Add an image in Numbers on Mac
You can add photos, graphics and SVG images to any sheet and replace media placeholders with your own images. You can add images from a photo library, drag them from a website or from the Finder, or take a photo with a nearby iPhone or iPad.
Tip: If you have a Mac with M1 or later, you can use Image Playground with Apple Intelligence to create fun, original images based on a description and suggested concepts. You can also easily adjust the style and make changes to match text on a spreadsheet. Select the text or image you want to work with, Control-click your selection, then click Add to Playground. To learn more about Apple Intelligence, see the Mac User Guide.
Add or replace an image
Go to the Numbers app
on your Mac.Open a spreadsheet, then do any of the following:
Drag an image from your computer or a web page to a media placeholder or anywhere else on the sheet.
Click
in the bottom-right corner of a media placeholder, navigate to the image you want to use, then double-click the image.Click
in the toolbar, choose Photos or Videos, navigate to the image you want to use, then click the image.Click to select the image you want to replace, then in the Format
sidebar, click the Image tab. Click Replace, navigate to the image you want to use, then double-click the image. The new image retains the dimensions of the original.
If you can’t replace an image on a sheet, the image may be locked or grouped.
Create a media placeholder
You can add a media placeholder (to which you can add an image, video or audio file) to a spreadsheet. Using a media placeholder lets you easily replace media without disturbing other elements on the sheet.
Go to the Numbers app
on your Mac.Open a spreadsheet, add an image to your sheet, then format it the way you want your spreadsheet’s images to look.
You can add a mask, add a border, rotate the image, change its size and more.
Click the image to select it, then choose Format > Advanced > Define as Media Placeholder (from the Format menu at the top of your screen).
Take a photo or scan with iPhone or iPad and add it to a sheet
If you have your iPhone or iPad nearby, you can use it to take a photo or scan and insert the image directly into your spreadsheet on your Mac.
Note: To make sure your Mac, iPhone or iPad supports this feature, see the Apple Support article System requirements for Continuity.
Go to the Numbers app
on your Mac.Open a spreadsheet, then go to the sheet where you want to add the photo or scan.
Click
in the toolbar, then choose Take Photo or Scan Documents below your device name.On your iPhone or iPad, then do one of the following:
Take a photo: Tap
, then tap Use Photo (tap Retake to retake the photo).Scan a document automatically: Position the spreadsheet in view of the camera to automatically capture the page, crop it and correct its perspective. To insert the scan in your spreadsheet, tap Save.
Scan a page manually: Tap
, then drag the frame to adjust the area you want to scan. Tap Keep Scan, then tap Save.
Drag the image to move it, or drag any selection handle to resize it in your spreadsheet.
Note: If you scan more than one item, only the first one appears in your spreadsheet.
Add an image description
You can add a description to any image in your spreadsheet. Image descriptions are read by assistive technology (for example, VoiceOver) when someone uses that technology to access your spreadsheet. Image descriptions aren’t visible anywhere in your spreadsheet.
Go to the Numbers app
on your Mac.Open a spreadsheet, click the image to select it, then click the Image tab in the Format
sidebar.Click the Description text box, then enter your text.
If you export your spreadsheet as a PDF, image descriptions are still readable by assistive technology. See Export to Excel or another file format.
To add an image gallery, see Add an image gallery. To add a caption to your image, see Add a caption or title to object.
To work with multiple images at the same time, hold down the Shift key while you click the images.
Tip: You can also break apart SVG images into shapes, then edit them individually. To learn more, see Combine or break apart shapes.