To insert a photo in Microsoft Word, place the cursor near its intended location, choose Insert > Pictures > This Device, select the file, and choose Insert. Word normally places the picture In Line with Text, which is a predictable starting layout. You can resize it or change text wrapping afterward.
Insert a photo from your computer
- Open the document and click where the picture should appear.
- Choose Insert > Pictures > This Device. Menu labels may differ slightly on Mac or Word for the web.
- Find the image file, select it, and choose Insert.
- Click the picture and drag a corner handle to resize it while preserving its shape. Check the document in Print Layout.
Microsoft’s picture-insertion guide also covers stock and online pictures. Use images you have permission to include in the document.
Working on your phone instead? See how to insert a picture in Word using your phone.
Control where the picture sits
Keep In Line with Text when the image should move with its paragraph. To put text beside it, select the picture and choose Layout Options or Picture Format > Wrap Text, then try Square or another wrapping style. A floating image can be dragged around the page, but its placement may shift as text changes. If several photos must match, see our same-size images guide for sizing without distortion.
Add a caption and alternative text
If the image needs a numbered label, select it and choose References > Insert Caption in desktop Word. For a meaningful image, add a concise description with the picture’s Alt Text control so people using screen readers can understand its purpose. Mark purely decorative artwork as decorative when the option is available. Microsoft explains how to add alt text.
For more detail on writing useful descriptions and marking images as decorative, see how to add alt text in Word.
Common questions
Why does the photo move when I type?
An in-line image moves with text like a large character. A floating image follows its anchor and wrapping settings. Choose the layout that matches how you want it to behave.
Why does the photo look stretched?
Dragging a side handle or forcing both height and width can distort it. Undo and resize from a corner, or crop the image to fit a particular shape.
Can I use a photo from my phone?
Transfer the photo to a location Word can access, such as your computer or cloud storage, then insert it through Pictures. Available device-import options depend on your Word version.
Can I insert several photos at once?
Yes. In the Insert Picture window, hold Ctrl (Command on a Mac) and click each photo, then choose Insert. Word places them one after another at the cursor, and you can then resize and arrange each one.
How do I keep photos from making the file too large?
Phone and camera photos are often much bigger than a document needs. In desktop Word for Windows, compress them before you share the file:
- Select a picture.
- Choose Picture Format > Compress Pictures.
- Clear Apply only to this picture to include every image in the document.
- Keep Delete cropped areas of pictures checked and pick a lower resolution, such as E-mail or Web.
- Choose OK and save the document.
Why is the picture blank, cut off, or missing?
- Only a thin strip shows: the paragraph’s line spacing is probably set to Exactly. Select the picture, open the Paragraph dialog from the Home tab, and set Line spacing to Single.
- An empty box appears: in Word for Windows, go to File > Options > Advanced and, under Show document content, clear Show picture placeholders.
- Floating pictures are missing: switch to View > Print Layout, because Draft view does not show them. In the same Options section, confirm Show drawings and text boxes on screen is selected.
- The file will not insert: save it as JPG or PNG and try again. Some formats, such as HEIC photos from an iPhone, are not supported in every Word version.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com