Tech Reference

How to draw on your iPhone in the Photos or Notes app using the Markup tool

using smartphone iphone
It's easy to draw on your iPhone with the Markup tool. Getty Images/Tomohiro Ohsumi
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Without a stylus, your iPhone drawings might not come out all that well. And frankly, unless you're a talented artist, you might not create any masterpieces drawn on an iPhone

That said, it's fun to draw on your iPhone, and the doodles you create can enhance a photo, charm a friend, or just amuse you creatively.

Both the iPhone's Photos app and Notes app come with all the tools you need to create colorful sketches, and both make it easy to share your artwork with others. 

Here's how to do it. 

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iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)

How to draw on your iPhone in the Photos app

1. Open the photo on which you wish to draw, and make sure to duplicate it if you want to keep a copy of the original. (Duplicate the image by tapping the bottom left icon, the one with an arrow pointing up out of a box, then swiping to the word "Duplicate" on the bottom toolbar).

2. Tap the word "Edit" at the top right corner of the photo.

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Tap the Edit button in the upper right corner.  Steven John/Business Insider

3. Tap the circle with three dots at the bottom of the screen.

4. Tap the "Markup" icon.

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Select the Markup tool.  Steven John/Business Insider

You can now select various drawing styles, from marker to pen to pencil to paintbrush. You can also choose the colors you'd like to use to draw directly on the photo. 

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When you're finished drawing, tap Done.  Steven John/Business Insider

When done, tap the yellow word "Done," then the blue word "Done," and the photo will be saved with your artwork added.

How to draw on your iPhone in the Notes app

1. Launch the Notes app.

2. Tap the bottom right icon of a pencil on paper.

3. Tap the icon of a pen tip in a circle.

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Select the Markup tool to draw in Notes.  Steven John/Business Insider

4. Choose the type of pen, pencil, or brush by tapping on the Markup icon, select your color, and draw away.

The drawing will be saved when you tap the word "Notes" to return to the previous menu.

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Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.