Send a photo by text
Share a picture with family right from your text messages. This takes about two minutes.
Send a photo in Messages
- Open the Messages app. It's the green icon with a white speech bubble.
- Tap the conversation with the person you want to send to.
- Tap the + (plus) button, to the left of the box where you type.
- Tap Photos.
- Tap the photo you want to send. You can tap more than one.
- If you see Done, tap it. If you like, type a short note in the message box.
- Tap the send button. It's the arrow pointing up.
Take a new photo and send it
- In the conversation, tap the + button, then tap Camera.
- Tap the round white button to take the picture.
- Tap Done, then tap the send arrow.
Good to know
- Photos can be large. If a photo is slow to send, try Wi-Fi, or send one at a time.
- Want to share lots of photos with the whole family? Try Shared Albums.
- Made a mistake? That's fine. Just send a quick note like "Oops, wrong photo."
Where these steps come from
Checked in November 2026 against the official pages below, using the newest iPhone software. Your screen may look a little different, especially on an older iPhone. The official page always has the latest steps.