How to Check Photo Size on iPhone?

Q: How to check photo size on iPhone?

Open a photo in full screen and swipe up to see its metadata including file size, resolution, and format. For total photo library size, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Photos. In the Files app, navigate to photos saved there and long-press to Get Info.

By Jack Smith — Updated March 8, 2026

Open a photo in full screen and swipe up to see its file size, resolution, and format. For your total photo library size, go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Photos. In the Files app, long-press any saved photo and tap Get Info.

Method 1: Swipe Up on Any Photo

This is the fastest way to check a single photo's size. Open the Photos app, tap any photo to view it full screen, then swipe up from the bottom of the photo. A metadata panel slides up showing the file size (in KB or MB), the format (HEIC or JPEG), the resolution in megapixels, and the date, time, and location taken. A standard iPhone 15 HEIC photo is typically 4-8 MB. A ProRAW photo from the Pro models is 25-50 MB. A 4K 60fps video clip is roughly 400 MB per minute.

Method 2: Settings > iPhone Storage > Photos

To see how much total storage your entire photo library occupies, go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage. Wait a moment for the list to populate and sort itself. Tap Photos to expand the entry. You'll see the total size of your photo library. This number includes all photos, videos, Live Photo components, and any items in Recently Deleted. It does not include photos stored in iCloud that are not downloaded to the device. Learn more in our guide on how to check your iPhone storage breakdown.

Method 3: Files App (for Exported Photos)

If you've saved photos to the Files app (in iCloud Drive or On My iPhone), open Files, navigate to the folder containing your photos, and long-press a photo to see the context menu. Tap Get Info to see the exact file size. This is useful when you've exported photos from another app or downloaded images from the web and want to check their size before transferring them.

Why Photo Sizes Vary So Much

Several factors determine how large each photo file is:

Format — HEIC (Apple's default) is roughly half the size of JPEG at equivalent quality. ProRAW files are uncompressed and 5-10x larger.
Resolution — iPhone 15 Pro's 48MP main camera produces larger files than the 12MP ultrawide.
Live Photos — Each Live Photo includes a 3-second video clip, adding roughly 1-2 MB.
Lighting — Night Mode shots and HDR photos can be slightly larger due to additional processing data.

See our full breakdown in ProRAW vs HEIC vs JPEG on iPhone to understand the tradeoffs.

How to Reduce Photo File Size

If your photos are taking too much space, you have several options. Switching from ProRAW to HEIC in Camera settings reduces size by 80-90%. Enabling Optimize iPhone Storage in Settings → Photos stores full-resolution photos in iCloud while keeping smaller previews on device. You can also use the how to reduce iPhone photo size guide to manually export photos at lower resolutions.

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