How to draw on photos: iPhone user guide

There are lots of reasons why you would want to add a sketch over a photo in your library. Just for fun, of course, but maybe you need to annotate an image for work or add a quick sketch to a photo for a DIY project. 

It’s easy to draw on a photo on your iPhone using the Photos app without any additional apps or tools, and if you need to get creative, there are a few additional apps that give you more flexibility with your drawing capabilities. Learn to draw on your photos, and you’ve got a tech skill that you never knew you needed, and you’ll find yourself using it more than you expected.

How to draw on a photo on iPhone

The easiest way to draw on a photo on your iPhone is with the Markup tool in the Photos app, which gives you different pens for drawing and allows you to choose a variety of colors to personalize your sketch. If you don’t like the results, you can always revert back to your original photo.

Let’s take a look at how to draw on a photo using Markup in Photos, as well as a few other apps that have added capabilities.

Using iPhone’s Markup tool to draw on photos

We’re going to start with the cheapest and easiest option for doing quick sketches and drawings on your photos — iPhone’s native Markup tool, which can be found in the Photos app. Here’s how to draw on photo iPhone using this tool:

1. Navigate to Photos on your iPhone and choose a photo that you want to draw on.
2. Tap ‘Edit’ in the upper right corner.
3. Tap the icon that looks like a pen in the upper right corner.
4. Choose a drawing tool from the menu at the bottom of the screen. You can choose from a pen, highlighter, or a marker. Each tool offers a different type of line to use on your photo.
5. If you choose the pen tool, a small pop-up menu will appear. Choose the thickness you want for your drawing.
6. Tap on the colored circle to choose what color you want to use to draw.
7. Now, simply use your finger to draw over your photo on the screen.
8. If you make a mistake, tap the back arrow at the top of the screen.
9. When you are happy with the results, tap ‘Done’ — your marked-up photo will be saved to your camera roll.

How to add text to your photo

Need to markup your photo with text? Add a speech bubble? Create a meme? The Markup tool can do that, too. Here’s how to do it:

1. Navigate to the Photos app and choose a photo that you want to experiment with.
2. Tap ‘Edit’ in the upper right corner.
3. Tap the pen icon to open the Markup tool.
4. Tap ‘+’ in the bottom right corner.
5. To add a speech bubble, tap the speech bubble.
6. Change the color of the bubble by choosing from the bottom menu.
7. Change the size and shape of the speech bubble by dragging the dots around the edge of the bubble.
8. To add text, tap on ‘+’ and choose ‘Text.’
9. Type your text in the box and choose a color from the menu.
10. Tap ‘Edit’ to fix mistakes and drag the text into the speech bubble.
11. Tap on either element to edit or delete it.
12. Tap ‘Done’ when you are happy with the results.

Clean up your photo library with CleanMy^®Phone

Experimenting with drawing on your photos is addictive, and you will either need an iPhone with more storage space or CleanMy®Phone to clean up your library. With CleanMy^®Phone, you can quickly browse your photos and delete the ones you don’t want. The app sorts them into categories (like Screenshots, Blur, Duplicates, etc.), and you just need to choose what to keep. Selected pics are then sent to the Recently Deleted album in your Photos app. Cleaning up your photo library has never felt so satisfying!

A few more apps for drawing on a photo on iPhone

Using the Markup tool in Photos is probably all you need for drawing on your photos, but If you find that drawing on photos is your jam and you want to experiment with more options, you may want an iPhone app drawing on photos. Check out our collection below.

You Doodle

With hundreds of tools at your disposal, You Doodle is a fun app for drawing on photos, creating memes, or creating one-of-a-kind collages. With You Doddle, you can quickly blend two or more photos, add text, draw with different lines, shapes, and colors, and more. The best part is that You Doodle works in iMessage and Photos, plus you can use a stylus for more precision. 

You Doodle is free to download, and the pro version is $5.99.

YouCam Perfect

YouCam Perfect is marketed as a selfie photo editing and beauty app, but it’s got great tools for adding creative drawings to your photos. The Magic Brush feature allows you to add lines and shapes in different colors wherever you touch. You can also blend photos, add text and stickers, and animate your selfies. 

YouCam Perfect is free to download with in-app purchases. 

Scribble Lite

Scribble Lite is a drawing and sketching app that integrates tools for creating quick sketches and drawings with your photos. Choose from multiple pens and colors, create a sketch, and then shake your phone to erase everything and start again.

Scribble Lite is completely free. 

Knowing how to draw on a photo on your iPhone is a handy skill to have in your back pocket. Whether you want to doodle a mustache on your ex or mark up your next home decor project, grab your stylus or finger and start experimenting.