How to annotate a photo
To annotate a photo, use your device's built-in tool: iOS Markup on iPhone (tap Edit → the pencil icon), Photos on Mac (open the image, click Edit → the pencil icon), or Google Photos on Android (open the photo, tap Edit → Markup). For arrows, text, and shapes on any device, a free browser tool like Canva or Fotor works without installing anything. To collect annotations from a client, share a link they can mark up directly — no download, no software on their end.
On iPhone with iOS Markup
Open the photo in the Photos app, tap Edit, then tap the pencil icon in the top-right corner to enter Markup mode. You get a pen, highlighter, eraser, text box, and shapes — tap + to add a text label. Draw an arrow, circle the spot, type your note, then tap Done → Done to save. The markup is stored as a layer on top of the original; the unedited version is still there if you tap Revert. The same Markup tool works in Mail, Messages, and Files when previewing a photo attachment.
On Mac with Photos or Preview
Double-click the photo to open it in Photos. Click Edit, then click the pencil icon (top-right) to open the Markup toolbar. You get a pen, shapes, text, and a magnifier — useful for calling out a cropping suggestion or a color note. Click the spot you want to mark, add your annotation, then click Done to save. For JPEG or PNG files not in your Photos library, drag the file onto Preview instead: click View → Show Markup Toolbar (Shift ⌘ A) and use the same shape and text tools. Save with ⌘ S.
On Android with Google Photos
Open the photo in Google Photos, tap Edit, then tap the pencil icon labeled Markup. You get a pen and a highlighter in several colors. Draw a circle, underline a detail, or freehand annotate the area you mean, then tap Done → Save copy. Google Photos saves an annotated duplicate — the original stays untouched. For text labels or arrows (which Google Photos' Markup doesn't include), open the photo in Snapseed instead: tap Tools → Text to add a typed label to any spot.
In a browser (any device, any platform)
If you need arrows, numbered call-outs, or text boxes and you're not on iOS or Mac, a free browser tool is the fastest path. Upload the photo to Fotor or Canva (both free, no account required for basic use), click Annotate or Add Text, and place your markers. Download the annotated version as a JPEG or PNG. This works on Windows, Chromebook, Linux, or any device without native annotation tools. Canva also lets you share the annotated file as a link, which is useful if you're collaborating with someone who needs to see the notes without downloading.
When a client needs to annotate it and send feedback back
The usual workflow — email the photo, client screenshots it, circles the area in Notes or iMessage, and sends it back — creates a version problem almost immediately. You get a screenshot of a screenshot, and "the bit near the top" could mean three different things depending on which crop they're looking at. The cleaner approach is a shared link where they click the exact spot they mean and pin a note right there. Every annotation lands in one place, anchored to the pixel they intended, rather than scattered across an email thread and a WhatsApp message.
If you're collecting feedback from a client on a photo — not annotating it yourself — the fastest path is a shared link. Drop the photo into Drafty, share the URL, and your client clicks the exact spot they mean and pins a note right there. No download, no account on their end. Instead of "I like the ones by the window" you get a pinned comment on the exact image, the exact detail. Every note lands in one thread, anchored to the spot they meant, not scattered across email and iMessage.
Open a live demoQuestions
- How do I annotate a photo on my iPhone for free?
- Open the photo in the Photos app, tap Edit, then tap the pencil icon to enter Markup mode. Add arrows, text, shapes, and highlights — all free, built into iOS. Tap Done twice to save the annotated version.
- How do I annotate a photo on a Mac?
- Open the photo in Photos, click Edit, then click the pencil icon for the Markup toolbar. Or drag the file onto Preview and press Shift ⌘ A to open the markup tools. Both are free and built into macOS.
- How do I annotate a photo on Android?
- Open the photo in Google Photos, tap Edit → Markup, and use the pen or highlighter. For typed text labels, open the photo in Snapseed and use the Text tool instead — Google Photos' built-in Markup only offers drawing tools.
- How do I annotate a photo online for free without software?
- Upload it to Fotor or Canva — both work in a browser with no account required for basic use. Add text boxes, arrows, and shapes, then download the annotated version as a JPEG or PNG.
- How do I let a client annotate a photo without installing anything?
- Share a link they can open in a browser and mark up directly. They click the exact spot they mean and pin a comment — no software, no account. The notes land in one place instead of scattered across email attachments.
- How do I keep photo annotations in one place when multiple people are giving feedback?
- Email attachments don't work for this: each person annotates their own copy and you end up reconciling three different files. A shared link means everyone marks up the same photo; their comments all land in one thread.
Keep exploring
Stop emailing files back and forth.
Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.