Add Photo to Contact on iPhone/iPad - Manual Guide

Adding Photos to iPhone Contacts
The default grey circle representing a contact on your iPhone can be enhanced. Adding photos to your contacts provides a visual identifier for calls and texts.
Manual Photo Addition
While iPhone automatically syncs contact photos from connected Facebook accounts, manual addition is necessary for others. This process ensures a personalized experience when communicating with your contacts.
When a photo is manually assigned, it will appear during incoming and outgoing calls. Furthermore, the image will be displayed alongside the contact’s name in your iPhone’s messaging app, specifically on iPhone 6 models and newer.
It’s important to note that these contact photos can be hidden if desired, offering control over your visual experience.
How the Process Works
Adding a photo is a straightforward process. It personalizes your communication experience and makes identifying callers and texters easier.
The ability to customize contact photos enhances the iPhone’s usability. It moves beyond basic functionality to provide a more visually engaging and intuitive user interface.
Adding a Contact Photo Manually via the Contacts App
Initiate the process by locating and tapping the Contacts icon on your device’s Home screen.

From the contact list, select the specific contact you wish to modify. Then, access the editing options by tapping the “Edit” button situated in the top-right corner of the screen.

Within the contact’s editing interface, select the option to “add photo” which appears adjacent to the contact’s displayed name.

You are now presented with choices for sourcing the contact’s photo. You can either capture a new image directly, or select an existing one from your device’s photo library. For this guide, we will choose an image already stored on the device by tapping “Choose Photo”.

Browse your photo library to locate the desired image. Once selected, tap on the photo. A circular frame will appear over the image.
Adjust the position of the photo within the frame to highlight the specific area you wish to use for the contact’s picture. Confirm your selection by tapping “Choose”.

The chosen photo will now be displayed within the circular frame next to the contact’s name. If adjustments are needed, tap the “edit” option below the photo. Otherwise, finalize the changes by tapping “Done”.

Editing the contact’s photo allows several options. These include capturing a new image, selecting an alternative photo from your library, modifying the current photo, or removing the existing photo entirely.

Upon completion, the selected photo will be prominently displayed alongside the contact’s name.

Adding a Contact Photo Manually via the Photos App
It is possible to assign a photo to a contact by utilizing the Photos application. Begin by locating and tapping the “Photos” icon on your device’s Home screen.

Once you’ve found the desired image for the contact, simply tap on it to open it. Options will then appear at the bottom of the screen.

From the options presented on the Share screen, select “Assign to Contact”.

A search function will appear; use it to find the contact you wish to associate with the chosen photo. Tap on the correct contact from the search results.

A circular frame will appear around the image. Adjust the photo’s position within the frame until it is displayed as desired, then tap “Choose”.

The selected picture will now be visible alongside the contact’s name when viewing their details.

To make changes to the photo, tap the "Edit" button located in the upper-right corner of the screen, following the same procedure outlined previously.
Flexibility in Photo Selection
Employing either of these manual methods grants you the freedom to utilize any image for a contact. The image doesn’t necessarily need to be a portrait of the individual.
Perhaps you’d prefer a memorable picture of a shared experience to appear when they contact you.
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