How to Remove People from Photos in 2024 [Free]

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Edited by Ben Jacklin
14 020

If your photos keep getting ruined by people and objects that you just wish you could erase, then you’re in the right place. Read on to discover how to remove people from photos. We’ll go over the main ways of doing so and weigh up the pros and cons of each method.

Quick summary

Best option for mobile users: Enlight Photofox

Removing people from photos without downloading any apps: Inpaint

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How to remove a person from a photo with Movavi Photo Editor

Best for: erasing people and objects from photos on your computer

OS: Windows, macOS

This desktop app is packed with useful functions, and it can help you with object removal in just a few clicks. Every step is clear, and even if you’re a complete beginner, you won’t have any problems understanding what to do next. Use the guide below to learn how to remove a person from a photo on your PC or Mac.

Pros:

  • Lightweight

  • Quick

Cons:

  • Only the trial version is free

Step 1. Install Movavi Photo Editor

Open the downloaded file and follow the installation instructions.

Step 2. Add your picture

To add a photo for editing, click the Add image button or just drag and drop the photo onto the Movavi Photo Editor working area.

Step 3. Mark and remove objects or people

Use the Brush tool in the Erasing objects tab to mark the object you want to delete. You can also use the Magic wand or Lasso for selection. To erase unwanted marks, use the Eraser tool. Then click Apply to take someone out of a picture.

Use the Stamp tool to clear up any minor imperfections left after erasing – it works by enabling you to copy any part of the photo to the spot you need to clean up.

Step 4. Save the edited photo

After removing all the unwanted items, click the Save button in the lower-right corner of the interface. In the window that opens, enter the name of the output photo, choose the output folder, and select the file type. Finally, click the Save button to save the photo.

How to remove people from pictures using your phone

Best for: quickly erasing people from pictures on your mobile device

OS: Android

We’ve tried several apps for smartphones. To our mind, Enlight Photofox did the best job of removing an object and leaving the least traces of that object behind. You can get the app from the developer’s website if you’re an Android user. Here’s a link to the website.

Get Photofox for Android

When you have the app installed, follow the steps below to learn how to remove people from pictures. Please note that the erasing option works only in the Pro version, but you can get a 3-day free trial.

  1. Open the app and tap the big plus sign below Your Creations. Choose an image from your gallery.
  2. Scroll the bottom panel to the right and find the Heal option. Hit it.
  3. Tap Spot and mark the object you want to delete with red by swiping your finger across it.
  4. When you’re done, just move your finger away. The object removal will be applied automatically. If you like the result, tap the Check icon. Now you can save your photo to share with friends but note that you can only do this if you have the Pro or trial version.

Pros:

  • Free trial

  • Has a sharing option

Cons:

  • Only the Pro or trial version can remove objects

How to edit people out of photos with Photoshop®

Adobe® Photoshop® is one of the most popular photo editors around. It has loads of features, so many that not even a skilled user can say that they are familiar with all of them. But removing people, faces, or things is a pretty basic task, and there’s nothing particularly hard about doing it. Here’s how to remove someone from a picture using Photoshop®.

  1. Open the program. In the File menu, select Open. Find your image and click Open again.
  2. To photoshop someone out, you need to mark the unwanted object. Use the Lasso tool: it’s in the left-hand panel. Press Shift to expand the area you’ve already marked, and Alt to reduce it.
  3. Open the Edit menu and click Content-Aware Fill. After you apply it, the marked area will be filled according to its surroundings. To enhance the result, use the Clone Stamp tool. When you’re satisfied with the result, click Save.

Pros:

  • Many preferences to work with

Cons:

  • Might be too complicated for a single task

  • The price is high if you just need to remove objects and nothing more

How to erase people from pictures online

If you have a single photo with background people you want to erase, or you just don’t want to download anything onto your computer for security reasons, an online tool is a good solution. Consider using Inpaint: its algorithms work well, and it leaves almost no trace of things or people wiped out. Here’s how to crop someone out of a photo for free.

  1. Access the website using the link below:
    Visit the Inpaint website
  2. Click Upload Image and locate your picture. It will appear on your screen with a red circle on it.
  3. Use the red circle to mark the person that should be removed. At the top, there is a slider that you can use to make the marker smaller to cut off small details.
  4. When you’re done with marking, click the Erase button at the top. Wait for a short time… And enjoy! Hit the Download button in the top-right corner. You can get the image in low resolution for free or buy some download credits to get a higher-quality picture.

Pros:

  • Free pictures in low resolution

  • No need to download anything

Cons:

  • You have to pay to get a higher-quality picture

  • Requires a good internet connection

Ideas to remove someone from a picture

We’ve all been there: you’re staring at a photo that is so close to being perfect but is ruined by some objects in the background or a person. Perhaps you didn’t notice them when you took the photo, or maybe you wanted them included at the time but now want them gone. There are many reasons to want to crop people out of pictures. Whatever your reasoning, know you’re not alone!

More reasons you might want to remove people or objects from a picture

Those are the three most common reasons for wanting to delete someone from photos. However, they certainly aren’t the only ones. Unfortunately for us photographers, there are plenty of things that can ruin photos. Luckily, apps like Movavi Photo Editor can do much more than edit out people from photos. You don’t have to give up on that near-perfect shot just yet!

Tips on choosing a method to crop someone out of a photo

There are plenty of ways to edit people out of photos. The specific method you choose depends on your needs and abilities. There’s no point in buying an expensive photo-editing application if you just want to touch up one photo, for example. On the other hand, if you’re a professional photographer, you’ll probably want something with more power than is provided in lightweight freeware.

  • How difficult is it to remove people from the background? Even if you’re an editing amateur, you should be able to tell roughly how tricky a removal will be. Erasing a single person standing in front of a clear background, for example, will be far more simple than taking out a bunch of objects scattered amongst a crowd.
  • How quickly do you want to remove the person out of a picture? If you’re in a rush, then you don’t want to bother with setting up and learning how to use expensive, complex, powerful editing programs. Instead, go for something quick and simple, like a browser-based platform or free download like Movavi Photo Editor.
  • How much experience do you have? While apps like Movavi Photo Editor can be picked up in minutes by any would-be photo editor, more complex apps like Photoshop® come with a significant learning curve. If you lack experience and don’t want to put in the time learning a difficult program, you’ll probably want to go with something designed for ease of use.
  • What will you edit photos on? Think about what hardware you have. If you’ll be doing things on your mobile phone, you’ll want to choose a mobile app. For those editing on computers, a desktop app or browser-based editor are better options.

Summary

So, we’ve gone through the main ways to erase people from pictures. As you’ve seen, there is no single solution to the common problem of people and objects ruining your otherwise perfect pics. Just remember that the days of needing to be an expert in professional editing software to remove people from photos are in the past. You have a range of solutions to choose from, and many of them are surprisingly simple!

Movavi Photo Editor

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*The trial version of Movavi Photo Editor has the following restrictions: you can save up to 10 images with added watermark, screenshots are disabled.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove someone from a photo for free?

Movavi Photo Editor lets you edit someone out of a picture in minutes. Just follow the steps below:

  1. First, download and install the app using the download links below.
    Download Movavi Photo Editor for Windows
    Download Movavi Photo Editor for macOS
  2. Next, add the picture you want to edit by clicking the Add image button on the app’s home screen or dragging the photo onto the app’s working area.
  3. Then, all you have to do is select the things you want to remove and click Apply.
  4. The app does all the rest for you! There are extra tools for any additional cleaning.
  5. When you’re happy, simply save the finished photo.

What app erases people from photos?

There are many apps that let you erase someone from a photo. Here are some popular options:

  • Movavi Photo Editor – best for erasing people and objects from photos without needing to know complex editing techniques
  • Adobe® Photoshop® – best choice for professionals who will be performing complex edits often
  • Inpaint – best for people who can’t or don’t want to download any apps
  • Enlight Photofox – best for people who want to edit photos on their smartphone

How do you remove someone from Apple photos?

Removing someone from Apple photos is easy, but there are different methods for phones or desktops. On your iPhone or iPad, try Enlight Photofox. On Mac or MacBook, Movavi Photo Editor is a good option.

How do I cut someone out of a picture without Photoshop®?

You don’t need Photoshop® to remove someone from a picture. There are plenty of apps out there that let you cut out part of an image without Photoshop®. Movavi Photo Editor, for example, lets you select and remove objects from photos in minutes.

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