Apple Intelligence in macOS 15.1 brings powerful new features to the Photos app on your Mac, making it easier to find specific photos and videos and remove unwanted distractions. Whether you’re looking for a particular moment captured in your gallery or tidying up your favorite shots, Apple Intelligence offers tools that simplify these tasks.
Note: Apple Intelligence is available in macOS 15.1 or macOS Sequoia on Mac models with M1 or later, with Siri and device language set to US English. For setup instructions, visit Get started with Apple Intelligence.
Table of Contents
Searching for Specific Photos and Videos
Apple Intelligence revolutionizes the way you search for photos and videos. Instead of manually scrolling through endless thumbnails, you can now use natural language to find exactly what you want.
How to Search with Apple Intelligence:
- Open the Photos app on your Mac.
- Click the search field in the toolbar.
Quick Tip: Press Command-F to activate the search field quickly.
- Type a description using natural language, such as “Dog Lake”. See the screenshot below for reference.

Additional Search Features:
- See all collections: Click “See All” to view all collections in your results.
- Filter your results: Click the “Filter By” pop-up menu and choose options like Favorites, Edited, Photos, Videos, Screenshots, or a specific keyword.
- View a photo: Double-click a photo to view it, then use the arrow keys to navigate through more photos from your results.
- Select search results: Click a photo or press the Command key while clicking to select multiple photos for sharing or adding to an album.
Previously we talked about How to Use Apple Intelligence in Mail on Mac and How to Use Writing Tools with Apple Intelligence on Mac.
Removing Distractions from Your Photos
With the Clean Up tool, you can easily remove distracting objects from the background of your photos, allowing you to focus on the most important parts.
How to Use the Clean-Up Tool:
- Open the Photos app on your Mac.
- Double-click a photo, click “Edit,” then select “Clean Up” from the toolbar.

Quick Tips:
- Automatic highlighting: After clicking “Clean Up,” some items may be highlighted automatically for quick removal.
- Adjust brush size: Drag the Size slider to select a brush size suitable for the object you want to remove.
- Remove distractions: Click, brush, or circle the unwanted objects to remove them.
- Zoom and reposition: Drag the Zoom slider or pinch open/close on the trackpad to zoom in or out. Drag the zoomed image to reposition it.
Note: If you brush over a person’s face, it may become blurred with a pixelated effect.
- When you’re finished, click “Done.”

Conclusion
Apple Intelligence enhances your experience with the Photos app on Mac, offering intuitive search capabilities and powerful tools to clean up your images. These features make it easier than ever to organize, find, and perfect your photos and videos. With natural language search and the Clean Up tool, managing your digital memories is both simple and efficient. Embrace these new capabilities to make the most out of your photo library on macOS 15.1.