How to View Shared Photos in iMessage on iPhone and iPad

Looking for that vacation photo your friend sent you on iMessage, but couldn’t find it? Don’t worry, your iPhone keeps them organized in one place, so you don’t need to scroll through hundreds of messages.

In this guide, you’ll learn the easiest ways to view all the photos shared with you in iMessage, whether you want to see them in a chat or access them from your phone’s library. Let’s get started.

What Are Shared Photos in iMessage?

Whenever someone sends or receives a photo through the Messages app (a.k.a. iMessage), Apple automatically keeps a record of those images in that chat’s Photos section.

In iOS 26, Apple has refined this layout, making it faster and cleaner. You can now open a chat, tap a contact’s name, and see every image exchanged in one place. 

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You can also access these images directly in the Photos app under the Shared with You section. So even if you forget who sent what, iOS has you covered.

Step 1: Set Up the Shared with You Feature for iMessage

The Shared with You feature automatically collects photos your contacts send through iMessage and displays them inside your iPhone’s Photos app.

Enable Automatic Sync for All Shared Photos

1. Open the Settings app → Tap Apps at the bottom → Choose Messages.
   
2. Scroll down to and tap Shared with You.
3. In the app list below, toggle on Photos as well as any others you’d like.
   

Important:

• If you delete a conversation in Messages, any photos and videos from that thread are also deleted from the Shared with You section. 
• To keep them permanently, save them to your Library before deleting the chat.

Control Sharing for Individual Contacts

You can choose whose photos and videos are allowed to appear in the Share with You section automatically. It allows you to avoid cluttering your gallery with unnecessary memes and images.

1. Open the Messages app → Select a conversation with your contact. 
2. Tap your contact’s name at the top to display their details. 
3. Scroll down a bit and toggle on Show in Shared with You to make sure you see that contact’s shared pictures in the Photos app.
   
4. Tap the left arrow at the top to exit the contact details and return to the conversation in Messages.

Step 2: View iMessage Shared Photos on iPhone

You can check the shared photos collection for a dedicated contact or all in a single album. Here’s how to do both:

Via iMessage

1. Launch the Messages app on your iPhone and open the conversation that includes the photo(s) you want to revisit. 
2. Tap the contact’s name (or the group chat title) at the top. This opens the chat details screen. 
3. Move to the Photos section. Here you will see all the photos exchanged in the thread.  
4. Now, tap any photo to view it in full screen. Else, tap and hold it to save, copy, share, or delete it.
   

Pro Tip: From the context menu, select Show in Conversation to jump back to the original message where the photo was sent.

Access Shared Photos in the Photos App 

If you’d rather browse all shared iMessage photos in one place, you can also do it directly in the Photos app. 

1. Open the Photos app and ensure you are in the Library view. 
2. Tap the three-dot icon at the top. 
3. Select Filter from the dropdown and tap Shared with You.
   

It will show all the photos and videos people have sent you via Messages. Now, you can edit the photo or video, create a slideshow, make a Live Sticker, and much more.

Can’t See Shared Photos? Check These Settings 

If your shared photos aren’t appearing, don’t panic. It’s often just a setting or sync issue. 

• Ensure Shared with You feature is enabled in Settings and individual chats.  
• In Photos, tap the three-dot icon → View Options and select Shared with You. So, it will appear under Filter. 
• After updating to iOS 26, your phone might take a bit to re-index all your messages and attachments. Keep your iPhone connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in. It’ll sort itself out in the background.

Quick Tips for Managing Shared Photos 

We all exchange a lot of media on iMessage every day, so the Shared with You section quickly gets cluttered. 

• Save what matters: When someone sends an important photo or video, save it immediately. 
• Clean up easily: Use the Photos section in chat details to bulk-delete old media from large group chats. 
• Organize smartly: Mark favorite photos or videos directly in the Photos app for long-term storage. 
• Smart search filter: Try searching for a person’s name and a keyword (like “Tom beach”) in the search bar, then go to the Photos section.

Revisit Memories in iMessage! 

Finding shared photos in iMessage used to mean endless scrolling, but not anymore. With iOS 26, Apple’s made it simple to browse every photo shared in a chat, all in one tidy gallery view. So, your shared memories are just a few taps away. 

Have you tried the new iMessage features in iOS 26? Let me know in the comments below!

Read more:

• iMessage not working on Mac? How to fix it!
• How to turn off read receipts on iPhone
• Fix Slow Wi-Fi: Speed Up iMessage Photo Sharing on iPhone