The latest iOS 27 update introduces a highly anticipated feature to the Photos app: the Extend tool. Powered by Apple Intelligence, this AI-driven option lets users expand the boundaries of their photos, filling in new areas with generated content. After spending considerable time with it on the iPhone 17, the results reveal a mix of remarkable successes and noticeable limitations. Here’s a detailed breakdown of how the tool performs across various scenarios.

How to Use the Extend Tool

To access the Extend feature, open any photo in the Photos app. Tap the hamburger menu at the bottom, select Tools, and then choose Extend. Alternatively, the feature is integrated directly into the Crop tool — once you pinch to zoom out or adjust the frame, the Extend option appears at the bottom. The generation process takes about 10 to 15 seconds, though it requires an active internet connection and may not function properly over slow networks.

This integration makes the feature intuitive, especially for users already familiar with cropping. You can expand the image in any direction or aspect ratio, and the AI will attempt to fill the new canvas with plausible content. The tool can produce multiple versions of the same expansion, allowing users to choose the most convincing result.

Rough Around the Edges

Despite its promise, the Extend feature often reveals its AI origins. In many tests, generated areas appear blurry, dreamy, or incorrectly colored. For example, when expanding a photo of a mango pastry on a table, the tool added a nonexistent person in the background and a plate edge that wasn’t originally there. While some objects, like a plastic spoon, were extended convincingly, others looked like obvious fabrications.

Another example involved a restaurant scene. After shrinking the original image to the center of the frame, the AI expanded all four sides. The result showed blurry tables and chairs at the top, oddly shaped bags on the side, and plates with slightly different colors. Even more telling, the shrubs, flowers, and leaves added to a garden scene were easily identified as fake by three out of four viewers. Only one person thought the expanded image was real.

Interestingly, the tool refused to expand certain photos in specific directions. Human subjects in the direction of expansion may trigger this restriction, but other cases remain unexplained. This inconsistency can be frustrating for users expecting full control.

Impressive Results That Surprise

When the conditions are right, the Extend feature delivers stunningly realistic expansions. A portrait of a friend taken with a Nikon mirrorless camera was expanded so seamlessly that even the subject could not tell the edited version from the original. The shrubs at the bottom lost some texture, but the overall effect was convincing.

Another photo of a tree silhouette and foreground plants showed excellent generation of natural elements, though the leaves at the top gave away the illusion. A third image, taken indoors with reflective surfaces, included a blurred person in the background — the AI replicated his out-of-focus appearance perfectly, along with accurate reflections in a mirror.

Perhaps the most impressive example involved a landscape shot of a water bed, mountains, and a canopy stand. The AI filled in the water texture to the left, added a car on the right, and even adjusted the arm of the photographer (though slightly). For social media posts, such results are more than acceptable. A gift box, a lamp, and a door that were never present in the original photo appeared so realistic that only someone who was there could identify them. The AI even bent the ceiling slightly to mimic a wide-angle lens effect.

One of the cleanest edits involved a simple subject with minimal background detail. The generated content was accurate and virtually artifact-free. Overall, the tool performs best on landscapes, simple objects, and scenes with uniform textures.

Key Facts About the Extend Feature

• The Extend tool is part of the iOS 27 Photos app and uses Apple Intelligence for AI-based image expansion.
• It is integrated into the Crop tool or accessible via the Tools menu, taking 10-15 seconds per generation.
• Requires an active internet connection; may not work on slow networks.
• Produces multiple versions of expansions, allowing user selection.
• Best results occur with simple backgrounds and limited subjects; complex scenes often reveal AI artifacts.
• Expanded photos are tagged with metadata indicating AI modification.
• The feature can refuse to expand in directions containing human subjects, though some restrictions are unexplained.

While not perfect, the Extend feature marks a significant step forward for Apple’s AI capabilities. It offers a practical way to add an ultrawide perspective or fill in missing areas, and many casual users will find it useful for everyday edits. As with any generative AI tool, results vary widely, but the potential is clear.

Source: Digital Trends News