After iOS 16, iPhone and iPad introduced the very handy "Photo Cutout" feature, which allows you to quickly extract people or objects simply by long-pressing the main subject of an image. However, many users have encountered issues after upgrading to iOS 26, such as being unable to use the cutout feature, long-press not responding, or cutouts failing.
If you're also experiencing the iOS photo cutout not working problem, don't worry. This article will analyze the causes in detail and provide 10 practical solutions to help you quickly restore this feature.
Before jumping into fixes, it's important to understand why the iOS 26 photo cutout not working issue happens. Here are the most common reasons behind the iPhone 17 photo cutout not working:
1. Device Does Not Support the Feature
The iOS Photo Cutout feature is not supported on all devices and typically requires newer models, such as iPhone XS or later.
2. Outdated iOS Version or System Bugs
Some older versions of iOS may not have this feature, or compatibility issues may occur after updating.
3. Image Does Not Meet Recognition Criteria
If the photo is blurry, the subject is unclear, or the background is too complex, the system may fail to recognize it.
4. System Lag or Insufficient Resources
When your iPhone has low storage space or too many apps running in the background, the feature may not work properly.
5. Issues with the Photo Source
Certain screenshots, low-quality images, or photos downloaded from third-party apps may not trigger the cutout feature.
The following solutions are organized from simple to advanced. It's recommended to try them in order to efficiently fix the photo cutout not working on iPhone/iPad.
Before troubleshooting, confirm whether your device actually supports this feature. Many users experiencing photo cutout not working on iPhone issues are using unsupported models. Apple requires devices with at least an A12 chip for this feature to work properly. Photo cutouts are available on iOS 16 and later, starting with the iPhone XS and iPhone XR.
To check your device model, open "Settings", tap "General" > "About", and confirm if it's an iPhone XS or a later model.
If your device is supported, but the Apple photo cutout is not working, the issue might be related to the image format. Not all formats are equally compatible with Apple's AI recognition. For example, some HEIC files or screenshots may fail to trigger the cutout feature. (How to convert HEIC to JPG?)
Below are the file formats currently supported by the photo cutout feature:
Images: JPEG, PNG, GIF, DIB, ICO, CUR, TIFF, and XBM.
Videos: M4V, MP4, MOV, and AVI.
The cutout feature depends on AI detecting a clear subject. If the image is blurry or cluttered, you may encounter iOS 26 photo cutout not working issues. Photos with low lighting, complex backgrounds, or tiny subjects often fail.
Live Photos can sometimes interfere with the photo cutout feature on your iPhone or iPad. If you're trying to extract a subject from a Live Photo, try disabling it before using the photo cutout to see if that resolves the issue.
Here is how to do it:
Step 1. Open the Live Photo you want to use with photo cutout, then tap the "Live" button.
Step 2. From the options that appear, select "Off" to disable the Live Photo.
Step 3. After that, try tapping and holding the subject to check if the photo cutout feature is working.
The Photo Cutout feature is an extension of the Visual Look Up function, which was first introduced in iOS 15. Visual Look Up identifies objects in images and provides automatic information about landmarks. Since Photo Cutout relies on Visual Look Up, this feature must be enabled.
To enable it, go to "Settings" > "Siri & Search", then toggle on "Show in Look Up" under "Content from Apple".
Temporary glitches can also cause the photo cutout not to work on iPhone/iPad. A force restart helps clear the system cache and fix minor bugs.
For iPhone 8 and later:
For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:
For iPhone 6s and earlier:
Believe it or not, updating your device's software works, and many have proved it. Any latest iOS version comes with bug fixes, which is a relief to many who might have Photo Cutout issues. So, check for available updates and download them. Below are the steps:
Step 1. Go to "Settings" > "General" > "Software Update".
Step 2. Check if there are available updates. If you have, click "Download and Install" to update your iOS software. (iPhone stuck on software update?)
If the issue persists, it may be due to a system configuration conflict. In this case, you can restore the default settings by using the "Reset All Settings" option, which will not delete your data.
Here are the steps:
Step 1. Open the "Settings" menu and look for "General".
Step 2. Now click on "Reset" and "Reset All Settings".
Step 3. Enter the passcode and confirm.
If none of the above methods resolve the issue of iPhone photo cutout not working, the problem may be due to system-level corruption. In this case, a professional repair tool is the most efficient solution. iOS System Recovery can fix various iOS issues without data loss, including issues like the iOS 26/18 photo cutout feature not working, iPhone stuck on the Hello screen, or stuck in recovery mode, etc.
Key features of iOS System Recovery:
Here are the steps to fix the photo cutout not working on iPad/iPhone using iOS System Recovery:
01Launch the tool on the computer and tap "More Tools" and "iOS System Recovery".
02Tap the "Start" icon to start fixing the problem.
03Press the "Repair" button to initiate the firmware downloading process. In a few moments, your device will be fixed.
If the iOS 26/18 photo cutout not working issue persists on your iPad/iPhone, it may be related to a hardware problem or a deep system error, which is difficult for regular users to resolve on their own. In this case, it's recommended to seek official technical support for more professional diagnostics and repair services.
If your iOS 26 photo cutout is not working, you can try the methods mentioned above to fix this issue. Among all the solutions, iOS System Recovery is a much easier way to solve most iOS system-related issues without data loss. It works like a charm when fixing iOS-related problems.
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