Why was the retouch tool removed from Photos? WhenI asked Siri where to find it in the newest version of Photos in Sequoia 15.3.1, it told me where it USED TO BE, but when I went there, the retouch tool is no longer there. What gives?
Mac mini, macOS 15.3
Retouch has been replaced with Clean Up, which has its own section in Edit Mode
Clean up will actually remove whole objects when you set the size appropriate for that, but it will behave like Retouch when you use a smaller size. I found the best results for removing spots and blemishes when I zoom in on the picture and use a small circle for Clean Up.
Retouch has been replaced with Clean Up, which has its own section in Edit Mode
Clean up will actually remove whole objects when you set the size appropriate for that, but it will behave like Retouch when you use a smaller size. I found the best results for removing spots and blemishes when I zoom in on the picture and use a small circle for Clean Up.
See this page in the user guide: Remove distractions and imperfections from your photos on Mac - Apple Support (IN)
It will depend on the architecture of your Mac, if the retouch tool is still available on Sequoia or not. With an Intel Mac you can still retouch and clone, but with an Alle Silicon Mac you are having the new CleanUp tool.
Note: The tool you have depends on your Mac model and region. To see which tool you have, go to the Photos app 
on your Mac, double-click a photo, then click Edit. If you have the Clean Up tool, it appears in the toolbar. If you have the Retouch tool, it appears on the right.
I do have Cleanup, but I do not get a circle when I change the size. If I just point and click, it doesn't work. But if I click, hold, and move the cursor a bit, then it does work. I wish the circle would be visible...I and working in the dark, so to speak, without it. I am not impressed.
The little circle appears when you change size, and then it apparently expects you to remember. A screenshot doesn't record mouse things, so I recreated it:
This is a picture from 1930 or so, and it had this awful crease in it. I did one pass in this small portion, and you can see the it does a fine job.
I left the crease in on the left side. Just a bit more work and you'd never know…
Missing retouch tool in Photos.
