September 18, 2018

Adding Text and Other Items to Your Google Photos or Photos on Your Phone

When we have these wonderful smart phones in our hands, it's easy to take pictures of our class. I had a request on how to edit and add text to photos on a phone. Now, much of this depends on what type of phone you have. There are many ways to edit and add text to photos on an iPhone, but I'm not as adept on an Android phone.

With an Android phone, you can download an app called Snapseed. Once you have that app, you should be able to go to your Google photos and click on the 3 dots on the top right and choose 'Open in Snapseed'. Again, I don't have an Android phone and can't show you how to do this. Here is an article.

However, if you own an iPhone, you'll see the same thing in Google photos, but your photo won't open in Snapseed. There is a glitch that is preventing Apple and Google to play nicely here. You can always get the Snapseed app and then open your photos from Snapseed instead of Google photos. Unfortunately, in Snapseed, you won't see your Google photos - only the photos on your phone.

The good news is there is a SUPER EASY way to add items to your photos on an iPhone - right in your photo album!!!! There is a wonderful new tool called markup. To get to MARKUP in your photos, simply click on a photo, click edit, then click the 3 little dots and choose markup. (Disclaimer - you must have at least iOS 10) Markup works in NOTES, PHOTOS, and MESSAGES.

1. Once you're in markup, click on the pen or highlighter you want. You can draw anything you want on your picture. You can also hit the double circle to choose the color.
2. If you want text, while in markup, click on the + sign and choose text. Type what you want and you can choose 3 different fonts, size of font, and the justification of the text. To change the color, click on the black dot - it's hard to see - and change the color.
3. When you click on the + sign, you can also add a signature, a magnifier (which is kind of cool), and some shapes. There is a square, a circle, a callout, and a line. Once you add those items, you can change the type and the fill of these items!

Here is a VIDEO on adding these MARKUPS to your photos on an iPhone

Here is a VIDEO on adding these MARKUPS to your photos on an iPad

Here is a VIDEO on using Snapseed

I still think that adding your photos to Google Photos is a GREAT IDEA!!! You can delete photos off your phone or iPad and they are saved for free in Google Photos. You always have the option to re-download these photos to your phone or a computer!

Here are a couple of posts I did last year on Google Photos:

Google Photos on a Computer

Google Photos on a phone or iPad

And here's a new video on how to get your Google Photos added to Google Docs

Now, once your photos are on Google Photos, you have the option of adding them to an album. If you have an album, you can easily get a link that you can add to a website, a newsletter, an email, a twitter post, or however else you share items with parents or friends! We will cover this topic NEXT WEEK for our Tech Tuesday Tips so STAY TUNED!!