How to crop photos on iPhone

You can crop a photo on iPhone in two simple ways- by editing with the Photos app or directly after taking a screenshot. If you want to restore the original version of a cropped photo, use the Restore tool in the Photos app.

It is quite easy to crop photos on iPhone and you have multiple options depending on how you want to crop and edit your picture. 

If you already have some photos you want to crop on your iPhone, the best place to edit is the Photos app. Here you can crop, rotate, add filters, or adjust the lighting on any image. You can also restore the cropped photos to their original image.

But you can also crop a photo by simply taking a screenshot on your iPhone and save that cropped photo right in the Photos app. This editing option is best for quickly cropping the photos you just discovered on your phone. Here’s how to crop a photo on iPhone using both of these simple methods. 

How to crop photos on iPhone

1. Select the photo you want to crop

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Choose the photo you want to crop.
3. Click the blue “Edit” button in the upper right corner of the screen.

2. Select the cropping function

1. After choosing to edit the photo, you will be taken to a screen where you have a number of options- adjust lighting, brightness, or reduce red-eye.
2. Select the crop tool (next to the blue “Undo” button at the bottom left) to proceed.

3. Cut out your photo

1. When you select the crop tool, a white box with defined angles will appear. Drag the corners of the box towards the area you want to represent and away from the parts of the image you want to delete.
2. You can also rotate the image using the orientation tool.

4. Use the rule of thirds

When you drag the white box to crop the photo, a 3 × 3 grid will appear inside the box. This can help you position the image for a better crop – you can decide to center the image or use the rule of thirds to draw the viewer’s eye to a specific point.

5. Finalize your work

1. Once the white frame is released, the photo will fit into the selected crop. If you don’t like the crop or want to adjust it, hit the blue reset button at the bottom of the screen and the image will revert to its original size.
2. When you are finished cropping, select the yellow “Done” button in the lower right corner to finalize the cropped photo.

Edit and restore the cropped photo

1. After saving the cropped photo, you won’t lose the original version completely. When you choose to edit the cropped photo, you will see a new option in red at the bottom right- “Restore”.
2. Click “Restore” if you want to delete the crop and restore the original photo.

Revert to original to completely eliminate cropping

If you decide to click “Revert to Original”, the cropped photo will be deleted and the original image will be restored.

Cut out a photo by taking a screenshot

Do you want to crop a photo without saving the original version? If you find an image online, you can immediately crop it by taking a screenshot and save the cropped photo directly to your phone.

1. Take your screenshot

1. You can take a screenshot on your iPhone at any time by pressing two buttons simultaneously.
2. On iPhone X models, press the power and volume up buttons.
3. On older iPhones, press the Power and Home buttons.

2. Crop or edit the screenshot

1. After taking a screenshot, a blue border will appear around the image. Drag the blue border to position the crop towards the area of ​​the photo you want to highlight and away from the area you want to crop.
2. You can also use the tools below to draw or mark your photo.
3. When you’re done cropping and editing, click the blue “Done” button in the upper left corner of the screen.

3. Save your screenshot in the Photos app

1. After finishing printing, you will have the opportunity to save the screenshot in the Photos app on your iPhone or delete it if you wish.
2. To save the cropped screenshot, click “Save to Photo”.