPhone photos.
By Crystal Updated on July 22, 2025
Why remove people in background on iPhone?
Have you ever taken a great photo, only to find that a passerby in the background ruined the whole vibe?
- A chaotic crowd mixed into the travel photos.
- Become the only focus in the photo, making the photo simpler and cleaner.
- Protect the privacy in personal photos and uphold others' right to their likeness.
This is exactly why many iPhone users are looking for ways to remove people from the background on their iPhones. At this point, you can easily try the following methods.
How to remove person from photo on iPhone [2 easy methods]
Starting from iOS 16, Apple has deeply integrated powerful AI image processing features into the "Photos" app. This feature, called "Object Eraser," uses advanced machine learning technology to intelligently identify subjects and background elements in photos (including those unnecessary passersby), allowing you to perform precise erasure directly within the system album.
Now, let's show the process of how to remove background people on an iPhone step by step.
Method 1. Free Background remover for perfect images
As a top free background remover, UltraPic uses AI to make complex portrait matting simpler than image editing software and 10 times more accurate than manual operation. Even the scattered hair and gesture gaps can be perfectly preserved!
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Instantly remove any background and generate custom backdrops with AI. Boosting conversions effortlessly.
You don't need to manually remove the background using Photoshop. Just upload the photo and the person and background will be automatically separated in one second.
Method 2. Remove people from background in iPhone Photos
1. First, find and open the built-in "Photos" app on your iPhone.
2. Browse the album, find the photo containing the background person you want to remove, and click to open it in full screen.
3. Click the "Edit" button in the top right corner of the screen.
4. In the editing toolbar that appears at the bottom, click the icon that looks like a "pen tip".
5. At the bottom of the markup tools submenu, you will see several small icons. Long press the icon that looks like a "magic wand".
6. Long press to bring up the options menu, then choose "Object Eraser" or "Remove Object".
7. Use your finger to carefully cover the background person you want to remove from the photo (how to remove a person from a photo on iPhone without an app). When you paint, you will usually see the covered area highlighted. Try to ensure that the entire outline of the character is covered.
8. After you finish swiping, lift your finger. The iPhone will perform intelligent calculations and instantly "erase" the object you selected.
Method 3. Crop Out the Unwanted Person
Cropping is the oldest trick in the book—and still one of the most effective. If the person you want to remove is near the edge of the frame, just crop them out.
To crop a photo:
1. Open the photo and tap Edit.
2. Tap the crop icon.
3. Drag the borders to cut out the person you don’t want.
4. Tap Done to save the new version.
It’s quick, it’s easy, and it keeps the quality intact.
Efficient tips for removing a person from photo on iPhone
To more efficiently remove people from the background on an iPhone and achieve the best results, please keep the following key tips in mind.
1️⃣Photo quality: Choose clear, well-lit, high-resolution photos for processing. Blurry, noisy, or overly dark photos will severely affect AI recognition and filling effects.
2️⃣The accuracy of the application determines success or failure: Try to only apply to the target subject, avoiding touching the main subject or important background details you want to keep.
3️⃣Simple backgrounds: Work best with AI filling, leaving almost no trace.
4️⃣Make good use of the advantages of "Live Photos": If you have taken a Live Photo, try swiping up on the photo before editing to view different frames of the moment. Sometimes, the background person in a particular moment is positioned more independently or is smaller, making it easier to remove and yielding better results.
Preparation before removing people from photo
Rather than struggling with how to remove people from photos on your iPhone in post-processing, it's better to create a cleaner shot before pressing the shutter:
1. Patiently wait for the golden moment: Observe the flow of people and quickly take photos when the crowd thins out or gaps appear.
2. Cleverly change the shooting angle:
Low-angle shot: Use the sky or the upper part of a building as the background, avoiding crowds near the horizon.
High-angle shots: Suitable for small scenes or ground subjects, can effectively compress the background space.
3. Zoom in/approach the subject: Let the subject occupy a larger proportion of the frame, naturally reducing the proportion and interference of unrelated people in the background.
4. Enable "Portrait Mode": When taking pictures of people, actively use "Portrait Mode." It can produce an excellent background blur effect (bokeh), and even if there are passersby in the background, they will be significantly blurred and less noticeable, sometimes even without the need for intentional removal.
Final Thoughts
Now you’ve got various ways to remove person from photo on iPhone without apps. With just your iPhone’s built-in features, you can clean up any shot, protect privacy, or create that perfect image.
