How to add a comment to a photo on Android

In your gallery app

Many galleries, including Google Photos, have a description field in a photo’s details. Open the photo, swipe up or tap the info icon, and tap “Add description” (the wording differs between apps). It is quick for one photo. Where the text is stored depends on the app: often it stays in that app or its cloud, so it may not follow the photo when you copy the file to a computer or switch to another gallery.

With Snapisodes

1. Open Snapisodes Allow access to photos and videos when the app asks. No account or sign-up is needed.
2. Take a photo or open one Shoot with your usual camera and open the new photo in the app, or pick an older one in the gallery.
3. Say or type a few words Tap the microphone and say what the photo shows, or type into the comment field. Dictation uses your phone’s own speech recognition.
4. Save it Confirm the text. In JPEG files the comment is written into the file as standard XMP/IPTC fields, so Windows, Lightroom or digiKam can show it too.
5. Find it again The comment appears under the photo, and the search in the gallery finds photos by episode name or by comment.

Good to know

• HEIC photos and videos cannot carry the comment inside the file in the same way. The app keeps their comments itself and can export them as XMP files.
• The comment is also kept in the app’s own records, which are part of your Android backup. Writing into JPEG files can be turned off in Settings.
• After the 14-day trial of everything, the free version allows 20 newly commented photos a month, with comments up to 20 characters. Pro, a one-time purchase, removes both limits.
• There are no ads and nothing is sent to us: the app has no server of its own.