FAQ: Why do other people's pictures appear inexplicably in the Photos app on my iPhone?

The short answer is: Most probably because of WhatsApp

There are 4 main ways to import pictures in the Photos app on an iPhone:

1. Via AirPlay

2. From a Shared album

3. From an app (i.e. Mail or Messages)

4. Via a lightning to USB or lightning to SD card adapter

Methods 1, 2 and 4 require the iPhone owner to either accept or manually trigger the import operation.

And with most apps (method 3), we usually need to use the Share sheet to save the picture.

In other words, there is only one possible reason for pictures to appear in the Photos app without the user's intervention: an app that automatically saves pictures to the camera roll

And yes, WhatsApp is one such app.

To double-check whether WhatsApp is configured to do that:

1. Open WhatsApp

2. Tap on "Settings (bottom right)

3. Tap on "Chats"

4. Check whether "Save to Camera Roll" is toggled OFF or ON

And you, did you turn off the automatic save of WhatsApp photos and videos too?

---

Want to receive this kind of FAQ automatically via e-mail alongside Apple news?

Just click on the thumbnail below to join the club