Apple brings major updates to Image Playground, Photos: Here’s what’s new

Apple is expanding its artificial intelligence capabilities across the iPhone with major updates to Image Playground and the Photos app, two features getting some of the most visible Apple Intelligence upgrades announced at WWDC 2026, the company’s developers conference.

Image Playground, Apple’s AI image-generation tool, is getting a significant overhaul after drawing criticism for producing images that often looked basic compared to offerings from rivals such as OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. The company says the updated version will generate more detailed and flexible images while maintaining its privacy-first approach.

The revamped Image Playground allows users to create images using natural language prompts and photos stored in their library. Apple demonstrated how users can generate personalised images for invitations, social posts and creative projects by describing changes in plain language. For example, a user can create an image of a friend holding a birthday cake and then ask the system to add candles, change clothing or modify other details.

Apple is also making Image Playground more useful by allowing users to generate images in different aspect ratios and formats depending on where they plan to use them. The feature is deeply integrated across iOS, enabling users to create custom lock screens, iMessage backgrounds, contact posters, and other personalised content.

A key selling point remains privacy. Apple said images and personal photos used for generation are processed through its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure and are not stored or shared with the company.

Alongside Image Playground, Apple is introducing several new AI-powered editing tools to the Photos app.

One of the biggest additions is a feature called Reframe, which uses generative AI to adjust the composition of a photo after it has been taken. Users can reposition the perspective of an image as if they had moved the camera while capturing the shot. The system intelligently fills in missing areas using AI-generated content while preserving the original look of the image.

Story continues below this ad

Apple demonstrated scenarios where Reframe can improve a photo by correcting awkward composition, removing distractions from the background, or improving subject positioning. Users can preview adjustments in real time before saving the final result.

The Photos app is also gaining an Extend tool that expands the edges of an image. This can be used to add more space around a subject, straighten horizons, or adjust cropping without losing important parts of the scene. The feature generates additional image content where necessary to create a natural-looking result.

The Cleanup feature is also getting an upgrade. Users can tap, brush, or circle unwanted objects, and Apple’s AI models will remove them while generating more realistic replacements for the affected areas. The company says the improved tool produces cleaner and more accurate edits than previous versions.

The announcements reflect Apple’s broader effort to make Apple Intelligence features more useful in everyday tasks rather than focusing solely on chatbots and text generation. With smarter image creation and editing tools arriving across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Apple is positioning AI as a practical assistant for creativity, communication, and content creation.

Story continues below this ad

The new Image Playground and Photos features will roll out as part of Apple’s upcoming software updates later this year.