How to Blur and Censor Faces in Apple Photos Using the Clean Up Tool
There are times when you want to share a photo — but not everyone in it needs to be identifiable. Apple Photos now includes a Clean Up tool that can automatically censor and blur faces using a built-in safety filter.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to blur faces accurately using Apple Photos, how the safety filter works, what mistakes to avoid, and which devices support this feature. Everything here reflects exactly what’s shown in the video.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
How to blur and censor faces using Apple Photos
Where to find the Clean Up tool while editing
How the safety filter works when censoring faces
How to zoom in for better accuracy
How to avoid removing too much of the image
How to undo or reset Clean Up edits
How to crop a photo after censoring
Which devices support the Clean Up tool
🧹 What the Clean Up Tool Does When Censoring Faces
The Clean Up tool in Apple Photos uses Apple Intelligence to analyze images and apply a safety filter when faces are detected. Instead of fully removing the face, the tool blurs and obscures it to protect identity.
This makes Clean Up useful for sharing photos publicly while maintaining privacy.
📲 Devices That Support Face Censoring with Clean Up
The Clean Up tool is only available on devices that support Apple Intelligence.
Clean Up is available in beta on:
iPhone 16 models
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPad mini with A17 Pro
iPad with M1 or later
Mac with M1 or later
Older devices do not support this feature due to hardware limitations.
🖼 How to Access the Clean Up Tool in Photos
To begin censoring faces:
Open the Photos app
Select the image you want to edit
Tap the Edit button at the bottom
Choose Clean Up from the editing tools
Once enabled, Apple Photos begins analyzing the photo.
🔍 Zooming In for Accurate Face Selection
Accuracy matters when censoring faces.
For better precision:
Pinch outward with two fingers to zoom in
Zooming helps target only the face
Smaller selections reduce unwanted edits
Zooming makes it easier to avoid affecting nearby details.
✍️ How to Blur Faces Using Clean Up
To censor a face:
Use your finger to draw a circle around the face
Keep the selection tight and focused
Avoid circling too much of the head
When a face is detected, Apple Photos applies a safety filter instead of removing the subject entirely.
🚨 Understanding the Safety Filter
When censoring faces:
Apple Photos displays a message indicating a safety filter was applied
The face is blurred rather than erased
This prevents unnatural-looking results
This behavior is intentional and designed for privacy protection.
⚠️ Avoiding Common Mistakes
Drawing too large of a selection can cause issues.
Important tips:
Do not circle the entire head
Focus only on facial features
Large selections may remove more than intended
If a mistake happens, it’s easy to fix.
🔄 Undoing or Resetting Clean Up Edits
If something goes wrong:
Use the undo arrows in the top-left to step back
Tap Reset at the top center to start over
This allows you to experiment without risk.
✂️ Cropping After Face Censoring
After censoring faces, you may want to adjust framing.
You can:
Open the Crop tool
Zoom in slightly to refine composition
Improve focus after blurring
Cropping pairs well with Clean Up edits.
💾 Saving the Edited Photo
When finished:
Tap Done in the top-right corner
The edited photo is saved, and the original remains available if you ever need to revert.
