How to Magnify a Part of a Photo on iPhone

Hi allbay,

Thanks for posting in Apple Support Communities! You can access the magnifier for a photo using the markup tool. Find the guidance to do so below from the article Zoom in or magnify in Markup on iPhone - Apple Support

1. In the Markup toolbar in a supported app, tap 
2. Tap Magnifier.

Note: If you don’t see the Markup toolbar, tap  or Markup. If the toolbar is minimized, tap its minimized version.

Hope that helps!

LeleN1 wrote:

Hi allbay,

Thanks for posting in Apple Support Communities! You can access the magnifier for a photo using the markup tool. Find the guidance to do so below from the article Zoom in or magnify in Markup on iPhone - Apple Support

In the Markup toolbar in a supported app, tap 

1. https://help.apple.com/assets/64067987823C71654C27CD1A/64067990823C71654C27CD47/en_US/2712311ba89e66284b78a5081f9d71bc.png

2. Tap Magnifier.

Note: If you don’t see the Markup toolbar, tap 

https://help.apple.com/assets/64067987823C71654C27CD1A/64067990823C71654C27CD47/en_US/a4a0abe7e5321eb074fb81c9838bb2ee.png

 or Markup. If the toolbar is minimized, tap its minimized version.

Hope that helps!

Sorry, but this page is missing from the iPhone user Guide, when I set the system version to iOS 17. I can only read it, when I switch the system version to iOS 15.

It might be intentional.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph7e01d888e/15.0/ios/15.0

As the Magnifier has been replaces by the "Sticker" tool, we could try to save the portion we want to magnify as a sticker and then paste the sticker back on top of a circle as ad backdrop. It will only work, if the portion of the image we want to enlarge is the main object and can be turned into a sticker.

For example:

• First duplicate the image, to save your previous edits and be able to revert to this version.
• Then extract the main subject and save it as a sticker.

• Now open the copy of the image and and a circle as a background in the size of the looking glass you want.
• Add a border around the background as a hollow circle.
• Paste the sticker into the circle and adjust the size by dragging the corners. It will not be the same as the magnifier, but a similar effect.

after iOS 17 native "photo editor and magnification " gone but now we have much better iOS alternative app for same. do try it: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/photo-editor-with-magnifier/id6502226327

I see this response was in October. After this latest update, the magnifier has disappeared. This was extremely helpful and I used it frequently. Any work around for IPad? Do you know if they are going to return this feature?

I can still add the magnifier in Photos for Mac on macOS 14.2 Sonoma. But after adding the magnifier on my mac and syncing the adjusted photo to the iPhone with iCloud Photos, the iPhone is only showing the original version, not the magnifier overlay. This used to be different.

So I do not have much hope, that the magnifier will be back soon.

The workaround is to hard press the photo and take a screenshot.

The auto selection is an annoying but it’s better than nothing.

[Edited by Moderator]

Hard press the photo then take a screenshot.

I have the same question: How do I access the now (February 2024) hidden? cancelled? magnifier tool for pictures saved on an iPhone SE (2020) running iOS 17.2.1? This was available (and useful) on previous iterations of the iOS, and accessed when opening a picture. Thanks!

First and foremost, I love Apple products!

For iPhone 15 Pro Max, iOS 17.4, where did the MAGNIFIER tool in Photos - Edit - Markup + go?

Is there a way to activate the tool?

Did Apple decided to remove it from the iPhone?

Upgraded my modest iPhone SE (2020) to the latest version of iOS (17.3.1), still no magnifier in French either :(

Does/will Apple offer an app to make up for this loss? In the attached picture, for instance, the magnifier would come in handy to highlight or make the tire sidewall information more legible.

That, we have figured by now, I think. The question at the top is still: "How to Magnify a Part of a Photo on iPhone", in case someone knows an app or some trick to do so, a work-around of some sort..

That's not good, the tool was very useful.

I hope Apple reconsiders and puts it back, or gives new Apple iPhone users an option.

I wanted Apple to enhance the magnifier by providing a tool to select the area of the image I want to magnify.

A pencil-like tool that I can use to draw a line around the area to be magnified. That's better than the circle Apple provided to magnify a section. Many times the magnifying circle would magnify a section that did not need to be magnified, or the magnification covered up a section of the image that I did not want to be covered. A pencil-like tool will be more precise in choosing the area needing magnification, and avoiding overlap of part of the image.

It available after iOS17 update

Not on my devices.