You can share pictures on your Android device by sending them via email or text message. Here’s how.
Send Photo via Text Message
- Open the “Messages” app.
- Select the + icon, then choose a recipient or open an existing message thread.
- Select the + icon to add an attachment.
- Tap the Camera icon to take a picture, or tap the Gallery icon to browse for a photo to attach.
- Add text if desired, then tap the MMS button to send your image with your text message.
Send Photo via Gmail
- Open the “Gmail” app.
- Tap the Pen icon to start a new message, or open an existing message thread.
- Type a recipient’s email address in the “To” field.
- Tap the Paperclip icon, then choose “Attach file“.
- Navigate to and select the image you wish to attach.
- Complete your message, then send it. Your file will be attached to the message.
Send Photos from Photos App
- Open the “Photos” app.
- Tap and hold the image you wish to send. Additionally, you can then select any other photos you wish to send.
- Select the “Share”
 button. - Select the method you wish to use to send the image (“Gmail”, “Messages”, etc.).
This post applies to Android version 7 (Nougat).
June says
Good evening my name is June and I’m trying to find out how do I send a picture from my messages to someone on messenger? I have been trying to figure it out for over an hour and a half now thank you for your , help with this urgent matter
Eve says
Have done everything that you have posted. It dosen’ t go through. It says failed can you help me? Thank You
Moto 4 man says
I don’t need to know what other people in the world can or can’t do. I just need to know to send a text with/or without pictures to an email.
Bill says
Not helpful I didn’t see the +
I was in the middle of typing. all I could do is hit send then go into my gallery and share the picture.
Dorothy Cummins says
Thank you very much it’s easy when you know how
Cyndy says
how come my picture didn’t send on text? I have an android pay as you go
Lisa says
My bf sent me four pics. When I scrolled through them, I was shocked at the last pic. He swears he never sent that one. He is out of state and says on his phone he only sees the four pics of the motorcycles but does not see the one I received from him. I say he accidentally sent the wrong pic or he accidentally screenshotted a pic he had in his gallery and sent it. Is what he is claiming possible?
Nick says
I have a LG k 31 and have pictures sent to me on messages it shows up as a download and I tried to download but it just keeps trying to but it doesn’t load and same to send pictures says sending but it doesn’t send then says try again
Ken McCollon says
Heck no. The question how to send a photo from a message to the photo app. Not the other way around which you answered.
Cathy says
I have a Samsung S10 . When I send a txt and want to select a picture I tap+ then images. But my pictures are not organized in Albums like they are on my Samsung tablet in Google photos. This makes the pictures much harder to find! Why aren’t they in the same Album format on my phone as on my tablet?? Thank you
Roger says
I have a galaxy A20. How can I send a picture from gallery.without all the others being attached as well?
Lyndy says
How to I get the app so I can attach a photo to my text message?
Kristen says
So I find a picture on my husbands Droid that was in a text message that was texted from his cell number to his cell number. He claims he has no idea and that it must have happened when he got the new phone, but he swears he doesn’t know how. Is there anyway possible that any Droid phone would “automatically” do this? I am not dumb, I am a concrete person…all facts before pouncing my prey.
Anita Robinson says
My android phone won’t share pictures via email or sms after the last update. I have the McLaren.
Christina says
Since this new Android Update version 10, when I send pictures, bit emojis or gifs. If I send them, it gives an error messages. When I click on the arrow beside the attachment, it gives me a choice to send the original size or as a MMS! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!! Does anyone know how to fix this?!!??? BTW, I have an LG G7.
Myrna says
How can I send a single photo from Gallery in S10+ ,without ALL the pics I’ve taken … they are able to scroll through ALL MY OTHER PICTURES in my gallery that came before that picture was taken!!
I don’t want to share every picture I’ve taken .. just the single one I want them to see??
Ray A2 says
I was trying to “attach” the photo directly as an attachment but was receiving an error message saying the file was too large. to sent by text. But by following your method shown above it worked the first time I tried it. Thank you for your help.
Amanda Shaughnessy says
Thank you for the info – very helpful. I have an android LGQ6 and for sending photos, I used to open the photos app, click on the picture, then the share icon and the Gmail icon would come up. Now only my contacts come up, which restricts who I can send ot to.
I followed your instructions and now use the other way and open the Gmail app first. It works well but I wondered if there is a way to use the other method as well?
Roselee D Nelson says
It will not accept my contact, why? I text this contract all the time.
Jaclyn says
My phone did an update, now I can’t send pictures through text message, how do I fix this? I have the samsung 9
bcrozierw says
not helpful … the pic I want to send is in my DropBox but my DropBox is no longer in my gallery as an available sourxe
Clara says
Yes it did work it was great! I think I send text 5 text messages with pictures yesterday. thank you for having this on here so I now know how to send pictures with text. Better than or should I say faster than through email in the but easier through text
Glorie Fondren says
This is the worst phone that I have ever purchase,I can’t share my pictures through text message or send a long text,how can I fix this?
Arpit says
I have Google Pixel device running Android 10. I can’t send photos or GIF as text message in my phone. Only send text messages and Emojis. How do i fix this?
Pam jackson says
I used to be able to send pictures via email but now it just sits in unsent and says it is in queued.
kevin Roberts says
How do i attach a file in a text message?
I can’t bring up my files from google drive
Jackie says
I know longer can save my photos in text to gallery after the update. Please advise how to.
Jordan says
For some reason after this update of the system I cannot send a picture in a text together it separates them, know I can no longer send an attached picture with a text message
Terri says
Can I get an image straight from the internet and text without first saving it to gallery?
Winifred Chee says
I have a Samsung note 8..I recently did a system update and now I can’t take a photo thru my message to send.. the camera works but won’t take photo so I could send from message app.. please help..
gail says
can’t send photos from email on my android,
get quick, flicker msg. “unfortunately android has stopped”
Roy Bottomley says
P why after each update is it more difficult to use the phone I have been trying to send photographs and you used to just built a click on it and now I can’t find how to do it
HOWARD H FAWLEY says
I have a Nexus 5. Recently I have been unable to email (share) pictures. After composing and sending the email, I find that it ends up being stuck in my out box.
Steven King says
Used to be able to send photos with text but now everytime I try it says it failed what is going on with my phone please help
naNeTte says
Thank you so much for your kindness, offering help to us that really need it. You have a baby, yet somehow you found the time to do this. Thank you. My phone is an Android 7.1.1 I think.
When I finished composing my text, which in reality as you say was an email, I think, but I didn’t open Firefox… I didn’t see the share icon.
Thank you again, and hug that baby for me, Nanette
Marilyn says
Your instructions worked perfectly. Thank you.
Maggie lewis says
My photos were sending and then they just stopped sending. How do I fix this on my Note 5?
Janice says
I have a note 4 and I use gmail on my cell. When I take a picture and click on share via email, the email gets stuck in the outbox. When I go to my emails I have a message, “1 unsent in Outbox” Why are they getting stuck there? This is a new issue that started a few weeks ago.
Theresa Jacobs says
I got the answer I needed immediately!
Sue G Altice says
Very helpful.
M.K.Deodia says
It is helpful.
Ox says
I have a question regarding the first method: “Send Photo via Text Message”.
At step for, the only available option is CAMERA, all the other options are grayed out and disabled.
How can I fix this? I would like to be able to select the picture to send from my existing Gallery.
Many Thanks