Making a collage on iPhone is more possible than you might think, even though you can’t use the iPhotos app directly. Instead, you can use other pre-installed Apple apps to safely create personalized collages.
Every tool we use is completely free, so you don’t need to worry about your fun social media post costing a fortune.
In fact, we’ll cover three separate Apple apps that you can use to make cute, simple collages. We’ll also include an extra bonus guide to making professional-looking collages online, if you’re ready to set down the iPhone and create something extra special.
How to Make a Collage on iPhone Using Shortcuts
The Shortcuts app is the fastest and cleanest method to make a collage on iPhone. This app was created to streamline your experience on iPhone by offering quick “shortcuts” and handy tools.
The downside is that you can only make extremely simple, grid-style collages. We have included our final collage using Shortcuts below so you can decide if it’s the right app for you.
Step 1: Open or Install Shortcuts
Otherwise, search the Apple App Store for Shortcuts and install it first. It is a safe, ad-free, and free to use app since it is made by Apple for all iPhone users.
Step 2: Add Photo Grid Shortcut
Search for “Photo Grid” using the search bar. Tap on the correct Shortcut and press add Shortcut to add it to your collection.
Step 3: Open Photo Grid Shortcut
Tap on it to enter the shortcut. It will take you to your iPhotos app, where you can begin making your collage.
Step 4: Select Photos for Collage
Shortcuts will immediately go to iPhotos, where you can select the photos you want to turn into a photo grid.
The order you select the photos in will be the order they appear in the grid. So, take your time and consider how you want the final collage to look.
Pro Tip: Try to only select an evenly divisible number of photos if you want to avoid blank spots in your grid. For example, if you select only 3 photos, there will be a white square in the bottom right of your final collage.
When you’re ready, press Add.
Step 5: Inspect Final Collage
After pressing Add, the Photo Grids Shortcut will load momentarily. It will take longer or shorter depending on how many photos you have added.
The completed grid will then be shown to you. If you’re happy with the result, move on to the next step.
To tweak the collage, you will need to recreate it. Press Done and open Photo Grids to restart the entire process.
Pro Tip: Use the markup tool in the bottom right to draw or write on your collage, adding a personal touch!
Step 6: Save and Share Collage
There is a small drop-down arrow at the top of the screen. Press it to see a complete list of your sharing and saving options.
Press Save to Photos to add the collage to iPhotos, or save to Files if you would prefer to have a copy there.
To share it directly with your friends through a messaging app or social media platform, press the first option. Alternatively, you can press the button in the bottom left corner of your screen.
How to Make a Collage on iPhone Using Keynote
Keynote is a unique choice for making collages, but it can offer you the most customizability without installing a third party app. It’s actually for presentations, which is why you can move images around seamlessly.
However, it’s landscape-only since you will be designing your collage within one slide of the presentation. When you’re finished, nobody will know it was created in a presentation app– check out our final collage below!
Step 1: Open or Install Keynote
You likely already have Keynote as an app on your iPhone, depending on the version. If so, you can open it and move on to the next step right away.
Otherwise, search the Apple App Store for Keynote and install it first. It is a safe, ad-free, and free to use app since it is made by Apple for all iPhone users.
Step 2: Create a New Keynote Document
By default, Keynote opens into the Recents tab. Press the + icon in the top right to create a new Keynote document.
Step 3: Switch to Slide Mode
The default View mode in Keynote is called Outline, which prioritizes text content. Tap the three dot menu in the top right, then go to View Options > Slide View.
This will switch the view mode from Outline to Slide View and make editing images significantly easier.
Step 4: Remove Existing Objects
Step 5: Add Images to Keynote
Press Photo or Video to open iPhoto if your images are saved there. You can also press Insert from… if you have your images saved to Files or another folder-style app.
Select all of the photos you would like to use and import them. Unfortunately, you will need to import each photo one by one since there is no way to select multiple images.
Step 6: Scale Images Down
In order to see all of your collage images properly, you need to scale them down. Tap each image to select it. Blue circles will appear around the corners of the image, which you can drag to resize.
Pro Tip: Change your iPhone’s view mode to horizontal to make scaling and moving your images much easier.
We suggest making all of your photos small enough to be visible before moving on to the next step.
Step 7: Move Images to Create Collage
Tap each photo again to select it and drag them around to organize them into a collage. You can resize and move the images as much as you would like.
If you’re struggling to make a collage that you like, consider skipping to the last guide which shows you how to use your iPhone images for a collage online.
Step 8: Export Finished Collage
Press Export > Images to save the collage as a photo in your iPhotos library. You can also save it as a PDF if you would like, but we suggest saving it as an image.
Next, you will be able to select the file type. You can choose either JPEG (higher quality) or PNG for the best results.
How to Make a Collage on iPhone Using Pages
The Pages app is a middle ground between Keynote and Shortcuts. It’s a pre-installed app used mostly for text document editing, although it allows you to import images.
You will have a decent amount of customizability, even though it’s very straightforward. Unfortunately, it is also the most clunky out of the iPhone options we share. Since Pages is created for text editing, the way images snap around the document can make for a frustrating experience.
See our final collage using the Pages app below.
Step 1: Open or Install Pages
Otherwise, search the Apple App Store for Pages and install it first. It is a safe, ad-free, and free to use app since it is made by Apple for all iPhone users.
Step 2: Create a New Pages Document
By default, Pages opens into the Recents tab. Press the + icon in the top right to create a new Pages document.
In this guide, we will start from scratch by pressing Start Writing.
Step 3: Add Images to Pages
In the top toolbar, press the + icon to add a photo. It will direct you to your iPhotos library, where you can select the photo you want to add to your collage.
Unfortunately, you will have to add every photo one at a time. There is no way to select multiple photos to import.
Don’t worry about the placement of the photos yet. Wait until all of your photos have been added before moving on to the next step.
Step 4: Scale Images Down
You can move your photos around as desired, but we suggest focusing on downsizing your images first. That way, you can easily see all of your photos at once while trying to design the collage.
Step 5: Move Images to Create Collage
If you’re struggling to make a collage that you like, consider skipping to the next guide which shows you how to use your iPhone images for a collage online.
Step 6: Export Finished Collage
Tap the three dot menu on the far right side of the top toolbar. It will open an options menu, which includes options for saving your finished collage.
Press Export > Images to save the collage as a photo in your iPhotos library. You can also save it as a PDF if you would like, but we suggest saving it as an image.
Next, you will be able to select the file type. You can choose either JPEG (higher quality) or PNG for the best results.
How to Use iPhone Images for an Online Collage
Online collages are far superior to making a collage directly on your phone. Not only is it easier to move around your photos and design them as you please, but you’ll have access to better image editing tools.
We utilized Imagewith.AI’s editing suite to create collages that are more fun, dynamic, and full of personality. Check out our final collage below!
Step 1: Import Photos to Computer
Start by importing the collage photos from your iPhone or other device to your computer. You can plug in your phone, use iCloud or another cloud service, or mail yourself a file containing the images. Try to save all of your photos in one location for ease of use later on.
Step 2: Edit Photos Using Imagewith.AI
We will be using Imagewith.AI’s free online Outcut tool to remove backgrounds from some of our collage images. Go to the **Outcut **tool and upload your photo.
Step 3: Import Photos to Image Editing Software
Go to Canva, Gimp, or another free Image Editing software. We will be using Canva, since it’s faster, completely online, and has template options for collages.
Once you’re in Canva, either go to the Templates section or create a new blank document for Social Media. We started by using this template.
Locate the Uploads tab and upload your photos. You can drag and drop them or import them from your files.
Step 4: Create Collage
Drag your photos into the document and arrange them as you would like. If you’re using a template, you can just drag them over top of the pre-existing images to replace them.
Conclusion
Looking for more ways to edit your iPhone photos for free? Try out the rest of Imagewith.AI’s editing suite and take advantage of high-tech, fully online tools.
We used Outcut to remove backgrounds to create amazing collages.
You can also use Overscaleto create higher-resolution images and prep them for further editing. Or, you could use Clearoff to save your favorite photos from unwanted objects you accidentally photographed.
