Tech
Other new features include custom emojis and hacks for better writing.
You know when you take a perfect photo, only to realize the background ruins it?
Finally, theres a fix.
In October, Apple releaseda tool in the Photos app called Clean Upas part of its iOS 18.1 update.
Before you ask, no, you probably cant erase your ex.
Theyre stuck in your sisters wedding photos (that is, unless you crop them out).
Clean Up was designed to get rid of stray items, not a prominently featured subject.
If you try, the tool might leave behind glitchy streaks.
It just wasnt cute.
Now that I have Clean Up, I can get rid of it.
While I was at it, I removed the people sitting outside at the cafe behind me.
I never posted this photo to Instagram because, well, Paris is charming and trash is not.
But if Id had Clean Up earlier this year, it wouldve gone straight to my grid.
Clean Up is available with:
bring up the photo youd like to tweak.
Tap the edit icon at the bottom of your screen (the three horizontal lines with circles).
grab the Clean Up tool, which looks like an eraser.
Your phone will highlight some distractions with a pulsing rainbow effect.
For extra precision, you might pinch and zoom in.
Tap Done in the upper right-hand corner to store your work.
Here are my favorites:
Genmoji
For years, Ive yearned for a happy crying emoji.
How else am I supposed to properly celebrate my friends getting engaged?
With Genmoji, I can make it a reality.
To use Genmoji, pop in a description into the emoji keyboard and a few options will pop up.
These two spoke to me and are now saved to my keyboard.
On top of proofreading and summarizing text, the feature also rewrites your ideas to strike the right tone.
Take the last text I sent my sister:
Should I get Jeffrey this book for Christmas?
Or maybe something else?
Help
Its not terrible, but I sound a little rushed and short.
Maybe I should just get him a sock puppet he seems to enjoy those more!
I will not be getting Jeffrey a sock puppet.
However Iwilluse this feature to finetune important work emails and navigate awkward conversations.
