How to take and edit photos or videos in Messages on iPhone

You can capture photos and videos directly in the Messages app. You can also modify the photos and videos before you send them by editing the image, marking it up, or adding effects.

You can take a photo, take a video, or add an existing photo or video, then crop it, add filters, and more. Markup lets you add stickers, labels, and shapes to your photo. Smaller-sized previews of images can go out first, too, so your recipients get them right away.

Note: Attachments may have size limits set by your carrier, and iPhone may compress photo and video attachments when necessary.

Send a photo or video

1. Start the Messages app on your iPhone.
2. In a conversation, tap the Add button.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Take a photo: Tap Camera, then tap the Take Picture button to take a picture.

     To change the camera mode, tap Photo, then tap an option.

     To crop the photo, add filters, and more, tap Edit, then use the editing tools.

   • Take a video: Tap Camera, tap Video, tap the Record Video button to begin recording, and then tap the Stop Recording Video button to stop.

     To trim or crop the video, add filters, and more, tap Edit, then use the editing tools.

   • Add an existing photo or video: Tap Photos and swipe up to search, browse through all photos, or change albums. Then tap the images you want to send.

     To crop, add filters, or make other adjustments, tap the image in the message bubble, tap Edit, then use the editing tools.

4. To add stickers, labels, and shapes to your photo, tap Markup, then use Markup. When you’re done, tap Save.
5. Tap Done to add the photo or video to the message bubble, add a comment (optional) and then tap the Send button to send your message.

Note: On models with Dual SIM, you need to set up Dual SIM before you can send SMS, MMS, or RCS attachments.

You can also record a video message in the FaceTime app or send a photo or video with a Digital Touch effect.

Note: You can have your (or a family member’s) iPhone receive warnings about sensitive content and warn you before it’s sent or received.

With Apple Intelligence*, you can create original images using Image Playground, or create custom emoji—called Genmoji—in Messages.

Send photos faster

To get images to your recipients right away, you can send smaller-sized previews first, before the full-resolution images arrive.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Messages.
3. Turn on Send Low Quality Photo Previews.

When Low Data Mode is on, only the preview is sent.

To remove a photo or video from the message bubble before sending it, tap the Cancel button.

Note: Attachments you send over iMessage (such as photos or videos) may be uploaded to Apple and encrypted so that no one but the sender and receiver can access them. To improve performance, your iPhone may automatically upload attachments to Apple while you’re composing a message. If you decide not to send your message, the attachments are deleted from the server after several days.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.