How to see the filename of a photo or video in iOS Photos App

Learn how to see file name of an image or video in the Apple Photos app on your iPhone or iPad to identify it faster when browsing files.

The built-in Photos app doesn’t display media file names like the Files app, but it doesn’t block you from viewing them either. With just a few taps, you can reveal the file name the Photos app has assigned to a saved image or video, and we show you how.

See file names in Photos for iPhone and iPad

Open the built-in Photos app and tap a picture or video to open it, then swipe up or tap the info icon ⓘ to reveal the file name below the capture timestamp.

View image filename in the Files picker

If you hit the share icon in Photos and choose Save to Files, you’ll see the file name displayed at the bottom of the Files picker. We’re not going to actually save anything, so pull down to cancel and close the Files picker.

The Photos file naming scheme

When you snap a photo or record a video in the Camera app, or capture a screenshot, or save media to Photos from other apps, it’s saved using the default “IMG_X” naming scheme, where X is a counter that automatically increases. This excludes images saved in Photos from AirDrop, Mail and Messages attachments, and third-party apps like WhatsApp which retain their original file name.

Change the image filename in Files

To set a new name for a photo or video, save it to the Files app first by choosing Save to Files from the share menu, then enter a new file and hit Save. Or, export the image as-is and rename it later in Files. If you export the image back to Photos, however, it will be saved using the default “IMG_X” naming scheme.

You cannot search in Photos by file name

Unfortunately, Photos doesn’t support searching images by file name. However, the app’d advanced search lets you find images using simple keywords or more complex descriptions. For example, type “pizza” to show all pizza pictures. Or, you can search by caption provided you’ve added captions to your photos. With Apple Intelligence, you can use complex search phrases such as “James wearing a red shirt on the beach” to pinpoint what you need.

Also, check out: 41 tips to make the most of the Photos app on your iPhone

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/06/13/how-to-see-filename-in-ios-photos-app/