How to Use Google Pixel AI Camera Features: Magic Eraser, Best Take, and More

Google Pixel phones have built-in AI tools that can erase people from photos, fix awkward group shots, and unblur old pictures — here's how.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Use Magic Eraser to remove distractions
2.Use Best Take to swap faces in a group photo
3.Use Photo Unblur to sharpen old pictures
4.Use Real Tone for more accurate skin tones

Use Magic Eraser to remove distractions

~40s

Open a photo in Google Photos. Tap "Edit" at the bottom, then scroll through the editing tools until you find "Tools" → "Magic Eraser." The AI will automatically highlight people or objects in the background it thinks you might want to remove — tap any highlighted suggestion to erase it. You can also circle or scribble over anything you want removed yourself. Tap "Done" when finished. Magic Eraser works on all recent Pixel phones and is also available on older photos you upload to Google Photos.

Quick Tip

Magic Eraser works best on backgrounds with a consistent pattern (grass, pavement, sky). It can struggle with complex backgrounds like crowded streets — but you can try multiple times and undo if the result is not what you wanted.

Use Best Take to swap faces in a group photo

~30s

Best Take is available on Pixel 8 and newer. When you take a series of photos of the same scene (like a family group), Google Photos can combine the best version of each person across multiple shots. Open any photo from a series in Google Photos, tap "Edit" → "Tools" → "Best Take." The app shows you the detected faces with alternative expressions from nearby shots. Tap any face to see other options and choose the version where everyone looks their best. Tap "Save copy" when done.

Use Photo Unblur to sharpen old pictures

~27s

Photo Unblur works on Pixel 7 and newer. Open a blurry or older photo in Google Photos, tap "Edit" → "Tools" → "Photo Unblur." The AI sharpens the photo in a few seconds. You can adjust the strength of the effect with a slider. This is especially useful for scanning and improving old printed photos or photos that were blurry when you took them. The improvement is often dramatic on face photos, though very blurry images may have limited improvement.

Use Real Tone for more accurate skin tones

~24s

Pixel cameras include a feature called Real Tone that was specifically designed to capture all skin tones accurately. It is automatically applied when you take photos — no settings needed. In the photo editor, the "Portrait Light" tool lets you reposition the light source on a portrait after the fact, which can help photos taken in unflattering indoor light look more natural. Find it under EditToolsPortrait Light.

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Google Pixel phones (Pixel 6 and newer) include AI-powered photo editing tools built into the Google Photos app. These tools let you erase strangers from the background of a photo, swap faces in a group shot to get everyone smiling at once, sharpen blurry photos from years ago, and adjust shadows on portraits. None of these require any photo editing skills — you tap a button and the AI does the work.

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