How to Add a Photo to a Contact So You See Their Face When They Call

Remember the little photos in your wallet?

For years, most of us carried a folded picture of the grandkids tucked behind a driver's license. A quick glance, and there they were.

Your iPhone can do something similar. When you add a photo to someone's contact, their face pops up on the screen every time they call. No squinting at the number to figure out who it is — just their smiling face, right there.

Here's how to set that up, one contact at a time.

Adding a photo to someone already in your contacts

Start with someone you call often — a son, a daughter, a good friend.

Open the green Phone app, then tap Contacts at the bottom.
Find the person's name and tap it.
In the top right corner, tap Edit.
Tap Add Photo (it's the round circle near the top, sometimes showing their initials).
Tap Camera to take a new picture, or Photos to pick one you've already taken.

If you choose Photos, your picture library will open. Tap the photo you want. You can pinch it with two fingers to make it bigger or smaller inside the little circle, and drag it around until their face is centered.

When it looks right, tap Done in the top right. Then tap Done again to save the contact.

That's it. The next time they call, you'll see their face fill the screen.

A few tips that make this work better

Pick a photo where the person's face is clear and fairly close up. A picture from across the room at Thanksgiving won't show much once it's shrunk down to a small circle.

Photos taken outdoors in soft daylight usually look best. Avoid pictures where they're wearing sunglasses or a hat pulled low — the whole point is seeing the face.

If you can't find a good photo in your library, ask them to text you one. When the picture arrives, press and hold on it, then tap Save to add it to your Photos. Now it's ready to use.

What if you want to change it later?

Maybe the grandbaby grew up, or you found a better picture. Changing the photo works exactly the same way.

Open the contact, tap Edit, tap the photo itself, and choose Edit or Choose a Different Photo. Pick the new one, adjust it, and tap Done.

You can also remove a photo entirely by tapping Edit on the contact, tapping the photo, and choosing Remove Photo.

One thing to try today

Think of the three people you talk to most often on the phone. Open your Contacts and add a photo to each one.

The next time any of them calls, you won't have to reach for your reading glasses to see who it is. Their face will be waiting for you.

Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.