How to Rate Photos on iPhone: A Complete Guide

This guide shows you how to rate photos directly on your iPhone using the built-in Photos app and the Files app. You’ll learn to assign star ratings (1 to 5) to your images, which helps you sort and find your best shots later. No extra apps or special skills are needed—just your iPhone and a few taps.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone running iOS 14 or later (the steps are the same on newer versions).
• The Photos app (pre-installed) and the Files app (also pre-installed).
• Your photos stored either in iCloud or on your device—ratings work on both.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone. Tap the app icon (a colorful flower-like symbol) on your home screen.
2. Select a photo you want to rate. Tap any thumbnail to view it full screen.
3. Tap the heart icon at the bottom of the screen (or top-right on some versions). This marks the photo as a “Favorite.” While this isn’t a star rating, it’s the simplest way to flag your best shots.
4. For star ratings (1–5), use the Files app instead. Go back to your home screen and open the Files app (the blue folder icon).
5. Navigate to your photo’s location. If your photos are in iCloud, tap “iCloud Drive” and then the folder where your photos are stored. If they’re on your device, tap “On My iPhone” and find the folder.
6. Tap the photo to open it. It will open in a quick preview.
7. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or tap the “…” menu in the top-right) to reveal the file info panel.
8. Look for the “Rating” row. It may show “None” or a star icon. Tap the stars to set a rating: tap the first star for 1, second for 2, and so on up to 5.
9. Tap “Done” in the top-right corner to save your rating.
10. Repeat for other photos. Go back to the folder, tap the next photo, and rate it the same way.

Common Mistakes

• Using the heart icon when you want star ratings: The heart adds a favorite, but it doesn’t give a star number. If you need 1–5 stars, you must use the Files app.
• Rating in the Photos app and expecting stars: The Photos app does not have a star rating feature built in. You’ll only see the heart.
• Forgetting to tap “Done”: If you just swipe down or leave the photo without tapping “Done,” your rating may not save.
• Rating a photo in a shared album: Shared albums don’t support star ratings in Files. You need to have the photo in your own library or a folder you own.
• Confusing the “Rating” row with a file size row: The info panel has many rows; the rating is usually near the top, but if you don’t see it, scroll down.

Tips

• Use the heart for quick picks: If you just want to mark favorites for a slideshow or album, the heart is faster and syncs across all devices.
• Create a smart album for star ratings: In the Photos app on your Mac, you can create a smart album that shows photos with a certain rating. On iPhone, you can’t create smart albums, but you can view ratings in Files and sort by rating (tap “Sort” in the Files folder).
• Rate in batches: Open a folder in Files, tap “Select” in the top-right, then tap multiple photos. Unfortunately, you can’t set a rating for multiple at once, but you can quickly swipe through them one by one.
• Use the rating to filter: In Files, tap the “Sort” button (the arrow icon) and choose “Rating” to see your highest-rated photos first.
• Keep your library organized: Consider creating folders in Files specifically for rated photos, like “5 Stars” and “4 Stars,” and move photos there after rating.
• Check if your photos are in iCloud: If you use iCloud Photos, your photos are stored in iCloud Drive under “Photos” or in the “Recently Deleted” folder. Make sure you’re looking in the right place.

Troubleshooting

• No “Rating” row appears: This happens if the photo is not a standard image file (like a Live Photo or a video). Convert the photo to a regular JPEG by duplicating it or taking a screenshot. Also, make sure you’re in the Files app, not the Photos app.
• Rating doesn’t save after tapping “Done”: Try closing the Files app completely (swipe up from the bottom and pause, then swipe the app away) and reopen it. If that fails, restart your iPhone.
• Can’t find your photos in Files: Photos taken with the camera are not automatically in Files. You need to export them: open the photo in Photos, tap the Share icon, choose “Save to Files,” and select a folder. Then you can rate it there.
• Rating resets after a while: This can happen if you have iCloud Photos enabled and the file is re-downloaded. Make sure your iPhone is updated to the latest iOS version, and try rating again. If it keeps resetting, you may need to use a third-party app (like “Photo Rating” or “Slidebox”) that stores ratings separately.
• You see “None” but can’t tap the stars: The photo might be in a read-only location (like a shared folder). Copy the photo to your own folder first, then rate it.
• Ratings don’t sync to your Mac: Ratings added in Files are stored in the file’s metadata, which may not sync with the Photos app on your Mac. If you need cross-device ratings, consider using a dedicated rating app that syncs via iCloud.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I rate photos in the Photos app on iPhone?
No, the Photos app only has a heart icon for favorites. To give a star rating (1–5), you must use the Files app.

2. Will my ratings sync across my devices?
Ratings added in Files are part of the file’s metadata. If the file is stored in iCloud Drive, the rating may sync to other devices where the file is available. However, it won’t appear in the Photos app’s “Favorites” album.

3. How do I remove a rating?
Open the photo in Files, swipe up to see the info panel, and tap the star that is filled to unset it. Or tap “None” if available. Then tap “Done.”

4. Can I rate videos?
Yes, but only in the Files app. Open the video, swipe up, and you’ll see the rating stars. However, some video formats may not support ratings.

5. Is there a way to rate photos using Siri?
No, Siri cannot set star ratings. You can say “Add this photo to favorites” to heart it, but for star ratings you need to do it manually.

6. Why do my ratings disappear after I edit a photo?
Editing a photo in the Photos app may rewrite the file and strip metadata, including ratings. To avoid this, rate after you finish editing, or use a third-party app that preserves metadata.

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