The One UI 5.1 update is now rolling out to Samsung Galaxy smartphones, and it includes an exclusive feature for new S23 devices—the ability to remove a photo’s background in a single tap. This feature was shamelessly stolen from iOS, but you won’t hear me complaining.
To use the Galaxy S23’s image-clipping tool, simply open a photo in the Samsung Gallery app. Then, tap and hold the subject of your photo. It will lift away from the background, and a small menu will give you the option to copy, share, or save the clipped photo. (It also works on paused videos.)
Before clipping.
After clipping. The background is removed, though it isn’t perfect.
I’m glad to see this feature on an Android phone, and I don’t care that it’s identical to the iPhone’s image-clipping tool. But maybe I’m biased; the iOS image-clipping tool was my favorite new technology of 2022. I love that I can turn clipped images into digital stickers, or toss them into my notes or documents. It’s fun and genuinely useful!
Additionally, the One UI 5.1 update also steals Apple’s “extract text from images” feature. It allows you to highlight and copy text from screenshots or photos—very cool, although Samsung phones still can’t pull text from video.
Still, I should note that Samsung’s background removal algorithm is a bit spotty. Our Galaxy S23 Ultra failed to fully remove the background from an image of a TV remote, and you can see the results above.
I hope that Samsung (and other Android brands) continue stealing Apple’s features. One thing on my wishlist is the iPhone’s “Shared with You” system, which automatically places photos, links, and other data from your Messages into relevant apps. So, if someone texts you a link to a website, it’ll show up in a little bubble on your Safari start page.
Source: Samsung via 9to5Google
