2 Simple Ways to Email Pictures from a Cell Phone

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Learn how to send pictures from your cell phone to any device

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: July 2, 2025 Fact Checked

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Android

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iPhone & iPad

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

If you want to email a photo from your cell phone to yourself or a friend, it's quite easy. If you are using an Android phone, you can share the picture from the Photos or Gallery app to the Gmail app and then send it to any email address. If you have an iPhone, just open and share the photo from the Photos app to your preferred email app, such as Mail or Gmail, then enter a recipient. This wikiHow article will walk you through the simple steps of emailing pictures from your cell phone to any email address.

Easily Send Pictures by Email

On Android, tap the picture in the Gallery or Photos app, tap Share and select an email app like Gmail. On an iPhone, tap the photo you want to share in the Photos app, tap the Share icon, then tap your preferred email app. Once you've selected your email app, enter the recipient's email address, compose your message, and then tap Send.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Android

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1
Open the Gallery or Photos app and tap the photo you want to email. The photo gallery app on your Android will vary by model. For example, if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, the default app for your photos is Gallery, and it looks like a flower on a dark pink background. You can also use Google Photos, which looks like a pinwheel with red, yellow, green, and blue.
- Tap a picture to open it and see more options.
2
Tap
. The share icon is at the bottom of your screen, next to a trash can. After tapping the share icon, you are given a number of options, depending on the accounts associated with the phone.^{[1]
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- If you want to send multiple pictures, swipe left and right to move through your gallery, then tap the photos you want to attach to the email.
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Select your email app. The default email app on most Androids is Gmail, which is automatically linked to the Google account you use to sign in to your Android.^{[2]
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- If another menu pops up, select Gmail. You won't see this pop-up if you aren't using Gmail or don't have Chat integrated with it.
4
Compose the email and send the photos. In the "To" field, enter the email address of the person you want to send the pictures to. If you want to email the photos to yourself so you can access them on your computer, just enter your own email address. You can also enter a subject, and type any message you'd like into the body of the message. Tap the Send icon to send your email with the photo(s) attached.
- When typing in the email address field, save time by tapping the “.com” button.^{[3]
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- You can also begin the process by opening your email client, such as Gmail. Tap the paperclip icon to add attachments, then select Insert Photo. You can choose to select multiple photos or just one. After you've made your selection, tap Done to return to your email. Compose the rest of your message and send it. Your photos will be sent via email in the same manner, either way.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

iPhone & iPad

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1
Open the Photos app on your iPhone and tap the picture you want to send. The Photos app is the multi-colored flower icon.
- Since iOS isn't an open system, you'll be using the default gallery app for iPhones and iPads called Photos. Email clients, however, vary between Mail, Gmail, Outlook, etc.^{[4]
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- If the Photos app doesn't open to your photo library, tap Library at the bottom-left corner to open it now.
- If you want to send multiple pictures instead, tap Select, which is in the top right corner of your screen.
  - Tap to select multiple pictures. The ones you have selected will display a checkmark.
The share icon is the arrow in a box at the bottom-left corner.
If you use the Mail app that came with your iPhone to send email, tap Mail. Otherwise, you can choose another email app like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo. Once you select an email app, a new email message will open in that app with your pictures attached.^{[5]
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Enter the recipient(s). Tap the To field at the top of the message, and enter the email address of the person you want to send the pictures to. If you'd like to email the photos to yourself, you can enter your own email address here.
- If the person you want to send the photos to is in your contacts, you can start typing your contact's name, and then tap the correct contact when it appears.
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Write and send your email message. Type a brief subject into the "Subject" field, then type the body of your message in the largest typing area. Once you're finished, tap the arrow at the top-right corner to send the pictures via email.^{[6]
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- You can also attach images from within your chosen email app. The way to do this depends on the app you’re using, but typically you’ll do this with the attachment tool, which looks like a paperclip in most apps.
  - For instance, in Gmail, start composing a message and then tap the paperclip icon at the top of the screen. Tap Photos to browse your gallery, or tap Camera to take a new picture and attach it to your email.
  - In Mail, swipe left on the toolbar above the keyboard to find the paperclip icon. In the menu that pops up, select Photo Library to browse your gallery, or Take Photo or Video to open your camera and get a new picture to attach to your email.

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Question

What does "compose email" mean?

Community Answer

It means write a new email.

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What should I write in the "compose" section?

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Maybe a brief description of the picture in case the receiver needs clarification.

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How do I put the pictures side-by-side?

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You can't. The images are arranged automatically.

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Tips

If using a Windows phone, go to the App List and tap Photos. The Photos icon is a blue square with a white square containing a blue rectangle and a blue dot. Tap the photo or video that you want to share and tap the Share icon. The Share icon looks like a circle with a recycling sign. Choose the email sharing icon and compose your email.

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If you are not using a smartphone, use the corresponding keypad on your numeric pad to open your email application and compose your email.

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If you have a limited data plan, try sending photos while connected to WiFi to avoid data overage charges.

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Warnings

Limit the number of pictures you send, depending on the size limit of your email client.

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Double-check the recipients before sending, as you don’t want to send inappropriate personal photos to coworkers.

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