How to Remove Unwanted Objects From Photos on Windows 11 for Free

You can erase a stranger, a bin or a power line from your photos for free on Windows 11, using the Photos app that's already on your PC.

There's no upload, no watermark and no subscription.

It's also getting better: Microsoft's rebuilt Photos editor brings a sharper AI eraser and a free relighting tool to every Windows 11 PC.

How to Remove an Object in Photos Today

The current Photos app already has an AI Erase tool, on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Update the app from the Microsoft Store first if you don't see it.

• Open the photo in Photos. Then click Edit image, or press Ctrl + E.
• Choose Erase. Set the brush size so it's a little bigger than the thing you want gone.
• Brush over the object. With Auto apply on, it disappears as soon as you let go, and the background is filled in.
• Fix the leftovers. Brush over any smudges again - small passes work better than one big one.
• Save a copy. Choose Save as copy, so your original photo stays untouched.

What the New Photos Editor Adds

The rebuilt editor is rolling out to Windows Insiders now, and Microsoft says all Windows 11 users get it later this year. Its tools are grouped into four tabs: Crop, Enhance, Repair and Stylize.

• A better eraser. Object removal moves to the Repair tab, where you circle or brush over what you don't want - and Microsoft says the new AI model is faster and cleaner.
• Relight for everyone. Under Enhance, add up to three virtual lights or pick a preset such as golden hour - and it no longer needs a Copilot+ PC.
• iPhone photos stay HEIC. You can edit HEIC and WebP photos and save them in the same format, instead of converting them to JPG.

To edit iPhone photos at all, Windows has to be able to open them. If they show blank thumbnails, install the free HEVC extension first.

There's more in the redesign, including a new gallery with your iCloud photos. We covered it in our look at the new Photos app.

When the AI Eraser Isn't Clean Enough

AI erasers work best on simple backgrounds like sky, grass or a plain wall. Busy scenes, such as a crowd or patterned tiles, can leave blurry patches.

For those, a full photo editor gives you more control. Both of these are free, with no account and no subscription, though they're still early versions.

• PhotoCraft. A Photoshop-style editor with Content-Aware Fill, which fills a selected area using the pixels around it.
• LightCraft. A Lightroom-style editor with spot removal, best for dust, small marks and blemishes.

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