How to edit and annotate a photo in iPhone or iPad Messages app before sending it

In this step-by-step tutorial, we’re going to teach you how you can edit, annotate, and markup an attachment in the Apple Messages app on your iPhone or iPad before sending it to the recipient.

Take a picture and edit it in iPhone Messages app

Apple’s expressive Messages application includes features that help you annotate image attachments with the Markup tools and touch them up with just a few taps using built-in Photos filters — all without ever leaving the Messages app.

Note that annotation tools are available in both Mail and Messages with one crucial distinction. In Messages, you can only annotate photos. In Mail, you can also edit PDFs attached to emails, draw over them (for instance, to sign legal documents), and then respond with the newly marked file.

Annotate photo in the Messages app before sending

Annotating an existing photo will limit the edits to the Messages attachment without rewriting the original image in your Photos library. So you don’t have to worry about duplicating the image before editing or reverting the edits.

1) Open the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad and tap a conversation or create a new one.

2) Tap the plus button and select Photos.

Tap plus button and select Photos in iPhone Messages app

3) Now, choose the picture from the little window or swipe up to see the Photos app interface on the full screen. From here, you can select a picture from one of your albums, and tap Done. After that, tap the picture that’s inside the message typing box.

4) Tap Markup to annotate the image to your liking.

Tap selected photo and hit Markup

5) The Markups tools let you draw over the image and add stickers, text, signature, and shapes. Tap Save to remember the edits.

6) Next, you can go to step 8 to send the annotated image. However, before that, you should know about the editing options. So, tap Edit.

Annotate the photo and then tap Edit in iPhone Messages app

7) Now, you can use the regular editing tools to adjust the exposure, shadows, contrast, brightness, saturation, warmth, etc. You can also add filters or hit the crop icon to cut, rotate, or flip the image. Once you have made the edits, tap the yellow Done button. This will take you to the preview screen from where you have to tap Done once again to go back to the conversation.

Edit photo in iPhone Messages and tap Done to save edits

8) Type an optional message below the attachment and hit the blue send arrow button to shoot the message along with your marked-up attachment.

Send annotated photo via Messages on iPhone

Take a picture in the Messages app and edit it

If you do not have the picture already saved in your photo library, you can capture one on the spot, edit it, and send it out.

1) Tap the plus button from the conversation screen in the iPhone or iPad Messages app and select Camera.

Tap plus button in iPhone Messages app and select Camera

2) You will find all the regular camera controls like flash, Night Mode, zoom, and the rest. Additionally, you will also see a star-like Effects icon that lets you add stickers and other effects when you take a selfie. Once you have made yourself comfortable on this camera interface, hit the shutter button to snap a picture.

3) Use the Edit and Markup options to annotate your photo. Everything here is similar to what we have explained in the previous section. After editing or annotating, hit the blue send button or tap Done, write an accompanying message, and hit the send button.

Take a picture choose Edit or Markup and send it

See and manage sent attachments in the Messages app

1) Tap the name or photo of the person you’re chatting with.

2) You will see a Photos section. Tap See All next to it to go through all the media you have sent or received from this person or group.

3) You can also touch and hold an image to save it back to the Photos app, copy it, share it via other apps visible on the iOS Share Sheet, or delete it.

See and manage sent photo attachments in iPhone Messages app

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