How can I fix Markup Photos with text problems on my iPhone?

I just ran across this easy, apparently PERMANENT fix to the text-editing bugs. This fix was provided by user Ecran bleu on another Apple Support Discussion page regarding this issue.

• Open your photo and click the 'edit' icon.
• Click the "markup" icon at top-right.
• Select the pencil-eraser icon at the bottom.
• Tap your photo.

Now you should be able to click the + on the bottom-right as usual, choose "Add Text," and edit as you normally do. You should be able to click the Aa icon and change font colors with no issues.

I only had to do this fix one time. Afterward I was able to add text and change font colors to other photos without having to do any extra steps, and I could edit the text on older photos that had already been edited. (i.e., the Photos app was back to normal.) To make sure this fix would "stick" I shut down my iPhone and restarted it, and afterward I was still able to successfully add/update text and fonts colors with no issues and without having to take any extra steps.

If this fix works for you, please go to the Apple discussion titled, "iOS 18 Photos Text Color Issue (iOS 18 Photos Text Color Issue - Apple Community) and thank user Ecran bleu.

Kozziemoto1,

Don’t try to “select” text the 2nd time. Just tap the text area to get the font size, orientation & color edit to come up. Then tap the color edit dot, and it shouldn’t disappear immediately on you anymore, but allow you to change color as usual.

I will try a bunch of screenshots to show the steps; what a PAIN, but here goes:

Pull up photo & click on below icon at middle bottom to start edit

then click on pen icon on top right

then click on “+” icon bottom right

then tap “add text”

then double-tap on text that appears so you highlight/select it as shown

then tap on arrow as shown

then tap on Format

then tap on More

then tap on color dot

then tap on “X” at top right

then tap color dot again

I don't use Markup much, so I'm a bit of a novice. But I just tried it on my phone: I chose Text, deleted the word Text, typed "Balloon" in default black, selected the text, and chose Format>More (...) from the pop up menu. I switched to red, and the it seemed to work for me:

I admit that I tried changing the color in the original drawing window, and it didn't work. But then I found (...) Format in the Pop up.

Is this Format screen the one that you're using? What happens for you?

Same issues here. Had a 12 Pro, updated to iOS 18, immediately noticed that changing text color in markup wouldn’t work, almost as if the color screen was force closing. It fixed itself for a couple days, then the same issue came back. My husband has a 14 Pro, my son has a 14, and their markup works just fine. I just upgraded to a 16 Pro since I was eligible for an upgrade and my 12 Pro became so laggy. I have the same issues with markup with my 16 Pro as I did with my 12 Pro, so it’s not a phone issue. The issue seems very user specific, but I do think it’s an issue with iCloud. I can save a photo to my files, open up the photo within the files app, and markup works just fine. It does not work through the photo app.

Hi pdesaab07- this is long reply & post. Hopefully you can see it all after I post it.

I’ve posted couple times on this thread- the one you mention was to someone who couldn’t find “edit” on Photos. Plus I had trouble trying to post screenshots of each of many steps in text-color edit fail workaround - it overran Apple space limits. I’ll try again for anyone still having probs.

Pull up a photo > the word “Edit” no longer appears like before on upper right, but now you have to tap the icon at middle bottom right that looks like three lines w circles > tap pencil icon upper right > tap “+” bottom right > tap “add text” > double-tap the TEXT that appeared on your photo until it is highlighted and the “cut/copy/paste/>” pop up menu appears (you may have to double-tap a couple times) > tap the “>” on the popup > tap “Format” > tap “More” > on the Format pop up that appears at bottom, tap the color circle icon > tap any color (it won’t matter, nothing will happen yet) > tap the “X” to move out of color chart > IMPORTANT: tap again, but ONLY ONCE, on the word “TEXT” in the middle of your photo > tap the “Aa” on popup that appears > now you will have the popup menu that was “disappearing” when you try to change text color the usual way. Only this time the menu won’t disappear - hence, workaround > tap the color circle icon > choose the color you want to change your text to > tap the “X” of color chart > and, FINALLY your text will be the new color you selected. Hope this works for you.

I just installed the iOS 18.0.1 update. Looks like they fixed this issue. 🙌

Another Fly, below is an easy, permanent fix and only needs to be done once to fix the text-editing bug. Do these steps below:

Open your photo and click the 'edit' icon.

Click the "markup" icon at top-right (tip of a pen).

Select the pencil-eraser icon at the bottom.

Tap your photo.

Now you should be able to click the + icon and choose "Add Text," then change font colors and edit normally.

Yes, it is a bug. It's been a bug for quite some time now. The bug has been reported to Apple by many of us. Here's the quickest, easiest fix, which only needs to be done once and works permanently. Please share this fix with others whenever possible:

Open your photo and click the 'edit' icon.

Click the "markup" icon at top-right (tip of a pen).

Select the pencil-eraser icon at the bottom.

Tap your photo.

Now you should be able to click the + icon and add text, change font colors, and edit normally.

Alanalynn83, do these steps below. It's a permanent fix and only needs to be done once:

Open your photo and click the 'edit' icon.

Click the "markup" icon at top-right (tip of a pen).

Select the pencil-eraser icon at the bottom.

Tap your photo.

Now you should be able to click the + icon and add text, change font colors, and edit normally.

This fix was posted on a different thread by user Ecran bleu. Please share the fix with others wherever possible.

fifiJean, do these steps below. It's a permanent fix and only needs to be done once:

Open your photo and click the 'edit' icon.

Click the "markup" icon at top-right (tip of a pen).

Select the pencil-eraser icon at the bottom.

Tap your photo.

Now you should be able to click the + icon and add text, change font colors, and edit normally.

This fix was originally posted on a different thread by user Ecran bleu. Please share the fix with others wherever possible.

I tried this but don't seem to have the Format option you mention after the "..." button. See the image below for my only options after clicking "..."

The only way I've gotten the color change to work (and, sometimes, the sizing option, too, as my formatting bar will close if I hit any option, from time-to-time) is if I open a photo already in my gallery to mark up. If I take a screenshot on my phone and try to edit it directly there, the color change option, and sometimes also the size controls, will shut down the format window.

This post from Reddit helped me if anyone

stumbles upon this issue: Tap the text to edit the actual text, like as in

you're able to change what the text says. Tap the text again, select it, once selected you'll get the standard options to cut, paste etc; hit the little arrow, tap "format", then hit more, the formatting options will appear, you'll notice the text should be highlighted still, open the color options like you normally would, tap the color that you want (I think it can be any color but might as well hit what you want I guess), then you'll notice your text is no longer highlighted, without closing the formatting options, tap your text again, hit the Aa icon, tap the color options for the

text, and then it shouldn't close out on you.

Ian0851, do these steps below. It's a permanent fix and only needs to be done once:

• Open your photo and click the 'edit' icon.
• Click the "markup" icon at top-right (looks like the tip of a pen).
• Select the pencil-eraser icon at the bottom.
• Tap your photo.

Now you should be able to click the + icon and add text, change font colors, and edit normally.

Stnlbrmn, do these steps below. (No need to use the "format" workaround.) This is a permanent fix and only needs to be done once to fix the text-editing bug:

Open your photo and click the 'edit' icon.

Click the "markup" icon at top-right (tip of a pen).

Select the pencil-eraser icon at the bottom.

Tap your photo.

Now you should be able to click the + icon and choose "Add Text," then change font colors and edit normally.

For your future reference, the "Format" option can be found when you enter "markup" mode and "Add Text." A text box appears with the word "Text" in black font. Lightly double-tap the Text box to bring up additional options (Cut, Copy, Paste, Replace, >). Sometimes it doesn't cooperate and you might have to double-tap a few times. When the options appear, click the right arrow > and you'll see more options including the "Format" option.

My iPhone was just updated to 18.1.1 a few days ago (roughly 11/26/24) and I'm having this trouble for the first time. Not sure what my previous version was, but I've not had this problem until now. Can't change the color and am also having issues, sometimes, even changing the size, in some instances, at least when trying to add text and change the formatting when first taking a screenshot on my phone.

One thing I just noticed is that it *does* work (changing color, size, etc) if I edit a photo already in my gallery.