iPhone photo guide

How to add a text overlay to a photo on iPhone

For a quick caption, use Markup in Photos. For a date, GPS coordinate, address, or reusable designed stamp, use a photo-stamping app.

Add text with Apple Photos Markup

  1. Open Photos and select the picture.
  2. Tap Edit, then the Markup button. If it is not visible, tap More and choose Markup.
  3. Tap Add Annotations or +, then Add Text. Tap the text box and type your caption.
  4. Use the text controls to adjust font, size, alignment, and color. Drag the box into position.
  5. Tap Done to save the edit. You can reopen Edit to adjust or revert the Photos edit.

This is the simplest built-in option for a one-off caption. The text is something you type yourself: Markup does not automatically read the capture date, address, or GPS from the photo.

Add a date or location as a visible stamp

If you want a repeatable stamp populated from the photo’s own metadata, open it in Metadata Engraver. Choose the date/time or location fields, style and position the overlay, then export a new copy. GPS and address fields can only show location information that is available for that photo; missing coordinates cannot be recovered by adding text.

Know what gets saved

A visible overlay becomes part of the exported image pixels, so it remains visible when shared or printed. It is separate from hidden EXIF metadata. Review the export option for keeping the original file metadata, especially before sharing a photo that may contain private GPS coordinates.

For a manual caption, see Apple’s Markup guide. Download Metadata Engraver on the App Store for reusable metadata-based stamps.

Text overlay questions

Can iPhone automatically put the photo date on the image?

Photos Markup lets you type text manually. To place date metadata as a visible overlay, use a stamping app that reads the photo’s existing date.

Will adding text change the original photo?

Markup edits the selected photo in Photos and can be adjusted or reverted there. A stamping app exports a separate image copy.

Can I add a location if the photo has no GPS?

You can type any text manually, but that does not make it verified GPS metadata. A metadata stamp can only display coordinates that exist in the photo.

Related reading