How to Change a Contact Photo on iPhone (Yours and Others)

To change a contact photo on iPhone, open the Contacts app, tap the contact, tap Edit, then tap Add Photo or Edit under the current picture. Pick Camera, Photos, Memoji, Monogram or Emoji, adjust the crop, and tap Done. To change your own contact photo, open your My Card at the top of Contacts and tap Contact Photo & Poster instead.

This guide covers both cases: the picture you see for other people, and the photo and Contact Poster other iPhone users see when you call or message them. It also explains how to switch back to a plain monogram and how to control who receives your photo.

How to change a contact's photo on iPhone

The Contacts app lets you set any picture for another person's card, and only you see it. The steps are the same whether the contact has no photo yet or you want to replace an old one, and Apple's Edit contacts guide covers the same task.

1. Open the Contacts app (or the Phone app and tap Contacts).
2. Tap the contact whose picture you want to change.
3. Tap Edit in the top right corner.
4. Tap Add Photo, or tap Edit below the existing picture.
5. Choose a source: Camera to take a new picture, Photos to pick one from your library, or Memoji, Monogram or Emoji for a non-photo avatar.
6. Move and pinch the image to frame the face inside the circle, optionally pick a filter, then tap Choose.
7. Tap Done to save the contact card.

If the contact has shared their own photo with you through Name and Photo Sharing, iOS may show their picture automatically or offer to update it. A photo you set yourself on their card stays on your device and does not change what they see. You can also open a contact from a Messages conversation by tapping the name at the top, then Edit, to reach the same photo options.

How to change your own contact photo and Contact Poster

Your own photo lives on your My Card, the contact card that iOS treats as you. Since iOS 17, that card holds two linked images: a small contact photo (the round avatar) and a full screen Contact Poster that appears on the other person's iPhone when you call.

1. Open Contacts and tap My Card at the top of the list. If you have no My Card, create a contact with your name and number, then open the Contacts section of the Settings app and choose that card under My Info. Apple's guide to adding your contact info and photo covers the same card.
2. Tap Contact Photo & Poster.
3. Check your first and last name, which are shown to the people you share with.
4. Tap Edit to see your saved posters, then swipe to pick one and tap Customize, or tap Create New (the + button) to start a fresh one.
5. Choose Camera, Photos, Memoji, Monogram or Emoji as the poster type and customize it (see the next sections).
6. Tap Done, review the preview, then crop the matching contact photo and tap Continue or Done.
7. When iOS asks whether to use this photo everywhere, tap Use to also apply it to your Apple Account and Messages, or Not Now to keep it on the card only.

You can also reach the same editor from the Phone app: tap Edit on the Calls or Recents screen and tap your name with Name & Photo below it.

Contact Poster styles: Camera, Photos, Memoji, Monogram and Emoji

The Contact Poster editor offers five starting points, and each one lets you change the name font, weight and color by tapping your name at the top of the poster.

For photo posters, swipe left and right on the preview to cycle through the filter styles, and tap the color button to change the background tint where a style supports it. The three dot button may offer Depth Effect, which lets the subject overlap your name; turn it off if the name is hard to read. For Memoji posters, hold the iPhone in front of your face to capture an expression or choose a preset pose, then tap Next.

How to change the monogram or contact background on iPhone

A monogram is the initials avatar iOS shows when a contact has no photo, and you can restyle it or switch back to it at any time. For your own card, open Contact Photo & Poster, tap Edit, create a new poster and choose Monogram.

1. Tap the color button and pick a background color, then use the slider to adjust how vivid it is.
2. Tap your name at the top to change the font, font weight and color. The weight also applies to the initials.
3. Tap the initials in the corner to edit them, for example to use one letter or a nickname.
4. Tap Done, then confirm the matching contact photo.

To change the background of a photo poster instead, open the poster, tap Customize and pick a different filter style or color. For another person's card, tap Edit, then Edit under the picture, and choose Monogram to replace a photo with initials on the background color you select. If you want to remove a poster entirely, open the poster gallery and swipe up on it; if your iOS version shows a delete (trash) button, tap it. If not, switching the card to a Monogram is the reliable way to drop the photo.

Who can see your contact photo: Name and Photo Sharing

Name and Photo Sharing decides whether your contact photo and poster reach other iPhone users when you call, message or use NameDrop. Find it at the bottom of the Contact Photo & Poster screen on your My Card.

• Name and Photo Sharing toggle: turn it off to stop sharing your name and photo with anyone.
• Contacts Only: your photo and poster are shared automatically with people saved in your contacts.
• Always Ask: iOS asks before sharing your name and photo in a conversation.

Your poster appears on the other person's iPhone only if they use a recent iOS version and they have you saved as a contact. People on Android or older iPhones see whatever photo they set for you themselves.

FAQ

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