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To use the Markup editor in the Photos app on iPhone and iPad, open Photos, choose a photo, tap Edit, tap Markup or Add Annotations, make your changes, then tap Done twice. Markup lets you draw, add text, shapes, signatures, stickers, a loupe, and an image description without installing another app.
Markup is Apple’s built-in annotation toolbox. It is useful for circling an object, drawing an arrow, labeling a screenshot, highlighting a repair point, adding a signature graphic, magnifying a small detail, or attaching an accessibility description. The exact toolbar layout and labels can vary by iOS or iPadOS version, device, and screen size.
Key takeaways
- The standard Photos path is Photos > photo > Edit > Markup or Add Annotations, followed by Done twice.
- Markup includes pen, marker, and pencil drawing tools with controls for color, line thickness, and opacity.
- The eraser removes Markup strokes, while the Lasso tool selects and moves a completed drawing; neither removes an unwanted object from the original photo.
- Current Apple documentation includes Add Text, Add Shape, Add Signature, Add Sticker, a loupe, and Add Description, although availability and labels can depend on software version.
- A finger is enough to use Markup on iPhone and iPad; Apple Pencil is an optional input method on supported iPad models.
- Photos provides an Edit > Revert workflow for returning a saved edit to the original, but an exported marked-up image is a rendered copy rather than an editable Markup project.
How do you open the Markup editor in the Photos app on iPhone and iPad?
Open the photo directly in Photos, enter the normal editing screen, and choose Markup or Add Annotations. Apple’s Photos Markup instructions describe this workflow:
- Open the Photos app.
- Open the photo you want to annotate.
- Tap Edit.
- Tap Markup or the Add Annotations button. Apple uses both labels in its current documentation and interfaces.
- Use the toolbar to draw or add objects.
- Tap Done in the Markup interface.
- Tap Done again to finish the broader Photos editing session.
The two Done taps have different roles. The first closes or commits the Markup work, and the second finishes the Photos editing session. Complete both steps before leaving the photo if you want the annotation saved as part of the edit.
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On iPhone and iPad, the toolbar may not look exactly like an Apple support illustration. A different iOS or iPadOS release, screen size, or device can change the icon arrangement. If the control is labeled Add Annotations rather than Markup, use that control; the purpose is the same in the documented editing workflow. Apple’s current iPhone Photos editing guide also uses the Add Annotations wording.
What can the Markup editor do?
Markup adds visible annotations or accessibility information to a photo; it is not a full photo-retouching or graphic-design application. The tool is well suited to callouts and explanations, but it does not replace layer-based compositing, advanced masking, professional typography, or dedicated object-removal tools.
| Task | Best Markup feature | What the result does |
|---|---|---|
| Circle a person or object | Freehand drawing or a circle shape | Adds a visible outline around the detail |
| Point to a detail | Arrow or freehand drawing | Adds a visible directional callout |
| Label a screenshot | Add Text | Places editable text within the current Markup session |
| Show a tiny detail | Loupe | Magnifies part of the image inside a visible annotation |
| Add an accessibility explanation | Add Description | Stores a custom description for accessibility features rather than visible text on the image |
| Remove a photographic object | Not Markup | Requires a suitable Photos cleanup feature or another photo editor |
Apple describes Markup as supporting drawings, text, shapes, signatures, and other annotations in supported apps including Photos. The available additions are documented in Apple’s current iPhone Markup guide and corresponding iPad Markup guide.
How do you draw on a photo with the pen, marker, or pencil?
After opening Markup, choose a drawing tool from the toolbar and drag across the photo with a finger or, on a supported iPad, Apple Pencil. The main drawing choices are a pen for solid, relatively precise lines, a marker or highlighter for broader and often more translucent strokes, and a pencil for a pencil-like appearance.
- Choose the pen, marker, or pencil.
- Tap the color control and select a color.
- Draw directly on the photo.
- Tap the selected drawing tool again if you need to adjust thickness or opacity.
Apple’s iPhone guide to Markup drawing controls documents color, line weight, and opacity controls. The exact controls can be arranged differently on iPad or on another software version.
For a clear annotation, use a bright color that contrasts with the image. Use a thicker line when the final image will be viewed on a small screen. Lower opacity when highlighting so the underlying photo remains visible. For a small object, zoom in before drawing and keep the arrow or circle near the detail instead of placing the stroke directly over it.
How do you change Markup color, thickness, and opacity?
Select a pen, marker, or pencil, then open that tool’s additional controls to change its line thickness or opacity. Use the color button to choose another color or access additional color-selection options.
| Control | How to use it | Useful result |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Tap the color control and select a color | Changes the color of the selected drawing tool or applicable object |
| Thickness or line weight | Tap the selected drawing tool and choose a line weight | Makes a pen, marker, or pencil stroke narrower or broader |
| Opacity | Open the selected tool’s controls and adjust opacity | Makes a stroke more transparent or more solid |
| Fill and border properties | Select an inserted shape and use the available toolbar controls | Changes the shape’s outline, fill, or transparency |
Not every formatting control appears identically on every iPhone and iPad. If a control is not visible, tap the currently selected tool or object and check the expanded toolbar or More menu.
How do you erase, undo, and redo Markup?
Use the eraser to remove part of a Markup stroke, and use Undo to reverse the most recent Markup action. The eraser and Undo do different jobs.
- Eraser: Select the eraser and rub over the marked area. The eraser removes annotation strokes or portions of strokes.
- Undo: Tap Undo to reverse the latest action, such as a stroke, text insertion, or object change.
- Redo: Use Redo to restore an action that you just undid when that control is available.
- Shake to Undo: Apple documents shaking the device as an optional way to reveal Redo after an accidental undo, but the toolbar controls are the dependable method.
The eraser is not a photographic object remover. Erasing a Markup stroke will not remove a person, wire, blemish, or other object from the underlying image. Apple’s general Markup guide documents both rubbing across a marked area and using Undo.
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How do you move a drawing with the Lasso tool?
Use Lasso to trace around a completed freehand drawing and drag the selected drawing to another position. Lasso is primarily a selection tool for drawn Markup, not a general-purpose cutout tool for extracting a person or object from the photo.
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- Tap Lasso in the Markup toolbar.
- Trace around the drawing you want to select.
- Drag the selected drawing to its new position.
If the drawing is difficult to select, pinch open to zoom in and temporarily move nearby Markup objects if possible. Overlapping annotations can make selection harder, so work at a larger zoom level and keep separate callouts from touching.
How do you zoom and pan while annotating?
Pinch open with two fingers to zoom in, drag with two fingers to pan around the enlarged image, and pinch closed to zoom back out. Zooming is especially useful when placing a small text box, tracing a lasso, or drawing around a fine detail.
Apple documents these gestures for working closely with Markup objects in its iPhone Markup instructions. Zooming changes your working view; it does not crop the photo.
How do you make a perfect arrow, circle, or geometric shape?
Draw the shape in one continuous stroke with a pen, marker, or pencil, then pause briefly before lifting your finger or Apple Pencil. Markup can recognize the stroke and convert it into a cleaner geometric shape.
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- Draw the shape in one uninterrupted motion.
- Pause briefly at the end of the stroke before lifting your finger or Apple Pencil.
- If the result is not what you want, tap Undo and try again more slowly.
Apple lists recognized examples including lines, arrows, arcs, squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, pentagons, chat bubbles, hearts, stars, and clouds. A shape may remain freehand if the stroke is split into multiple parts or the finger is lifted too early. Apple explains the one-stroke recognition behavior in its iPhone Markup guide.
How do you insert and edit a shape from the Add menu?
Choose a ready-made shape from Add Shape when you want a clean object without drawing it freehand.
- Tap Add.
- Tap Add Shape.
- Choose a shape.
- Drag the inserted shape into position.
- Drag its blue or outline handles to resize it.
- Use available green handles to adjust direction, curves, or other shape-specific dimensions.
Depending on the shape, toolbar controls can change the border color, border width, fill color, and opacity. The More menu may provide actions such as duplicate, copy, share, or delete. Drag the shape to move it, and use its handles rather than drawing over it when precise resizing matters.
Apple documents both inserted shapes and shape handles in its current iPad Markup guide.
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Tap Add, choose Add Text, tap the new text box, and type a caption or label. Markup provides controls for font, size, alignment, style, and color, although the exact controls can vary by device and software version.
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- Tap Add.
- Choose Add Text.
- Tap the text box and type with the onscreen keyboard or a connected keyboard.
- Use the text controls to change the font, size, alignment, style, or color.
- Tap outside the text box when finished.
Drag the text box to reposition it and use its handles to resize it. Tap the text box again to edit the words. Depending on the current interface, the More menu can include copy, duplicate, cut, share, and delete actions. Apple documents text insertion and formatting in the iPhone Markup guide.
Useful labels include a date or location, a “before” or “after” note, a measurement, a repair point, or a short instruction on a screenshot. Use a high-contrast color and avoid placing small text over a busy part of the image.
How do you add a signature to an image?
Choose Add Signature from Markup’s Add menu, select an existing signature or create one when prompted, and place the signature graphic on the image. The feature can be useful for adding a visible signature to an image or document-like photograph.
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- Tap Add.
- Tap Add Signature.
- Choose a saved signature or create one.
- Drag the signature into place and resize it with the handles.
- Tap outside the object, then complete the two Done steps.
A Markup signature graphic is not automatically a legally authenticated or cryptographically verified electronic signature. Markup does not by itself prove who signed an image, when the signature was applied, or whether the image has an audit trail. For legal, regulated, medical, or professional documentation, keep the original and use the required document-signing or records workflow.
How do you add stickers to a photo?
On systems that provide the current Sticker option, tap Add, choose Add Sticker, and drag a sticker onto the photo. Sticker availability depends on the installed system version and the sticker collection available on the device.
- Tap Add.
- Tap Add Sticker.
- Touch and drag a sticker onto the image.
- Resize it with the outline handles.
- Use a second finger while positioning it to rotate it.
Apple says sticker packs can be downloaded from the App Store and that stickers can be created from subjects in photos or Live Photos. The current iPhone Markup documentation lists Add Sticker, while an older or different interface may not show the option.
How do you use the loupe or magnifier?
The loupe enlarges a portion of the photo so a small scratch, label, serial number, or screenshot detail is easier to see.
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- Choose the loupe or magnifier option.
- Drag the loupe over the area to enlarge.
- Drag the blue handle to change the loupe’s size.
- Drag the green handle to change the magnification.
The loupe is an annotation placed on the image, not a permanent change to the camera’s original detail. Apple documents the blue and green adjustment handles in its Markup support instructions.
How do you add an image description for accessibility?
Choose Add, select Description, enter a meaningful explanation, and tap Done. An image description is accessibility content associated with the image; it is not visible text permanently overlaid on the photograph.
- Tap Add.
- Tap Description.
- Enter a useful description of the image.
- Tap Done.
Apple says VoiceOver can read custom descriptions when using Image Explorer. A description should explain the information a person needs from the image, rather than merely saying that the image contains an arrow or text. Apple documents this feature in the current iPad guide and its current iPhone Markup documentation.
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How do finger input and Apple Pencil differ in Markup?
A finger is sufficient for Markup on both iPhone and iPad. On supported iPad models, Apple Pencil provides an additional way to write and draw, but Apple Pencil is not required.
| Input method | Works where | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | iPhone and iPad | Quick arrows, circles, labels, shapes, and occasional annotations |
| Apple Pencil | Supported iPad models | Handwriting, detailed drawing, and longer annotation sessions |
| Connected keyboard | iPhone or iPad when available | Typing text into a Markup text box |
Apple specifically qualifies Apple Pencil support by iPad model, so compatibility should be checked for the particular iPad and Pencil rather than assumed. Apple’s iPad Markup input guide identifies both finger and Apple Pencil as input methods on supported devices.
How do you save or revert Markup changes?
Tap Done in Markup and then Done again in Photos to save the edited photo. Reopen the image afterward if you want to confirm that the annotation is present.
To return a saved photo edit to the original, open the photo, tap Edit, and choose Revert where that control is available in the current Photos interface. Apple’s Photos documentation for reverting edits identifies Revert as the way to undo saved photo edits.
Revert is not the same as deleting the photo. Reverting removes the edits from that edited version, including Markup changes made during the editing session. If you export or send a marked-up copy, the recipient receives the rendered result; the exported image should not be treated as a separately editable Markup project with preserved annotation layers.
For important legal, medical, inspection, or professional records, retain the unedited original before adding annotations. A marked-up image communicates information, but Markup alone does not establish an audit trail or authenticate the annotation.
Why is Markup missing from Photos?
If Markup is missing, first return to the photo’s normal Edit workflow and look for both Markup and Add Annotations, because the label and toolbar can vary with the installed system version.
- Open the image directly in Photos, rather than only viewing it in another app or a share sheet.
- Tap Edit.
- Look for Markup or Add Annotations.
- Confirm that you are working with a still photo in the expected Photos editing context.
- If the control remains absent, check whether the device can update to a newer compatible iOS or iPadOS release.
Apple’s current iPhone guide and current iPad Photos guide show that interface wording and editing controls can differ. Do not assume that every iPhone, iPad, software version, media type, or regional interface exposes exactly the same button.
What should you do when a shape will not snap into place?
Undo the freehand attempt and draw the shape again in one continuous stroke, pausing briefly before lifting your finger or Apple Pencil. Markup’s geometric recognition depends on the one-stroke gesture described in Apple’s iPhone instructions.
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What should you do when an annotation cannot be selected?
Use Lasso for a freehand drawing, and tap the object itself for text or an inserted shape. Zooming in can make handles easier to target, especially when annotations overlap.
- For a drawing, tap Lasso, trace around the stroke, and drag the selection.
- For text, tap the text box and look for its handles or More menu.
- For a shape, tap the shape and use its outline or blue and green handles.
- For overlapping objects, zoom in and move or delete the obstructing object first if the interface allows it.
The documented Lasso behavior is selecting and moving a drawing, not cutting out part of the original photo. If an object is difficult to select, avoid repeatedly drawing over it; use zoom and the appropriate object-selection method.
What is Markup not designed to do?
Markup is designed for annotation, not for advanced photo manipulation. Use a different Photos feature or a dedicated editor when the goal is to change the underlying photographic content.
| What you want | Is Markup the right tool? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Add an arrow, circle, label, or highlight | Yes | These are core annotation tasks |
| Magnify a small area for explanation | Yes | The loupe adds a visible magnified callout |
| Remove a person, wire, or object from the photo | No | The eraser removes Markup strokes, not photographic content |
| Build a multi-layer graphic composition | No | Markup is not a layer-based design editor |
| Apply a legally authenticated signature | No, not by itself | A signature graphic does not provide authentication or an audit trail |
| Provide an accessibility explanation | Yes | Add Description supplies custom accessibility content |
For advanced retouching, masking, object removal, or professional compositing, use the appropriate Photos feature where supported or a dedicated photo-editing application. Keep the original image whenever the annotation is part of an important record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Markup without an Apple Pencil?
Yes. A finger is sufficient for Markup on iPhone and iPad. Apple Pencil is an optional drawing and writing method on supported iPad models, not a requirement for opening or using Markup.
Can I remove Markup from a photo later?
Yes, Photos provides an Edit > Revert workflow for returning a saved photo edit to the original where that control is available. Revert removes the photo edits rather than deleting the photo, and an exported marked-up copy is a separate rendered image.
Does Markup remove unwanted objects from a photo?
No. Markup’s eraser removes annotation strokes, not people, wires, blemishes, or other objects in the underlying photograph. Use a suitable Photos cleanup feature or a dedicated photo editor for object removal.
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Is a signature added with Markup legally binding?
A Markup signature is a graphic placed on an image and is not automatically a legally authenticated or cryptographically verified electronic signature. Use the document-signing or records workflow required for the relevant legal or professional situation.
Can I add alt text or an image description in Markup?
Current iPhone and iPad Markup guides include Add Description in supported contexts. The description is accessibility content that VoiceOver can read through Image Explorer; it is not visible text permanently drawn over the photo.
The Bottom Line
For quick visual explanations, the Markup editor in Photos on iPhone and iPad is usually all you need: open Photos > photo > Edit > Markup or Add Annotations, annotate with the drawing or Add tools, and tap Done twice. Use Revert when you need to remove the saved edit, and switch to a dedicated editor or signing workflow when you need object removal, advanced compositing, authentication, or an audit trail.
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