Retouch tool missing in Photos on MacBook Air

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Retouch tool missing in Photos on MacBook Air

Hello, it's a pity that the Retouch tool is no longer available in Photos on the MacBook Air. I do have it on my iMac 24", so I've turned off the updates so I can keep it there. Many people are complaining about this. I saw a video on YouTube a while ago on how to get it back, and it worked then. But not sure where that video is. It is somewhere in the settings, but I don't know where. Thank You.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Retouch tool

iMac 24″, macOS 15.3

Posted on Oct 3, 2025 4:23 PM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

200,501 points

Oct 4, 2025 5:12 AM in response to coleman293

Sorry, I don't know which You Tube video you are referring to.

The clean-up tool has replaced the Retouch Tool.

It can do most of the things Retouch could do, and removing large objects is easier than before.

If you want to clean-up small blemishes, zoom in, before you start the cleaning or you might trigger the safety filter.

But macOS Tahoe has brought the retouch tool back to the Mac, in addition to the clean-up tool, see:

Remove distractions and imperfections from your photos on Mac - Apple Support (the second paragraph: Retouch photos to remove imperfections )

The only thing that is still missing is the ability to clone parts of the photo. I am using the Preview for cloning.

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