Your phone can fix badly framed photos after you take them

Have you ever taken a photo you really liked, only to realize later that you stood too close, cut off part of the background or framed the subject in the wrong spot? Normally, fixing that means cropping even more of the photo. Now your phone may be able to go in the other direction.

Apple added new Extend and Reframe tools to Photos in iOS 27. Instead of simply cutting away part of an image, Apple Intelligence can generate additional areas around the original shot or change its perspective after you take it. Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones offer similar AI editing tools that can help rescue photos that did not come out quite the way you planned.

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Apple added several Apple Intelligence upgrades to Photos with iOS 27. Two of the most useful are Extend and Reframe.

Extend lets you expand a photo beyond its original borders. For example, if someone's head is too close to the top of the image or you want more space around the subject, Apple Intelligence can generate additional background.

Reframe goes further. Apple says it lets you change the point of capture after taking the photo. You can move the image, zoom, rotate it and adjust its perspective while Apple Intelligence generates the additional portions needed for the new composition.

These tools go beyond traditional cropping. Cropping removes part of your image. Extend and Reframe can create parts of the image that were never captured by the camera. Because these are generative AI features, take a close look at the final result. AI-generated areas can sometimes contain strange details, especially around faces, hands, text or complicated backgrounds.

Extend and Reframe require Apple Intelligence and iOS 27 or later.

Apple Intelligence works on:

Availability can also depend on your language and region. Apple says some Apple Intelligence features may have usage limits. If you have an older iPhone that can install iOS 27 but does not support Apple Intelligence, you will not get these particular editing tools.

Use Extend when you want more room around the subject or need to expand the edges of your original photo.

If you change your mind later, Apple lets you return to the editing tools and reset the Extend changes.

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Use Reframe when the composition or perspective feels wrong rather than simply too tight.

This can be especially useful when your subject is awkwardly positioned or you wish you had held the camera at a slightly different angle.

Samsung takes a somewhat different approach. Compatible Galaxy phones use Galaxy AI Photo Assist, which includes tools for moving, removing and adding objects in a photo. For this trick, the Move tool is the one to use. It lets you reposition, rotate or resize part of the image, then uses generative AI to fill in the background created by your changes. Samsung's standard Gallery editor also lets you change the aspect ratio, rotate the picture and adjust its angle.

Menus can vary slightly by Galaxy model and software version.

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Google Photos has one of the closest Android alternatives to Apple's new Extend tool. It's called Auto frame. Google says Auto frame can recompose a photo that is too tightly cropped or poorly framed. It can also use AI to fill in missing areas and extend the background.

Make sure you have the latest version of the Google Photos app.

Google also includes Straighten, Rotate, Perspective and Aspect ratio controls in the same Crop section if you want to make the adjustment yourself.

Google rolls out some Photos features gradually. Therefore, if you do not see Auto frame, update Google Photos and check again. Availability can also vary by device, account and region.

AI photo editing works best when you give it a reasonably clear original image. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

AI can generate new areas around an image, but it cannot completely rescue every blurry or badly exposed shot. Start with the clearest version you have.

Instead of dramatically expanding the entire picture, try adding a little extra space around the edges. Smaller edits can look more natural.

Zoom in before saving. Check faces, hands, hair, jewelry and clothing for unexpected changes.

Generative AI can struggle with letters and numbers. Look closely at street signs, shirts, storefronts and anything else containing text.

When your phone gives you the option, save the edited version as a copy. That way, you still have the untouched photo if the AI result does not look right later.

One of the frustrating things about smartphone photography is realizing you almost got the perfect shot. Maybe you stood a little too close, left the person too far to one side or tilted the camera just enough to make the composition feel wrong. iOS 27 gives supported iPhones another way to fix those mistakes with Extend and Reframe. I also like that Galaxy and Pixel owners have comparable options instead of sitting this one out. These tools will not replace taking a well-framed photo in the first place, but they can give a photo you would otherwise delete another shot.

Have you ever deleted a photo because you framed it badly, or would you trust AI to fill in parts of the scene that your camera never captured? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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