Getting text message pictures happens almost daily, but many people aren’t sure how to download pictures from messages and save them to their phone’s photo gallery. Whether you want to keep a special photo, transfer it to your computer, or organize it with your other images, this guide shows the exact steps for downloading message pictures on both iPhone and Android.
Sending photos from your phone via a text message has become very easy and it is one of the main reasons we send text messages in the first place. However, in this article we will explore what to do with pictures we receive in text messages. In other words, let’s talk about how to download message pictures. In this guide, you’ll learn how to download pictures from messages on both iPhone and Android.
1. How Do You Use Text Message Pictures?
Many readers ask how to download pictures from messages so they can keep important photos in their main gallery. Let’s ask a simpler question first: What does it mean to use text message pictures?
These days you can do so many things with text message photos directly from the messaging app. You can post it to different applications like Facebook or Instagram…that’s easy!
But what if you want to save this message photo along with your other photos on your phone? Or how do I download pictures from messages? How about you want to clean up your text messages but keep a particular message photo?
In these cases, you want to save your message images to your phone’s photo collection. Once your message photos are saved to your phone’s local storage, they are safe and you can use them in multiple ways.
Here are the steps for downloading text message pictures to your mobile phone.
2. How to Download Pictures from Messages on iPhone
Here’s how to download pictures from messages on iPhone using the built-in Save and Share options. On iOS, which is what the iPhones are using, you have two ways for downloading text message photos to the local storage.
How to download pictures from text messages on iPhone? Well, let’s look at it step by step:
- Open the message you received on your phone
- Tap the photo and hold your finger pressed a couple of seconds until the actions screen comes up.
- Tap the Save option. Now you can view the message photo with your other photos.
Download message pictures on iPhone by a long press
Use the Share Button
The iPhone has an additional way for saving message images to your phone’s photo gallery. This method is more intuitive and has more sharing options.
- Open the message you received
- Tap the photo; just a simple tap and release.
- You will see the Share button on the bottom left now.
- Tap the Share button.
- Tap Save Image.
Download message pictures on iPhone by simple tap
Once you tap the Share button, you will see the Sharing Image screen where you can choose to save your message photo to your phone’s photo collection.
The sharing screen allows you to download message pictures to your iPhone’s photo gallery
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3. How to Download Pictures from Messages on Android
If you’re wondering how to download pictures from messages on Android, this method works on all modern phones. On Android, there is only one way to save text message images to your phone’s photo gallery. Even though I use an iPhone, I find this procedure easier on the Android.
How to download pictures from text messages on Android? Here it is, step by step:
- Open the message with the photo
- Tap the photo
- Tap the Save icon on the top right.
- Now you can view this message photo with your other images in Google Photos.
Saving pictures from messages on Android
4. Change Your Message Pictures Metadata
Especially if you receive a text message picture from an Android phone, you will notice that the date of the image is today’s date. If metadata is wrong, you can change picture metadata on your phone. Every digital photo taken by a modern phone has the date when the image was taken embedded in the image file itself (it’s called photo metadata). However, when sending digital photos via Google Messages, the photo’s metadata is being stripped away. This includes geotags (image locations) and the date when the picture was taken.
This means that in order for your photo to appear nicely according to when the picture was taken, you have to manually change the photo’s date on your computer.
5. FAQ: How to Download Pictures from Messages
How do I download pictures from messages on Android?
Tap the photo > tap Save > it appears in Google Photos.
How do I download message pictures on iPhone?
Long press the image and tap Save, or tap the Share button and choose Save Image.
Why do message pictures show the wrong date?
Android strips metadata when sending MMS. You may need to edit the date manually.
Where do downloaded message photos go?
On iPhone they go to Photos; on Android they appear in Google Photos or your default gallery.
6. Download Pictures from Messages with Care
The first impulse is to download all text message images to my phone. If I receive a photo in a text message on my phone, it’s probably from someone I care about, so I immediately download pictures from messages to my phone. Practically however, I found that I rarely view again images I received via text message, unless someone took a picture of my family and I want to save it along with my family pictures. So, taking an extra second to determine if I actually want to download certain message pictures will help a lot with reducing photo clutter on your phone.
Final Thoughts on Downloading Pictures from Messages
Downloading pictures from messages is quick and easy once you know where the Save and Share options are on your phone. Whether you’re using an iPhone or an Android device, the steps are simple and help you keep important message photos safely stored in your main photo gallery. Taking a moment to decide which images you truly want to keep will also help reduce clutter and keep your photo collection organized.
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I have an old Samsung android. I cannot download pictures from group texts nor can I get my emails. What am I doing wrong?
You should be able to long press the photo and choose Save. Photo should appear in Google Photos application.