If you enjoy using generative AI for photo editing, you’ll probably like what Samsung has done with the Galaxy S26. The new flagship phones bring a major update to generative editing, and the Photo Assist suite is now more capable than ever.
If you are a Samsung phone or tablet user, you probably know that the original Photo Assist tool allowed users to erase elements from photos and fill in cropped or missing areas through the power of generative AI. It was a good start, but compared to the Galaxy S26’s upgraded Photo Assist, the original looks a little bit toy-like.
Perhaps the lack of versatility in the original version is the reason why the majority of Galaxy phone users rarely bother improving their photos with Photo Assist. 74% of people say they don’t. These recent upgrades, however, might change even the most skeptical minds.
How is Photo Assist better on the Galaxy S26?
The biggest change is that, for the first time, Samsung’s Photo Assist gains multimodal support through text prompts.
With this upgraded tool, Galaxy S26 users can simply type a description in a text box to instruct the AI how they want the photo edited. Examples include:
Change a photo’s scene from day to night or vice versa
Add extra details to an image
Restore missing parts (like a bite taken out of a cake, as shown in Samsung’s teasers)
Clean spills off clothing
The S26 Photo Assist can even change outfits
Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile
Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile
Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile
Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile
Needless to say, this new version is a significant upgrade that should make generative AI editing easier and more intuitive. Samsung’s overarching goal for Galaxy AI is to remove friction from user interactions, and this new Photo Assist follows that philosophy to the letter.
Finally, one last improvement is that the Photo Assist remembers your edits. It keeps a history, and every AI-generated change can be reviewed step by step, adjusted, or undone at any time.
This upgraded generative AI tool debuts with the Galaxy S26 series running One UI 8.5 and should reach other devices once the One UI 8.5 update exits the beta development stage and starts spreading over-the-air.
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