How to disable contact photos for Favorites in the iOS 7 Phone app

By Allyson Kazmucha
last updated

iOS 7 by default shows photos of all the contacts you have under the Favorites tab in the Phone app. People who regularly save contact photos will most likely enjoy this feature. Those that don't may find it looks funny if only some of their contacts have photos, if any. Luckily, you can disable it if you'd like.

Here's how:

  1. Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap on Phone.
  3. Turn Off the option for Contact Photos in Favorites.

That's all there is to it. The Favorites tab in the Phone app will no longer show contact photos. You can turn it back on any time you'd like by following the same steps above again.

Allyson Kazmucha
Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.

12 Comments
  • WOW, this is great, thanks Ally! Had know idea this option was there in iOS7. --Rob T
  • Thank you for this useful tips. Really hope to get my gold iPhone 5S soon. Upgrade from my iPhone 3GS.
  • Ally, how do yours say "iPhone" next to those people? Mine doesn't give the option of selecting iPhone for their numbers - just mobile, work, etc.
  • Does any one know why certain contacts do have a picture and some don't. Even while I'm connected with them through Facebook and have spelled and capitalized the name correctly. This was a iOS 6 'bug' as well
  • In contacts you can edit the type contact it is such as home, mobile, iPhone, fax, etc. Hope that helps.
  • Oh, I know how to change the type, but on my phone running iOS 7, iPhone is not listed as a phone type.
  • Pretty sure the device auto-detects if it's an actual iPhone/iCloud # just like in iMessage. Not 100%, but seems like the logical explanation
  • good one ,got it
  • Cool tip. Thank you! Sent from the iMore App
  • Any chance you know how to do this on iPad? There is no phone app or phone settings, but the photos show up in the Messages app.
  • I want my contact pics to show in the messages app, does anyone know how to do this? I used sync me to sync all my contacts with Facebook but still doesn't show pics in messages.
  • Very simple but very useful... Thanks a lot.