How to Use “Find Distractions” Feature in Photoshop for Easy Photo Clean-up

Want to clean up your photos effortlessly? The Find Distractions feature in Photoshop 2025. Part of the Remove Tool, it uses Adobe’s Firefly AI to automatically detect and remove distractions like wires, cables, or people in the background with minimal effort.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through using the Find Distractions feature to enhance a photo. Discover step-by-step instructions, plus tips, tricks, and common pitfalls to avoid for professional results.

What You’ll Learn

• How to access the Find Distractions feature in the Remove Tool
• Steps to remove distractions like people or wires from a photo
• Tips for refining results and avoiding beginner mistakes
• Best practices for saving your edited image

Tools Needed

• Adobe Photoshop 2025 (Ensure the latest version is installed)
• A sample photo with distractions (e.g., a portrait with a bystander or a landscape with wires)

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Open Your Image in Photoshop 2025

Begin by loading the photo you want to clean up.

1. Go to File > Open and select your image
2. Use a JPEG or PNG format for straightforward editing.

Step 2: Select the Remove Tool

The Find Distractions feature is accessed via the Remove Tool.

1. In the Toolbar, find the Remove Tool (a brush with a minus sign, nested under the Spot Healing Brush Tool, shortcut: J).
2. Click and hold the Spot Healing Brush icon to select the Remove Tool.

Step 3: Enable the Find Distractions Feature

Activate the feature to let Photoshop identify distractions.

1. With the Remove Tool selected, look at the Options Bar at the top.
2. Click the Find Distractions button. Choose either Wires and Cables or People from the dropdown, depending on your image’s distraction.

Step 4: Review Detected Distractions

Photoshop’s AI will highlight distractions for you to review.

1. After selecting an option (e.g., “People”), Photoshop overlays a pink highlight on detected distractions (e.g., a bystander or power lines).
2. Check the highlighted areas to confirm the correct elements are targeted.

Screenshot Suggestion: Display an image with a pink overlay highlighting a distraction (e.g., a person in a portrait), zoomed in for clarity.

Step 5: Remove the Distractions

Let Photoshop erase the highlighted distractions.

1. Click Apply in the Options Bar. The Firefly AI removes the distractions and reconstructs the background.
2. Wait a few seconds for processing. The distraction should vanish, blending with the surrounding area.

Before

After

Step 6: Refine the Results (If Needed)

Fix any imperfections for a seamless look.

1. If the removal leaves artifacts (e.g., blurry patches), use the Remove Tool to manually paint over problem areas.
2. Adjust the brush size in the Options Bar (use [ and ] keys for quick resizing) for precise touch-ups.

In this example, I painted over the traffic light with the Remove Tool:

and made it disappear:

Step 7: Save Your Edited Image

Save your work in editable and shareable formats.

1. Go to File > Save As and save as a PSD to preserve edits.
2. For sharing, go to File > Export > Export As, select JPEG or PNG, and set resolution (e.g., 72 DPI for web, 300 DPI for print).

Tips and Tricks for the Find Distractions Feature

• Zoom for Precision: Zoom in (Ctrl/Cmd + +) to inspect AI results, especially in detailed areas like hair or textures.
• Duplicate Layers: Create a duplicate layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J) before editing to keep your original image safe.
• Combine Tools: Use the Spot Healing Brush or Clone Stamp for minor fixes after Find Distractions for better results.
• Try Both Options: If “People” misses a distraction, test “Wires and Cables,” as some objects may be misclassified.
• Use on Simple Backgrounds: The feature excels with uniform backgrounds (e.g., skies, walls) for cleaner results.

Potential Bugs and Things to Avoid

• Bug: Incorrect Detection: The AI may highlight non-distracting elements (e.g., part of the subject). Always verify the pink overlay before applying.
• Bug: Artifacts in Complex Scenes: Busy backgrounds may result in mismatched textures. Manually refine with the Remove Tool.
• Avoid Intricate Backgrounds: For beginners, stick to simple backgrounds, as complex patterns can confuse the AI.
• Avoid Low-Resolution Images: Low-res photos may produce blurry patches after removal. Use high-resolution images for best results.
• Don’t Rely Solely on AI: Always check results and be ready to manually adjust with the Remove Tool for perfection.

Conclusion

The Find Distractions feature in Photoshop 2025’s Remove Tool makes photo clean-up accessible for beginners, letting you remove unwanted elements like people or wires with ease. This tutorial showed you how to use it, refine results, and save your work. Practice on different images to get comfortable, and explore more Basics tutorials on PSD Vault to grow your Photoshop skills!

Next Steps

• Combine this feature with our Layer Masks tutorial for precise edits.
• Check out other Photoshop 2025 tutorials in our Basics category.

Share your cleaned-up photos or ask questions in the comments! Join the PSD Vault community on social media for more tips.