Adobe Project Indigo adds smarter AI photo critiques, object removal, and creative editing tools for iPhone
Adobe is giving its experimental iOS camera app, Project Indigo, a major AI upgrade. The app, which launched last year, already stood out by offering advanced camera controls, multi-frame super-resolution, and multiple capture modes aimed at mobile photographers who want more control than the standard iPhone camera app provides.
Now, Adobe is expanding Project Indigo with a new set of artificial intelligence tools designed to help users take better photos, understand what makes an image work, and edit pictures more easily.
One of the most interesting additions is AI-powered photo critique. Instead of simply offering automatic filters or one-tap enhancements, Project Indigo can now analyze a photo and provide feedback on areas such as composition, lighting, color, framing, and emotional impact. The idea is to make the app feel less like a basic photo editor and more like a digital photography coach.
Marc Levoy, who leads the Project Indigo team and previously played a major role in developing Google Pixel’s computational photography technology, has said that many generative AI tools rely too heavily on text prompts. While prompt-based editing can be powerful, it can also be frustrating because users often need to experiment with different wording to get the result they want.
Project Indigo takes a more direct approach. Many of its new AI features are presented as buttons or guided tools, giving users more predictable results without requiring them to master prompt writing.
The new AI critique feature is joined by capture and edit suggestions. This tool can recommend ways to improve a shot before or after taking it. For example, it may suggest changing the framing, adjusting exposure, or removing distracting objects from the scene. If you have already taken the photo, Project Indigo can also suggest improvements using Adobe Lightroom-style editing controls.
This could make the app especially useful for people who want to improve their photography skills. Even if users do not always agree with the AI’s judgment, the suggestions may help them think more carefully about lighting, subject placement, background clutter, and visual storytelling.
Adobe is also improving object removal inside Project Indigo. Object removal is not new in photo apps, but many tools require users to manually draw around the object they want to erase. That process can be imprecise, especially on a small phone screen.
Project Indigo’s new version is more automated. The app can offer toggles for common distractions such as people in the background, trash cans, wires, poles, fences, vehicles, and general clutter. Users can also describe a custom object they want removed.
The feature is designed to clean up photos quickly while keeping the image looking natural. In testing, the app was able to remove a person and the item they were holding from the background without leaving obvious visual artifacts. That kind of result could make AI object removal far more practical for everyday mobile photography.
Another new tool allows users to generate depth of field effects. This means Project Indigo can simulate a blurred background, helping the subject stand out more clearly. It is similar in concept to portrait mode, but it gives users another way to create a professional-looking image after capture.
Adobe is also experimenting with AI style transfer. This feature can transform photos into different artistic looks, including watercolor, pen and ink, ink line with color wash, monochrome, and backlit subject styles. While this type of effect has existed in earlier photo apps, newer AI models can make the results appear more refined and polished.
Although Levoy has expressed concerns about the limitations of prompt-based editing, Project Indigo does include a feature that lets users describe the edit they want. This can be useful for more complex adjustments that are not covered by preset tools. However, Adobe appears to be positioning guided AI controls as the more practical and reliable option for most users.
The new AI features are grouped under an “AI playground” section inside the app. Adobe is currently using Google’s Gemini-based Nano Banana model for these tools, though the company may switch to other AI models in the future, including its own Adobe Firefly technology.
For now, these features are still experimental and will only be available to select users. Adobe has not confirmed whether all of them will eventually roll out to a broader audience.
Project Indigo’s latest update shows how AI could become more useful in mobile photography when it focuses on guidance, education, and practical editing instead of only generating flashy effects. By combining professional camera controls with intelligent photo feedback and automated cleanup tools, Adobe is building an iPhone camera app that could appeal to both casual shooters and serious mobile photographers.
