How-To

Transform Your iPhone’s Photos: Easy Text Addition Using the Markup Tool

By Brian Burgess

Published June 6, 2024

You don’t need a third-party app to add text to photos on your iPhone. You can use the built-in Markup tool to do it. Here’s how.

You will often want to add text to photos or other images on your iPhone. For instance, you may want to add text to create an internet meme or point out parts of an image.

The easiest way to do it is using your iPhone’s built-in Markup tool. While limited in scope, it provides a straightforward method of adding text to photos and images by choosing the font, size, and color. You can easily markup screenshots on your iPhone, and if you’re familiar with the tool, you’ll be adding text to photos in no time at all.

While there are other ways to add text to photos (third-party apps, for example), this guide will show you how to add text to any image on your iPhone with built-in options.

Easily Add Text Using the Markup Tool on Your iPhone

Using the following steps, you can choose a photo (or other image) and add text to it via the Markup tools on your iPhone.

1. Open the Photos app and select an image saved to your library.
2. Select the image and tap the Edit button in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Tap the Markup button at the top right. It looks like the tip of a pen next to the ellipses (three dots).
4. Several tools will become available at the bottom of the screen. Tap the Plus “+” button in the right corner.
5. Tap the Add Text option from the menu that appears.
6. Now, drag the text box anywhere on the image you want to place text. Tap within the box and use your onscreen keyboard to type in the text you want to include in the photo.
7. Once you have typed in the text you want, you can adjust its font, size, alignment, color, formatting, and opacity from the tools at the bottom.
8. When everything looks good, tap the Done button in the top right corner of the screen.

Mastering iPhone Markup: How to Effortlessly Add Text to Your Photos

That’s all there is to it! It’s also important to note that you can edit text later by opening the photo and accessing the Markup menu.

The built-in Markup tool is hands-down the most accessible way to add text to your phone’s photos and other images. It’s not the fanciest tool for adding text flair to photos, but it does the job when needed.