How To Download Pictures From Messages On Iphone

You can save pictures from text messages on your iPhone individually or in a batch from a single conversation at a time.
Pictures you receive within text messages do not automatically download to your iPhone's Photos app.
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Pictures received in messages using third-party apps such as WhatsApp will save automatically to your iPhone's photos collection. With iMessage, the iPhone's equivalent to Android's SMS text messages, you have to save the pictures you're sent.

This default feature may help save space in your iPhone's memory, but it also means you have to actively save pictures you want to have on your phone.

There are a couple of ways to save these pictures one by one. You can also save a selection of images or every photo within your text history from a single person.

Here's how to do it.

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How to save pictures from text messages on your iPhone individually

1. Open your iPhone's Messages app and find the picture you want to save.

You can receive texts, gifs, videos, photos, and more through iMessages.

2. Press and hold the image you want to save until an arrow appears above the picture.

3. Slide your finger up when you see the arrow and a menu featuring several options pop up.

4. Tap on "Save" and the photo will be added to your Camera Roll.

This three-tier menu allows you to save single pictures sent in iPhone text messages.

5. Alternatively, you can just tap the picture once until a square with an arrow shows up in the lower-left corner.

6. Tapping the arrow that appears will produce a menu bar of options on the bottom of your screen, allowing you to send your picture to contacts, email, social apps and more.

7. Select "Save Image" at the bottom.

Save the photo directly to your iPhone instead of sharing it.

How to save multiple pictures from text messages on your iPhone

1. Begin by opening the text thread of the contact who sent the pictures you want to download.

2. Select the name of the sender.

3. Tap on "info."

Selecting a contact produces a menu allowing you to call, Facetime, or get more info.

4. On iOS 13, locate the "PHOTOS" header and select "See All Photos" underneath the visible photos. You'll see every photo received from that sender. On iOS 12 or earlier, images appear automatically in full, and you should scroll down to the bottom until "Done" in the upper-right corner turns into "Select."

Photos will appear as a collage on your iPhone screen.

5. Click the photos you want to download. Once you've selected all the images you want, tap on "Save" in the bottom left of your iPhone screen.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

How to view all of the pictures sent in a text message thread on your iPhone
How to block text messages on your iPhone from specific senders, and unblock them if you change your mind
How to turn off read receipts on your iPhone so that senders don't know when you've read their iMessage
Why am I not receiving text messages on my iPhone?': How to fix common iPhone messaging problems
How to back up your text messages on an iPhone, using iCloud or a Mac computer

Ryan Ariano grew up in Baltimore when the Macintosh was cutting edge, lived in Los Angeles as Blackberries gave way to iPhones, and now lives in Jackson Hole where his life is held together by Bluetooth. He writes on a wide range of topics but especially loves nerding out across the tech spectrum. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.