Magic Eraser not working on your Pixel 6? You’re not alone
When Google debuted the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, one of the defining features came courtesy of the Photos app. Magic Eraser is a feature that seems to derive from the “fence removal” tool which was shown off back at I/O 2017. The feature is limited to owners of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, allowing you to remove unwanted objects and people from your images, while using Google’s AI prowess to provide a clean-looking picture.
Unfortunately, it seems that the latest update to the Google Photos app has broken Magic Eraser entirely. Those who have updated to version 5.76.0.425427310 no longer are able to access the feature (via Android Police). Instead, when tapping the Magic Eraser option in the bottom toolbar of Photos, the app will just crash completely.
This is the latest bug to hit Pixel 6 owners, who have not had the greatest of luck since the device’s launched late last year. In addition to the various speed issues surrounding the fingerprint scanner, Google was forced to delay the release of the December Android Security update. Normally, this wouldn’t be too much of an issue, but the number of bugs that continue to appear for Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners continues to be a cause for concern.
Google has yet to release one of its patented hot-fix updates for the Photos app, resolving the problems for users. And those who attempt to restore the app to its factory version will see that Magic Eraser has been completely removed.
Until Google manages to get a proper fix released that makes it possible to actually use Magic Eraser, you can try to download a previous version of the app. Those who have not yet come across these issues will want to make sure that auto-update is unchecked within the Play Store. Just head into the Play Store listing for Google Photos, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner, and uncheck Enable auto update. This will ensure that the faulty update does not actually hit your device, allowing you to continue using Magic Eraser as you have been.