How To Edit Photos On iPhone

Editing photos on your iPhone has never been easier with the robust built-in Photos app, which offers a variety of tools to enhance your images. Whether you’re looking to adjust lighting, add filters, or make more advanced edits like cropping and straightening, the Photos app has you covered.

1. Opening the Photo in the Photos App

To begin editing a photo on your iPhone:

  • Open the Photos app.
  • Find the image you want to edit and tap it to open.
  • Tap the Edit button located at the top right corner of the screen.

Once in the editing interface, you will have access to various editing tools.

2. Adjusting Light, Color, and Black & White Settings

A. Auto Adjust

  • When you first open the editing screen, the app automatically suggests an Auto-Adjust.
  • You can choose to apply this by tapping the wand icon at the top right corner, which automatically improves lighting, color, and contrast.

B. Manually Adjusting Lighting and Color

  • Below the photo, you will see several icons. Tap the adjustment wheel icon (second from the left) to manually adjust key settings.
    • Exposure: Controls the brightness of your image.
    • Brilliance: Enhances details and highlights shadows.
    • Highlights: Adjusts the brightest parts of the photo.
    • Shadows: Lightens or darkens shadowed areas.
    • Contrast: Enhances the difference between dark and light areas.
    • Brightness: Changes the overall brightness.
    • Black Point: Adjusts the darkest part of the image.
    • Saturation: Controls the intensity of the colors.
    • Vibrance: Boosts muted colors without affecting skin tones.
    • Warmth: Adjusts the color temperature, either cooler (blue) or warmer (yellow).
    • Tint: Adds a green or magenta tint to your photo.
    • Sharpness: Enhances the clarity of your image.
    • Definition: Makes textures more visible.
    • Noise Reduction: Reduces graininess in low-light images.
    • Vignette: Adds a dark or light border around the edges of the photo.

C. Black & White Adjustments

  • Scroll through the adjustment options to find settings specific to black-and-white photography. These allow you to control the intensity, grain, and contrast to create a high-quality monochrome image.

3. Applying Filters

A. Using Built-In Filters

  • Tap the filter icon (three overlapping circles) to open a variety of preset filters, which automatically adjust the image’s color and lighting.
  • Swipe through the filters to preview options like:
    • Vivid: Adds vibrant colors and contrast.
    • Dramatic: Darkens the shadows and brightens the highlights for a more intense look.
    • Mono: Converts the image to black and white.

B. Adjusting Filter Intensity

  • After selecting a filter, you can adjust its intensity by moving the slider below the filter options. Slide to the left for a subtle effect and to the right for a stronger filter effect.

4. Cropping and Straightening

A. Cropping

  • Tap the crop icon (square with two arrows) to enter the cropping and resizing tools.
  • Drag the edges of the frame to crop the photo manually.
  • You can also tap the aspect ratio icon at the top right to choose a specific ratio (e.g., 4:3, 16:9, square).

B. Straightening and Perspective Adjustments

  • Use the straighten wheel below the image to rotate and align the photo if it’s crooked.
  • You can also tap the perspective icons (horizontal and vertical adjustment icons) to correct any distortion caused by angles.

5. Adding Markup

A. Drawing and Writing on Photos

  • To add drawings, text, or shapes to your image, tap the ellipsis (•••) icon at the top of the screen, then select Markup.
    • Use the pen, pencil, highlighter, or eraser to draw directly on the photo.
    • Tap the plus (+) icon to add text, a signature, or geometric shapes like arrows or speech bubbles.

6. Undoing Changes

A. Undo Individual Edits

  • To undo an edit, tap the specific tool you want to revert and slide the adjustment back to its original position.

B. Revert to Original

  • If you want to discard all edits and restore the original version of the photo, tap Revert in the lower-right corner, then confirm the action by tapping Revert to Original.

7. Saving and Sharing Your Edited Photo

A. Save Your Edits

  • When you’re done editing, tap Done in the bottom-right corner. This saves your edited photo within the Photos app, but you can always return to the original version.

B. Share Your Edited Photo

  • To share your edited photo, tap the share icon (square with an upward arrow) in the bottom-left corner. You can share the photo via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, or social media apps like Instagram or Facebook.

Conclusion

Editing photos on your iPhone is simple with the built-in Photos app. Whether you’re making small tweaks like adjusting brightness and color or applying creative filters, your iPhone provides a variety of tools to enhance your photos. With features like cropping, straightening, and markup, you can easily create professional-looking images without third-party apps.