How to get the circle for the messages to put in a contact photo ?

You have to associate a photo with that person in the contacts app in order to see the photo.

Launch Contacts, find someone that you have in your contacts and that you also have a photo of. Tap Edit. Then tap Add Photo on the circle to the left. Select a photo from the photos app when the photos pop up. Save the changes when done.

This feature has apparently been removed in the smaller screened phones with iOS 10.2. It still exits in the iPhone 6 and 7 series phones which have a larger screen. There have been a couple of other threads on the subject.

Nisha2134 wrote:

So how come my friend has it and I don't and we have the same phone and iOS 10.2

Are you sure your friend has iOS 10.2?

I know what you are talking about. I don't have that on my iPhone 5s either. Which iPhone do you have? I think that you need the iPhone 6 or newer for that. Which iOS version are you running on your Phone? Settings>General>About>Version.

If you are running 10.2, then something is very amiss. Can you check on Settings>About>Version to ensure that you are running 10.2?

Also, your device isn't jailbroken, correct?

Once you have confirmed that, try resetting your device: Hold down the Home & Power buttons at the same time and continue to hold them down until the Apple appears (up to 30 seconds). Once the Lock screen displays, see if the problem is resolved.

If that doesn't work, we will go to the next step which is a bit more involved, but with 10.2 running on your device, you should have exactly the same stuff displaying as anyone else running that iOS.

Cheers,

GB

Well thanks Idris! So, Apple's new plan to provide manuals for devices based on iOS is just not going to work if they keep doing stuff like this....

The OP did indicate that her friend was using the same type of device on iOS 10.2, but that she had the Picture windows for Messages. Any guess about why that would be?

Thanks again!!! 🙂

GB

Well, all I can suggest is that you have your friend double check under Settings>General>About. Everyone else who has reported the issue (that I've seen) has an SE that was just updated.

I could be wrong, of course. If so, hopefully someone will come by with the right explanation.

Best of luck!

No, follow the instructions I provided for resetting the device: Hold down the Home and Power buttons at the same time and continue to hold them down until the Apple appears (up to 30 seconds). One the Lock screen displays, see if the issue is resolved.

Any Resets you do via Settings>General>Reset, will delete data.

Cheers,

GB

Yeah, I wasn't recommending that kind of resetting. Can't see how that would help, but it might. I just meant a normal Power/Home key reset....

I agree - Resetting All Settings is a major (MAJOR) pain!!!!

GB

gail from maine wrote:

I agree - Resetting All Settings is a major (MAJOR) pain!!!!

Sometimes, though, it's the fastest way to correct something that is the result of an unintended change in settings.

Settings>Messages>Show Contact Photos.

Then see Chris's post above.