How do you edit a photo on iPhone?
- Open the Photos app, find the picture, tap it full-screen, then tap Edit in the top-right. This shows a bottom toolbar with Adjust, Filters, Crop, and Markup icons.
- Tap Crop to trim, rotate, flip, or straighten. Drag the rectangle corners inward to enclose the area to keep, tap the aspect-ratio icon for a preset, tap the rotate icon to turn 90°, or drag the angle dial to straighten a tilted horizon.
- Tap Adjust for light and colour sliders: Exposure, Brilliance, Highlights, Shadows, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, Vibrance, Warmth, Tint, Sharpness, and more. Tap one, then drag to adjust.
- Tap Filters to apply a one-tap look: Vivid, Dramatic, Mono, Silvertone, or Noir, among others. Drag the slider under a selected filter to control its strength.
- Tap the magic-wand icon for an automatic exposure and colour balance, then fine-tune further in Adjust if needed.
- To add text, shapes, or drawings, tap Markup — on some iOS versions this appears directly in the toolbar, on others it's behind a "•••" More button. Tap the Add (+) button for text or shapes, or draw with the pen, marker, or pencil tools.
- Tap Done to save, or Cancel then Discard Changes to back out.
Can I undo edits after saving a photo?
Yes. The original photo is preserved even after you tap Done. Reopen the photo, tap Edit, then tap Revert in the bottom-left corner at any time to undo every edit and restore the original image exactly as it was taken.
Do edits sync across my Apple devices?
Only if iCloud Photos is turned on (Settings > your name > iCloud > Photos). With it on, an edit made on your iPhone appears automatically on any other device signed in to the same iCloud account, without needing to re-edit the photo on each one.
Is there a free app better than the built-in editor?
For more advanced tools, such as selective local adjustments, a healing brush, and RAW file support, Snapseed (made by Google, free on the App Store, no subscription for its core toolset) remains one of the most widely used free photo editors. It's genuinely useful if the built-in Adjust and Filters tools feel limiting, but for everyday touch-ups, the Photos app alone is usually enough.
People also ask
How do I crop a photo on iPhone?
Open the photo in Photos, tap Edit, tap Crop, then drag the corner handles inward or pinch the image to enclose only the part you want to keep.
Can I undo edits after I've already saved a photo on iPhone?
Yes — the original is never overwritten. Reopen the photo, tap Edit, then tap Revert to remove every edit.
How do I remove a filter I applied to a photo?
Reopen the photo, tap Edit, tap Filters, and select None, or tap Revert to remove the filter along with any other edits.