To add a picture to a note on iPhone, open the note in the Notes app, tap the Attachments button in the toolbar, and choose a photo from your library or take a new one. You can also share a photo from another app straight into a note.
This guide covers adding photos from your library or camera, sending pictures from other apps, resizing and marking up images, finding every picture in your notes, and saving photos you take in Notes. The steps follow Apple’s guide to adding photos, video and more to notes on iPhone.
How to Add a Photo to a Note
- Open the Notes app and open a note, or tap the New Note button to start one.
- Tap where you want the picture to go.
- Tap the Attachments button (a paper clip on current versions of iOS) in the toolbar above the keyboard.
- Tap Choose Photo or Video to pick from your library, or Take Photo or Video to use the camera.
- Select one or more photos, then tap Add.
Result: The picture appears in the note at your cursor. You can select several images at once before tapping Add.
Keep photos you take in Notes
Photos you take with the camera from inside Notes stay in the note unless you change a setting. To also save them to your photo library, go to Settings › Apps › Notes and turn on Save to Photos.
How to Add a Picture From Another App
Apple says you can add items from other apps as attachments, such as a photo, a location in Maps, a webpage in Safari, a PDF in Files or a screenshot.
- Open the picture or item in its app, such as Photos.
- Tap the Share button.
- Tap Notes (or Add to Quick Note).
- Choose a new note or an existing one, then tap Save.
Result: The picture is added to the note you picked, without opening Notes first.
How to Resize, Mark Up or Remove a Picture
- Change one picture’s size: touch and hold it, tap View As, then choose a size.
- Change all pictures in a note: tap the More button, tap Attachment View, then choose Set All to Small or Set All to Large.
- Draw on a photo: tap the photo, then tap the markup button, as Apple describes.
- Remove a picture: place the cursor right after it and tap the Delete key.
How to See Every Picture in Your Notes
- Open the Notes app.
- Above the notes list, tap the More button, then tap View Attachments.
- Touch and hold a thumbnail and tap Show in Note to jump to the note that contains it.
Result: You see thumbnails of photos, links, documents and other attachments. Apple notes that attachments in locked notes aren’t shown.
Troubleshooting
- No Attachments button: tap inside the note so the keyboard and toolbar appear.
- A pasted photo won’t appear: copy the photo again in Photos, then touch and hold in the note and tap Paste. You can also use the Share method above.
- Photos missing on your other devices: check that the note is in your iCloud account, not On My iPhone, which stays on the phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lock a note that has pictures?
Yes. Apple’s guide to locking notes says you can’t lock notes with video, audio, PDF or file attachments, but photos aren’t on that list.
Do pictures in Notes take up iCloud storage?
If the note is stored in iCloud, its attachments are stored there too, so large photos and videos add to your iCloud usage.
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Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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