Google is undoubtedly one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in computational photography, and with the recently introduced Magic Editor, you can now apply portrait effects and remove unwanted objects from photos you took a long time ago. This feature was initially available on Google Pixel phones only and later, Google started offering it to Google One subscription holders even if they don’t own a Pixel phone.

Google’s Magic Editor might be offered for free

Google made Magic Editor available to Google One subscribers, taking it beyond being a Pixel-exclusive feature. However, according to some findings in an APK file’s code by Android Authority team, Magic Editor may be accessible for free on all Android devices. Here are the new code strings added to Google Photos:

<string name="photos_photoeditor_fragments_editor3_udon_confirm_entry_subtitle_metered">"Make editing even easier with a new AI experience from Labs. Remove distractions, move your subjects around, improve backgrounds, and more. You can save %s edited photos every month or subscribe to a Google One Premium plan for unlimited saves.</string>
<string name="photos_photoeditor_udon_metered_saves_remaining">%s saves left</string>
<string name="photos_photoeditor_udon_meterered_bottom_sheet_acknowledge_and_dismiss">Got it</string>
<string name="photos_photoeditor_udon_meterered_bottom_sheet_body">Your %s saves are refreshed on the first day of every month. Get unlimited
saves in Magic Editor, extra storage, and more with a Google One Premium subscription.</string>
<string name="photos_photoeditor_udon_meterered_bottom_sheet_headline">You have %s saves left this month</string>
<string name="photos_photoeditor_udon_meterered_bottom_sheet_headline_quota_exhausted">You’ve used all your saves this month</string>
<string name="photos_photoeditor_udon_meterered_bottom_sheet_launch_upsell_flow">Upgrade now</string>

Android Authority noticed the addition of some new code strings in version 6.78.0.622306643 of Google Photos. This code suggests that Google may soon introduce a system called “metered saves” for Magic Editor. This could mean that Magic Editor will be offered to all users for free initially, but after reaching a certain limit, users may be prompted to acquire a Google One subscription to continue using it. Google One subscribers, of course, will have uninterrupted access to Magic Editor.

This move by Google might be aimed at encouraging people to subscribe to the Google One plan. With Google One subscription, users not only get access to high-capacity Google Drive but also enjoy additional benefits. Besides, Magic Editor proves to be quite a successful AI image editor.

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Microsoft is stepping up its game in the photo editing arena, introducing an innovative feature called Generative erase to Windows PCs. This nifty tool, built into the Windows Photos app, offers a simple way to clean up your photos by removing things you’d rather not have in them—think of a person who photobombed your perfect shot, or a helicopter that showed up out of nowhere in your perfectly framed picture. Yeah, Generative erase will fix that for you.

Although not as good as Magic Eraser, the tool does the job quite well

Microsoft is making sure of that by rolling out Generative erase not just to those on Windows 11 but also to folks using Windows 10 and Windows 11 for Arm64 devices. This move is all about bringing more powerful editing capabilities to a wider audience, right on their existing hardware.

For the moment, this feature is in the hands of Windows Insiders, a group of users who get to try out new stuff before it’s widely released. They’re the lucky ones testing out Generative erase along with other AI-driven editing features, provided they’ve updated their app to the latest version specified by Microsoft. There’s also a background removal tool in the mix, adding even more options for users to play with.

As we move forward, integrating AI into our daily tech tools is becoming a norm. Microsoft’s addition of Generative erase to its Photos app is a big step toward making sophisticated photo editing tools more user-friendly and widely available. It’s a clear signal that the future of photo editing is here, and it’s more inclusive, allowing more people to enhance their digital memories with just a few clicks.

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(Via)

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Google has finally put out a new feature drop for Pixel devices and the Pixel Watch, giving users access to several highly anticipated updates. Night Sight, a popular low-lit photography feature, has been optimized for faster processing on Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones. The Magic Eraser tool, previously exclusive to the Pixel 6, will now be available on all Pixel handsets. Magic Eraser allows users to remove unwanted objects from their photos with just a few taps. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, Magic Eraser can intelligently fill in the area where the object was removed, seamlessly blending it into the surrounding environment. This feature is particularly useful for getting rid of distracting elements in your photos, such as power lines or strangers in the background. With Magic Eraser, users can easily clean up their photos and make them look even better than before.

In addition, Google’s Health Connect app will now come pre-installed on Pixels, providing a convenient hub for storing health and fitness data from various apps. Finally, the Direct My Call+ feature arrives on older Pixel models, allowing users to bypass tedious customer service menus when making calls. Google also highlighted its recent addition of Fall Detection on the Pixel Watch, which can automatically call emergency services in the event of a hard fall.

It is noteworthy that if users want the stable version of QPR2, they will need to exit the Beta program first. To do this, before March 13th, users will need to go to www.google.com/android/beta and click on the rectangle that says “View your eligible devices.” They will then be taken to an image of their Pixel device with the words “Opt out” underneath. Once they tap on the button, that’s pretty much it. If they do nothing, users will receive the QPR3 Beta 1 update today, and they will be forced to stick with the Beta program until June 5th when the June Feature Drop should be released by Google.

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(Via)

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Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 13 series globally today, and besides featuring Leica-branded camera setups and the latest Snapdragon processors, the flagship smartphone series will be also receiving Google’s Pixel-Exclusive Magic Eraser, making it the first non-Pixel Android device to have Magic Eraser at launch.

As part of the Xiaomi and Google partnership announcement at MWC Barcelona 2023 today, retail buyers will be able to enjoy Google’s Magic Eraser feature on their latest Xiaomi 13 Pro and standard Xiaomi 13. However, there’s a catch, they will only be able to use the Magic Eraser for free on the Xiaomi 13 series for the first 6 months, as part of the free 6-month Google One subscription given to Xiaomi 13 series users to experience Google’s software magic.

For those unaware, this month Google announced that the tech giant is bringing Magic Eraser to all Google One subscribers, including both Android and iPhone users. Magic Eraser is previously a Pixel-exclusive photo-editing feature, which tried to seamlessly remove unwanted parts of a picture with software processing. It is heralded as one of the main reasons why people prefer Google’s camera suite over other Android smartphone makers.

In addition to the free 6-month Google One subscription, Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro retail buyers will also enjoy up to 6 months of YouTube Premium with ad-free access to YouTube and YouTube Music app.

As announced by Xiaomi at MWC 2023, Xiaomi 13 Pro and Xiaomi 13 users will also get one out-of-warranty repair without labour cost within the first 12 months after purchase. Xiaomi also promises that both smartphones will 3 generations of Android system updates, along with 5 years of security patch updates, up from the 3 OS and 4-year promise it offered on last year’s Xiaomi 12 series.

It should be noted that these privileges listed above are exclusive to the standard Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro, and the privileges are not applicable to the Xiaomi 13 Lite.

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(Source)

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Yesterday, we reported on a new bug that popped up for the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices. The bug was making it impossible for users to use the Magic Eraser feature. But not anymore as Google has issued a fix.

Recently, users took to Twitter and Reddit to report on a new bug that was causing the Google Photos App to crash whenever they tried to use the magic eraser functionality. The issue seemed to be caused due to a recent update to the Photos App. Google has reacted fast to the complaints and has issued a new update to fix the issue.

In a post on the Official Google Account on Reddit, the company wrote, “Thank you for your patience and bug reports. Starting today, we are rolling out a fix, so please update to the latest version of Google Photos (5.76.0.426251772 or higher) in the Play Store.”

For those unaware, Magic Eraser is one of the key features in the Pixel 6 devices which uses the machine learning capabilities of Google’s new Tensor processor and enables users to remove unwanted objects or people from their photos.

So updating the app will now fix the issue in devices that have been plagued by this bug. The abundant bugs faced by Pixel 6 series users ever since its release have many believing that the company simply doesn’t care enough to polish and optimize before releasing a new update. However, the quick fix comes as a reassurance that maybe not all bugs in the new Tensor SoC equipped devices are caused due to neglect by the search giant.

Despite being all over the news for various bugs and issues, the Pixel 6 series still appears to be the most popular Pixel device yet as Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai recently announced that the Pixel 6 series has set an “all-time quarterly sales record.”

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Google recently fixed a whole host of major connectivity issues on their latest Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices. However, the Google flagships can’t seem to catch a break as another bug has appeared on the devices.

Users have taken to Twitter and Reddit to report and discuss a new issue they are facing with the Magic Eraser feature on the Google Photos app. Users have stated that whenever they tap on the Magic Eraser, the Photos app crashes.

@googlephotos has been crashing every time I try to use the "magic eraser" on my Pixel 6. Has it been the case for anyone else @madebygoogle users?

— John Sohrawardi (@johnsohrawardi) February 4, 2022

The bug has apparently come along with the latest update to the Google Photos app. Users have tried to find a workaround to this problem by clearing cache and data but to no avail. Restoring the device to the factory setting also doesn’t work since it removes the Magic Eraser functionality completely from the device.

For those unaware, Magic Eraser is one of the key features in the Pixel 6 devices which uses the machine learning capabilities of Google’s new Tensor processor and enables users to remove unwanted objects or people from their photos.

Google Photo’s official Twitter handle has directed users affected by this bug to follow the steps in their “Fix an installed Android app that isn’t working” article, however, the generic fixes mentioned in the article don’t appear to work.

For users who have not been infected by this new bug yet, we highly recommend you to turn off the automatic update for the Google Photos App for the time being. To turn off automatic updates for your Google Photos app, go to the Play Store and open the Google Photos app page. Then click the three dots button on the top right and uncheck the “Enable auto-update” checkbox.

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Google unveiled the Pixel 6 series with several camera-based advancements and home-built Google Tensor SoC. Apart from the usual hardware improvements, the smartphone unleashes some advanced software features to improve efficiency, performance, and camera quality. Among such features, Magic Eraser is a feature that removes unwanted objects from your images without any effort. It is quite a handy tool to save a lot of time and effort while capturing photos in the public space.

Follow the steps below to enable the Pixel Magic Eraser feature on any Pixel smartphone.

Must See: Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro teardown reveals extensive heat dissipation, poor repairability

The Pixel Magic Eraser is currently limited to the Pixel 6 series. In our guide, we will let you know about a way out to enjoy the Magic Eraser feature on any Pixel smartphone. You can download the apks listed below to flawlessly enjoy the magic Eraser feature.

What is Magic Eraser Feature?

It is an advanced AI-based feature that allows users to remove object in the background of an image. The feature uses technologies like machine learning and neural networks to recognize unnecessary objects in the photo and then stabilize them with proper marking. It is a time-saving tool for photographers.

Enable Magic Eraser on old Pixel Smartphones

Magic Eraser feature is part of the Google Photos, and not the Google Camera 8.4. Follow the steps below to enjoy the feature on other Pixel smartphones:

1. Uninstall the Old Google Photos App or uninstall app updates.
2. Download the Split APKs Installer from the Google Play Store to install APKs files on your Android smartphone.
3. Download this APKs file directly from Pixel 6 carrying the Magic Eraser Feature.
4. Now, Open the Split APKs Installer app and browse the APKs that you downloaded from the above link, after giving the app access to your files.
5. Select the Google Photos APKs file and tap the “Install” button.
6. If a pop-up opens related to the installation of “unknown apps from this source…”, then open “Settings” and enable the toggle.
7. Now, proceed with the installation.
8. Enjoy the Magic Eraser feature by heading to the edit button and then to the Tools section.

You can now install the app, and enjoy the new features. However, the feature will be disabled if you update the app. Google can even disable the feature for old Pxiel smartphones via a server-side switch. Interestingly, some users of non-pixel Android smartphones were able to install the APKs.

You can also try it if your smartphone is running Android 12.

Related: Download Google Camera 8.4 APK with new Pixel 6 Pro features

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