DB Labs
Quick Answer
To email photos from iPhone, open Photos, select the photos, tap the Share button, tap Mail, compose your email, then tap Send. A size picker appears — choose Actual Size for full quality with no compression, or Large / Medium / Small for smaller file sizes. Most email providers cap attachments at 20-25 MB, so for large batches or videos, share a cloud link (iCloud shared album or Google Photos link) instead.
How to Email Photos from the Photos App
1 Select Your Photos
Open the Photos app. Tap Select (top right) and tap each photo you want to email. A blue checkmark appears on each selected photo. You can select up to 35 photos at once from the share sheet.
2 Open the Share Sheet
Tap the Share button (the square with an upward arrow) at the bottom-left corner of the screen. The iOS share sheet opens.
3 Tap Mail
Scroll through the sharing options and tap Mail. A new email draft opens with the photos already attached. Add the recipient's email address, a subject, and any message body text.
4 Choose Image Size and Send
Tap Send (the paper plane icon). A dialog box asks which image size to use. Choose your preferred size (see the section below), then confirm to send the email.
iPhone Email Image Size Options Explained
| Size Option | Resolution | Approx. File Size | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | ~640 px wide | 0.1-0.3 MB per photo | Slow connections, text-based emails |
| Medium | ~1920 px wide | 0.4-0.7 MB per photo | Screen viewing, social sharing |
| Large | ~2048 px wide | 0.8-2 MB per photo | Good screen quality, casual sharing |
| Actual Size | Full resolution | 3-15 MB per photo | Printing, professional use, archiving |
Sending Multiple Photos by Email
When sending more than a handful of photos by email, attachment size limits become a problem. Your options:
- iCloud shared album: In Photos → Shared Albums → create a new album → add recipients. Recipients get a link to view and download photos — no attachment limits, no quality compression.
- Google Photos share link: Select photos in Google Photos → Share → Create Link. Anyone with the link can view and download at full quality.
- iCloud Mail Drop: When using Apple Mail and an email's attachments exceed 20 MB, Mail automatically offers to upload the files to iCloud and send a download link valid for 30 days. Accept this offer to send large batches.
AirDrop vs. Email for iPhone Photos
For sharing photos with someone nearby who has an Apple device, AirDrop is almost always better than email:
- AirDrop transfers at full original quality with zero compression
- No attachment size limits — you can AirDrop hundreds of photos at once
- Transfer speeds of 40-100 MB/s (Wi-Fi Direct) — much faster than uploading then downloading via email
- No email account or sign-in required on either end
Use email when the recipient is not nearby, does not have an Apple device, or when you need the photos delivered to their inbox for record-keeping. For a full overview of all sharing methods, see our guide to iPhone photo sharing options. To learn about AirDrop in detail, read our article on how to AirDrop photos from iPhone to Mac.
Share Your Best Photos, Not Your Blurry Ones
Before emailing or sharing, make sure you are only sending your best shots. Swype Photo Cleaner helps you quickly delete blurry, duplicate, and unwanted photos from your library.
Free · iPhone · iOS 16+ · 100% on-device, zero uploads
Free · iPhone · iOS 16+