Phone camera rolls contain 350 stranger faces from photobombs, study finds

The typical mobile phone camera roll features the faces of 350 strangers due to inadvertent photobombing by pedestrians, holidaymakers and random people in the background. Research involving 2,000 participants discovered the typical adult has as many as three complete strangers appearing in their most recent 20 photographs alone.

Throughout an adult’s lifetime, the average person could accumulate 7,000 pictures of unknown photobombers on their device, the research suggests. The research revealed 37% of 18-24 year olds reported having met someone new, only to realise they had featured in the background of a photograph they had previously captured.

The study was commissioned by Samsung to highlight Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S25 series which includes Photo Assist’s Generative Edit, a tool allowing users to remove unwanted people or objects from photos.

Annika Bizon at the tech firm, said: “We’ve all been there, you take 20 shots to get the perfect one, only to realise a stranger in the background has ruined the moment.

“Our research highlights that Brits are capturing life at a record pace, but that often means our most precious family memories are crowded by people we don’t know.”

But 12% have experienced the awkwardness of coming across a photo online which they have been cropped out of, from dating apps to social media. This is particularly prevalent among Gen Z, with 35% saying that this has happened to them.

This trend extends to physical photo albums as well, with 44% of Gen Z and 41% of Millennials having physically removed people from their photographs in the past – whether an uncomfortable ex-partner or a former friend.

Annika Bizon from Samsung added: “Editing has come a long way since the early days of photography. Today, Samsung Galaxy AI’s Photo Assist allows you to seamlessly remove or reposition objects without losing the quality of the shot.

“It’s about giving users total creative control so the final image is focused purely on the people who matter.”