Use Freeform to layer one photo over another on iPhone, resize and position the top image, then save the result as a PNG.
A logo, reaction image, face cutout, or second photo can sit over a base image without installing another editor, and the steps below show how to put a picture on a picture on iPhone with Freeform. Freeform gives each photo its own movable layer, so you can resize, rotate, crop, and place one image in front of the other.
The Photos app is still useful for one special case: placing a cutout subject on another photo as a sticker. For a complete rectangular photo over another complete photo, Freeform is the more flexible built-in option. Freeform requires iOS 16.2 or later; on an older iPhone that cannot run that release, use an image editor you already have that supports layers.
Put A Picture Over Another On iPhone With Freeform
Freeform can hold both photos on one canvas and lets you control the size, position, rotation, and front-to-back placement of each image. The current iPhone User Guide documents these controls in iOS 26.
- Open Freeform and tap the New Board button.
- Tap the Media button at the bottom, choose the photo you want as the background, then tap Done.
- Tap Media again, choose the photo you want on top, then tap Done.
- Tap the top photo. Drag a blue dot to resize it, then drag from the center of the photo to position it over the background image.
- To rotate the top photo, place two fingers on it and turn your fingers.
- If the top photo slips behind the background, select it, tap the More button in the formatting tools at the bottom, then tap Front.
Both pictures should now stay visible in the overlap you created. If the upper image needs a transparent background, select it, tap the Modify Image button, then tap Remove Background when that option is available.
Can You Do This In The Photos App?
The Photos app can place a sticker made from one photo onto another, but Apple’s current Markup menu does not provide a full-photo insert control. Markup offers stickers, text, signatures, and shapes, so it works well when you want only the person, pet, product, or other subject from the second image.
To make that version, open the source photo in Photos, touch and hold its subject, release, then tap Add Sticker. Open the base photo, tap Edit, open Markup, tap the Add button, choose Add Sticker, then drag and resize the sticker on the photo. Tap Done when the placement looks correct.
The sticker method removes the original rectangular background around the subject. If you need the whole second photo, including its background, stay with Freeform.
| What You Need | Built-In Control | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Full photo over another | Freeform board | Keeps both complete images as separate movable items |
| Smaller top image | Blue resize dots | Changes the photo’s displayed size on the board |
| Precise placement | Drag from the center | Moves the selected image without changing its size |
| Angled overlay | Two-finger rotation | Turns the selected photo to the angle you want |
| Correct layer position | More > Front or Back | Controls which photo appears above the other |
| Cutout subject | Modify Image > Remove Background | Makes the surrounding background transparent when available |
| PNG output | Copy selected items or take a screenshot | Creates an image you can save or share outside Freeform |
| PDF output | More > Export as PDF | Exports the board as a document instead of a photo |
Freeform Controls That Matter Most
Three controls do most of the work: resize, front/back placement, and background removal. Apple’s Freeform image controls confirm that photos can be added to a board, cropped or masked, and stripped of their backgrounds when the feature is available.
For a picture-in-picture look, make the base photo large enough to fill the part of the board you plan to save. Then size the second photo before fine-tuning its position. If you keep grabbing the base photo by mistake, select the base image, tap More, then tap Lock; that prevents accidental movement while you adjust the image above it.
How Do You Save The Finished Overlay?
Freeform does not offer a direct command that sends a finished composite to the Photos library as a normal photo. Apple documents two PNG options: take a screenshot of the board, or select and copy the items you want and paste them into another app such as Files as a PNG.
For the simplest result, frame the finished composition on screen, take a screenshot, then crop away the Freeform controls in Photos. A screenshot records what is shown on the display, so the copy-and-paste PNG method is the better fit when you want to avoid capturing interface elements.
- For a quick social post, use a screenshot and crop it.
- For a PNG file, select both Freeform items, copy them, and paste them into Files.
- For printing or document sharing, tap More > Export as PDF.
| If This Happens | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The top photo disappears | It is behind the base image | Select it, then use More > Front |
| The overlay is too large | The second image has not been resized | Drag one of its blue dots inward |
| The image is tilted | It was rotated while moving | Place two fingers on it and rotate it back |
| The base photo keeps moving | Both images are still editable | Select the base photo and use More > Lock |
| The cutout still has a background | Background removal was not applied or is unavailable | Try Modify Image > Remove Background |
| The saved image shows app controls | The screenshot was not cropped | Crop the screenshot in Photos before sharing |
| You need a file instead of a screenshot | A screen capture is not the desired output | Copy the selected Freeform items and paste them into Files as a PNG |
From Two Photos To One PNG
The finished result takes one board, two inserted images, and one save step. Use the sequence below when you want the complete second photo visible rather than a sticker cutout.
- Create a new board in Freeform.
- Add the background photo with Media.
- Add the second photo with Media.
- Resize the upper photo with its blue dots.
- Drag it into place and use More > Front if needed.
- Use Modify Image > Remove Background only when you want a cutout effect.
- Lock the base photo if it keeps shifting.
- Copy the selected items into Files as a PNG, or take and crop a screenshot for a faster shareable image.
The final PNG or cropped screenshot contains the visible overlap, so it can be posted, messaged, or edited like another image file.
References & Sources
- Apple.“Add images, scans, links, and other files to a Freeform board on iPhone.”Documents adding images to Freeform and the current photo-formatting controls.
- Freeform.“Freeform on the App Store.”Apple’s official listing for the iPhone app and its compatibility requirements.