Add and edit images

You can add photos and graphics to any sheet and then change their look in a number of ways. For example, you can crop an image by masking out parts you don’t want.

You can add photos from photo albums on your device, insert photos and images from iCloud, or take a photo with your device and add it directly to your sheet.

Add an existing image

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Tap where you want to insert the image, tap Object button, then tap Media button.

    • Tap Placeholder button in the bottom-right corner of an image placeholder to see the photos available on your device.

  2. Tap an album or tap “Insert from” below the albums.

  3. Tap the photo you want to add.

    If you’re inserting a photo from iCloud or another service, you need to tap folders to find the image.

  4. Tap the sheet to close the pop-up menu.

  5. Drag any selection handle to resize the image.

Take a photo in Numbers and add it to a sheet

If your device has a camera, you can take a photo and insert it directly into your spreadsheet.

  1. Tap where you want to insert the image.

  2. Tap Object button, then tap Media button.

  3. Tap “Take Photo or Video” below the albums.

  4. Take the photo, then do one of the following:

    • Insert the photo: Tap Use Photo.

    • Take the photo again: Tap Retake.

    • Cancel and return to the spreadsheet: Tap Retake, then tap Cancel.

  5. Tap the sheet to close the pop-up menu.

  6. Drag any selection handle to resize the image.

You can edit the photo as you would any other image. The photo appears in the Photos app on your device.

Mask (crop) a photo

You can hide unwanted portions of an image without modifying the image itself.

  1. Double-tap the image.

    The mask controls appear. The default mask is the same size as your image.

  2. Use the controls to change which parts of the image are visible:

    The mask controls over a photo
  3. Tap Done when you’re finished.

    Double-tap the image at any time to readjust its mask.

Remove background and other elements from a photo

Use the Instant Alpha tool to make parts of an image transparent. This feature is useful for removing an unwanted background or color from an image.

  1. Tap the image, then tap Format button.

  2. Tap Image, then tap Instant Alpha.

  3. Drag your finger over the color you want to disappear.

    As you drag, the selection grows to include areas that use similar colors. Tap and drag multiple times to remove multiple colors.

  4. Tap Done, or tap Reset to revert to the original image.

See also
Fill shapes and text boxes with color
Use object styles
Resize, rotate, and flip an object
Position and align objects