How to Colorize Black and White Photos on iPhone
Updated October 2026
To colorize a black and white photo on iPhone, you need an app or a website, because the Photos app has no colorize tool. Open or scan the photo, run it through a colorizer such as Jobim, Colorize by Photomyne, MyHeritage or YouCam Enhance, then save the color version next to the original. Several of these let you try a few photos free; regular use needs a paid plan.
Colorizing is a prediction, not a recovery. Black and white film never recorded color, so the app guesses the likely colors. Skin, sky and plants usually look believable. Clothes, cars and painted walls are educated guesses.
We make Jobim, one of the apps below. We have tried to describe every option fairly, including where Jobim is the wrong pick. Ratings, prices and free allowances come from App Store listings and each provider's own pages as of October 2026. We did not run the same photo through every tool, so this compares features and terms, not output quality.
Colorize a photo in Jobim
Tap Color Fixer, pick the black and white photo and compare the result. Free to download on iPhone, with starter credits.
Can the iPhone Photos app colorize a photo?
No. The color adjustments in Photos, such as Saturation, Vibrance and Warmth, change color that is already in a picture. A black and white scan has none, so those sliders either do nothing or tint the whole image one shade. Adding real-looking color needs an AI colorizer, either an App Store app or a website opened in Safari.
Step 1: get a good copy of the photo onto your iPhone
- If it is a print, lay it flat in even light, out of direct sun, and photograph it straight on. A free scanner app such as PhotoScan by Google Photos takes glare-free scans with automatic cropping.
- Fill the frame with the photo and hold the phone parallel to it so the edges don't skew.
- If the photo is also faded, torn or scratched, restore it before colorizing. Colorizers read the grey tones, and damage throws them off.
- Keep the untouched scan. Colorize a copy.
Colorizing apps and websites for iPhone, compared
Ratings and prices are from each App Store listing, and free terms from the listing or the provider's own page, as of October 2026.
| Tool | What is free | Paid options (as listed) | Rating (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobim (app) | Free download. New accounts get 3 starter credits, and colorizing with Color Fixer shows 1 credit per photo. Unless you subscribe, saved images carry a small Made with Jobim watermark. | Credit packs or a subscription. In-app purchases listed from $3.99 to $19.99. | 3 ratings, too few to judge. We make it. |
| Colorize by Photomyne (app) | The listing says the first few photos are free. | Monthly or yearly subscriptions, or a one-time plan valid for 2 years. In-app purchases listed from $0.99 to $39.99. | 4.66 from 7,565 |
| MyHeritage (app and website) | Its help center says anyone can colorize several photos free. Non-subscribers get a MyHeritage logo watermark. | Unlimited, logo-free colorizing needs a Complete subscription. In-app purchases listed from $16.99 to $249.99. | 4.86 from 66,410 |
| YouCam Enhance (app) and YouCam online colorizer (Safari) | The web colorizer's page says to sign up to get free credits and download without a watermark. It does not say how many credits. | App plans listed from $4.99 a week to $99.99 a year. | 4.60 from 6,998 |
| Pixelup (app) | Free download. The listing offers subscriptions for unlimited access to all features. | Plans listed from $2.99 to $29.99, plus a $39.99 lifetime option. Last updated September 2025. | 4.42 from 39,287 |
| Palette.fm (website) | Free previews, resized to at most 500 by 500 pixels with a Palette logo. One free trial credit gives one full-resolution, logo-free result. | $72 a year ($6 a month) for 480 credits a year, or $49 once for 75 credits. | Website, no App Store rating |
| photorestore.io (website) | 2 free credits each month with a verified account. Colorizing uses 1 credit, and downloads have no watermark. | Paid plans add credits. | Website, no App Store rating |
How we chose: tools whose App Store listing or own page says they colorize black and white photos, that work on an iPhone as an app or in Safari, and whose free terms we could read. Remini, Photoshop Express and Picsart are popular photo apps, but their US App Store listings do not mention colorizing, so they are not in this table.
Which one fits you
- You only want to colorize. Colorize by Photomyne is built for that one job, and its first few photos are free.
- You are building a family tree. MyHeritage puts colorizing inside a family history app, so the colorized photo can sit with your research. Expect a logo on free results.
- You want to try in Safari without installing anything. Palette.fm shows free previews, and its color filters let you change the look. photorestore.io gives 2 free credits a month with no watermark.
- The photo is also damaged or blurry. Jobim and YouCam Enhance both repair and sharpen photos as well as colorizing them, so you can fix the print and add color in one app.
How to colorize a photo on iPhone with Jobim
- Open Jobim and tap Color Fixer.
- Tap Choose from Library and pick the black and white photo. You can pick several at once.
- Check the cost before you start. The screen shows 1 credit per photo and your balance, and the Enhance button shows the total.
- Tap Enhance. If you leave the screen, the app keeps processing and notifies you when the result is ready.
- Compare the result with the original and save it. Unless you subscribe, saved images carry a small Made with Jobim watermark.
Jobim also repairs scratches, tears and folds (Old Photo Restoration) and sharpens blurry photos (Photo Enhancer), so a damaged print can be restored and then colorized in the same app. It is the wrong pick if you want to colorize many photos without paying: its 3 starter credits cover about three photos; after that, expect to buy a credit pack or subscribe. The paywall shows current prices and any trial.
How to get natural colors
- Fix contrast first. A washed-out scan gives the colorizer less to read. Restore the photo or lift its contrast before colorizing.
- Check the guesses. If you know a dress was red or a car was green, compare the result with that memory. A tool's default color for an object is a guess.
- Label the result. If you share a colorized photo in a family tree or album, say it was colorized, so nobody takes the guessed colors as a record.
- Think about privacy. AI colorizers usually process photos on a server, and Jobim does. Read each tool's privacy policy before uploading family photos.
Frequently asked questions
Can I colorize a black and white photo on iPhone for free?
Yes, for a few photos. Colorize by Photomyne says the first few photos are free, MyHeritage lets anyone colorize several photos free with a logo watermark, Palette.fm gives free 500-pixel previews with a logo, and Jobim gives new accounts 3 starter credits. For more than a handful of photos, expect to pay.
Does the iPhone Photos app have a colorize option?
No. The Photos editor adjusts color that is already in a picture. To add color to a black and white photo you need a colorizing app or website.
Are colorized photos accurate?
Only partly. Black and white film never recorded color, so the AI predicts it. Skin, sky and foliage are usually believable; clothing, cars and painted objects are guesses.
What is the best app to colorize old photos on iPhone?
It depends on the job. Colorize by Photomyne is built only for colorizing. MyHeritage suits family-history research. Jobim suits photos that also need repair or sharpening. Check each paywall before you subscribe, since plans change often.
Sources
Keep going
Related restoration guides:
Restore your photo in seconds with Jobim
Upload the old photo, tap once, and Jobim rebuilds faces, colors and detail with AI — right on your iPhone.
Colorization predicts colors; it cannot recover the real ones. Keep your original scan. Prices, ratings and free allowances come from App Store listings and providers' own pages as of October 2026 and can change.