Mastering Photoshop’s Select People Feature
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Select People in Photoshop finds every person in a photo automatically, then lets you pick their face, hair, or clothing as its own selection.
The Object Selection tool in Photoshop has been enhanced to automatically detect people in your photos and their specific attributes. This powerful feature streamlines editing by quickly isolating body parts for targeted adjustments, making workflows more efficient. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using this innovative tool.
Note: The video was recorded in the Photoshop Beta, version 26.3.0. Select People reached the general release in the April 2025 update, Photoshop 26.6, so you no longer need the beta to use it.
Key Takeaways
- Select People finds every person in a photo automatically, then narrows the selection to just their face, hair, or clothing using 21 detectable attributes.
- The feature lives inside the Object Selection tool, so it works alongside every selection method you already use.
- A one-click selection is rarely perfect. The Selection Brush tool cleans up the edges in a few strokes.
- Holding Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) subtracts from any active selection, not just one made with Select People.
- Pair a Select People selection with Generative Fill to swap clothing or accessories without hand-painting a mask.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- People Selection Keyboard Shortcuts in Photoshop
- Step 1: Activate the Object Selection Tool in Photoshop
- Step 2: Select People in Photoshop
- Step 3: Hover and Highlight Attributes
- Step 4: Refine Your People Selection in Photoshop
- Step 5: Apply Adjustments
- Step 6: Combine Generative Fill With Select People
- Step 7: Subtract From an Active Selection in Photoshop
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to turn on the Object Selection tool and open the Select People button.
- How to pick facial features, clothing, and accessories from a detected person.
- How to clean up an automatic selection with the Selection Brush tool.
- How to recolor clothing with a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.
- How to replace clothing with Generative Fill.
- How to subtract specific areas from any active selection.
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2025 (version 26.6 or later) or the current version
People Selection Keyboard Shortcuts in Photoshop
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Turn on the Object Selection tool | W | W |
| Cycle to the Object Selection tool (nested tool active) | Shift W | Shift W |
| Turn on the Selection Brush tool | L | L |
| Shrink or grow the brush | [ or ] | [ or ] |
| Subtract from the active selection | Alt | Option |
If you want to select an entire subject instead of specific people, use Select Subject instead.
Step 1: Activate the Object Selection Tool in Photoshop
Press W (Windows) or W (macOS) to enable the Object Selection tool. If another nested tool is active, hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS) and tap W (Windows) or W (macOS) until the Object Selection tool is toggled on.
Step 2: Select People in Photoshop
Click on the Select People button within the Object Selection tool options. Photoshop will analyze your image and display thumbnails of detected individuals.
Step 3: Hover and Highlight Attributes
Hover over the detected person’s thumbnail to see their attributes. Photoshop identifies 21 attributes, including facial features, clothing, and accessories. Click Show More to see all options.
Select multiple attributes by clicking on their respective buttons, such as Teeth or Coat. Once you’ve made your choices, click Apply to create the selection.
Step 4: Refine Your People Selection in Photoshop
Selections might require fine-tuning. Press L (Windows) or L (macOS) to enable the Selection Brush tool. Use [ (Windows) or [ (macOS) and ] (Windows) or ] (macOS) to adjust the brush size.
To add to the selection, paint over the desired area. To subtract, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and paint.
For fine hair or fur detail, the Select and Mask workspace gives you more refinement controls than the Selection Brush tool alone.
Step 5: Apply Adjustments
With your refined selection, create an adjustment layer. For instance, go to the adjustment layer icon and select Hue and Saturation. Use the Colorize option in the Properties panel to adjust the hue and saturation, such as changing a jacket’s color to red.
Step 6: Combine Generative Fill With Select People
For advanced edits, leverage the Generative Fill feature. For example, select a person’s Accessories and Lower Clothes, then refine the selection with the selection brush tool. Use Generative Fill with a prompt like “Black Leather Pants” to replace the pants seamlessly.
Step 7: Subtract From an Active Selection in Photoshop
You can refine selections further by subtracting specific areas. For example, select an entire person and apply the selection. Then hover over the area to exclude, such as shoes, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS), and click to remove them from the active selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Select People in Photoshop automatically detects every person in a photo, then lets you select their face, hair, clothing, or accessories with one click. It is built into the Object Selection tool.
Press W (Windows) or W (macOS) to turn on the Object Selection tool. If a different nested tool is active, hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS) and press W (Windows) or W (macOS) again until it is selected.
Photoshop currently detects 21 attributes, including facial features, clothing, and accessories. Click Show More in the Select People panel to see the full list.
Open Select People, choose that person’s thumbnail, then click Entire Person and Apply. This selects their whole body in one selection you can still refine.
Press L (Windows) or L (macOS) to switch to the Selection Brush tool. Paint over an area to add it to the selection, or hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and paint to remove it.
Yes. Select an attribute such as Lower Clothes, refine it with the Selection Brush tool, then use Generative Fill with a text prompt to replace it.
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and click that area with the Object Selection tool active. This works on any active selection, not only one made with Select People.
No. Select People reached the general release in the April 2025 update, Photoshop 26.6, so it now works in the current version of Photoshop without the beta.
Conclusion
Select People turns a slow manual selection into a single click. From there, refine it with tools you already know, like the Selection Brush tool and a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.
The same workflow scales from a quick color swap to a full outfit change with Generative Fill, all without leaving the Object Selection tool.
Comment on the video if a selection does not pick up the attribute you need.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
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Next, refine any selection further with the Select and Mask workspace.
