How to Overlay and Combine Two Images on iPhone

Want to layer one photo over another on your iPhone? You can layer photos in the Photos app, or download a third-party app to access more image blending and layering options. Here's how to do both.

Stack photos in the Photos app on iPhone

The first method to stack photos on iPhone is to use the Photos app. This is the easiest way if you don't want to download an additional third-party app just to stack two photos.

To get started, you'll need to turn your first photo's subject into a sticker. The Photos app has a handy feature that lets you create custom stickers from photos on your iPhone. So head to the Photos app, scroll to the photo you want, and tap to view it.

Now, press and hold the photo subject and release. You will see a bright white line running along the edge of the subject when it is successfully recognized and selected. Then select Add Sticker .

The subject of the photo will be added to the sticker collection on your iPhone. Tap the x icon to exit the sticker window.

Now, go back to your photo library. This time, scroll to the second photo you want to use as your background and tap to view it. Tap Edit > Highlight (the highlighter icon). Tap the + icon from the bottom toolbar and select Add Sticker .

Select the sticker you just created to layer it on top of your current photo. You can use the circles in the corners to adjust the size of the photo sticker. Tap the blue Done button, then tap the yellow Done button to save your new photo.

Overlay images using third-party apps

If you want to stack photos on your iPhone and have more image customization features available, use the Union app.

Union has a clean, easy-to-use interface that offers a variety of blending and overlaying options. You can download Union for free from the App Store.

• Download Union (Free, subscription available)

To layer photos in Union, open the app and tap Get Started . Tap Background > Photo and choose from your photo library to add a background layer to your photo.

Next, you can change the aspect ratio if you want. Once you're satisfied, tap the green checkmark icon to save the background.

Next, tap the three horizontal lines icon in the upper left corner and select Foreground > Photo to add the photo you want to paste over the existing background photo.

Once you've added your photos, you can pinch or drag them to adjust them. Then, with the Blend Mode icon (two overlapping circles) selected, scroll along the bottom toolbar and select options like Darken, Overlay, Soft Light , etc. to choose how you want to layer the foreground image onto the background image.

Go back to the 3-dash menu and tap Mask > Erase to erase unwanted parts of the foreground image or Mask > Shape to change how the foreground image is stacked on the background.

The main downside to Union is that you can't export a full image without paying for a subscription. For free users, the workaround is to take a screenshot on your iPhone and crop the image to get the part you want.

Generally, if you just want to quickly stack photos on your iPhone without achieving a seamless blend between two photos, creating a sticker in the Photos app and pasting it onto another photo is the easiest method. This is useful, for example, when you want to create memes on your iPhone.

However, if you don't have a specific photo subject that can be stickered, or want to create something more elegant and artistic, consider third-party apps like Union to easily stack photos on your iPhone.