Apple's iOS 27 Photos app introduces the Extend tool, leveraging Apple Intelligence to expand image boundaries beyond the original frame. This generative AI feature analyzes existing pixels and surrounding context to intelligently fill empty space with plausible elements, continuing the company's push into AI-powered photo editing.

The tool builds on Clean Up functionality, which already removes unwanted objects and fills gaps. Instead of cropping inward, Extend works outward, generating scenery and objects that weren't captured initially. Users can widen compositions without needing separate reference images, as the AI creates content based on what it sees in the existing photo.

Testing reveals mixed but generally positive results. A cat photo successfully gained additional curtains, plants, and window elements. However, the AI sometimes hallucinates details like floating vehicles or incorrect architectural elements. One Rome airport shot showed a truck hovering above ground—a reasonable guess based on limited visual data, but not reality.

For most users seeking aesthetic improvements rather than pixel-perfect accuracy, Extend delivers acceptable results. The tool works best when odd edge elements are removed first using Clean Up. While Spatial Reframe previously created unsettling distortions, Extend appears more restrained in its guesses, making it a practical addition for casual photo enhancement.