How to quickly find and search photos you’ve sent
A friend sent you the name of a great hotel in Palm Springs, but you can’t find the message. Try searching your texts. Tap or click here for tips to help you find any message you’re looking for in seconds.
You can do the same with your photo album. Instead of endlessly scrolling, search for “sunset,” “Hawaii,” “dog,” or anything else you want to see. Tap or click here for pro tricks to find any image in no time.
Then there are the photos and videos you send on your smartphone. How to find and browse your shared media.
View a record of what you sent and received
For better or for worse, what we do online leaves behind digital traces. You can easily browse the photos and videos you’ve shared with a contract or group – and those they’ve shared with you. Here’s how:
- Open Messages.
- Tap a conversationthen tap Contact/Group Name or profile photo.
- Scroll down to the Photos section and tap See everything to view your shared photos and videos.
You can also search for photos and videos that you have sent or received. Handy, right? How it works on an iPhone:
- Open Messages.
- Enter a Word or search term in the search bar.
- Scroll down to photos and type See everything.
More Phone Smarts: Having a hard time sending videos from your Android to an iPhone? Use this app
Are you using an Android phone? Follow these steps to see all your shared media.
- open that Messages apartment
- Tap the search bar above. Choose pictures or videos.
- From here you can browse through any photos or videos that have been shared with you or that you have shared in text messages.
Have you lost an important text? Here’s how to get it back on your iPhone. Make a backup copy of your messages beforehand. Tap or click for the simple options to get the job done.
Find media in third-party messaging apps
Now that you know how to find shared media in your phone’s built-in messaging apps, here’s how to do the same with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
Browse the photos and videos you’ve shared through Facebook Messenger:
- Open Facebook Messenger.
- Tap a conversationthen tap Contact/Group Name or profile photo.
- Beat View media, files and links in the More Actions section to view shared photos and videos.
While Facebook Messenger has a search feature, it doesn’t work for the media you’ve shared in chats.
As long as you’re poking around on Facebook, you might as well protect yourself. Hackers are after Google and Facebook accounts. Do this quick check now.
Browse shared photos and videos in WhatsApp:
- Open Whatsapp.
- Tap a conversationthen the Contact/Group Name. Finally, tap on the three-dot menu icon.
- Select for a one-on-one chat Media, links and documents to view your shared photos and videos.
- For a group chat, tap group media.
You can also search your chats to find what you are looking for. Here’s how:
- Open Whatsapp.
- Enter a word or search term in the search bar.
- Beat photos.
Keep your technical knowledge up to date
My favorite podcast is called Kim Komando Today. It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips and tech callers like you from across the country. Look for it wherever you get your podcasts. For convenience, click the link below to view a recent episode.
Chinese super apps inspire Elon Musk’s Twitter plans, a solar-powered city lasted during Hurricane Ian Strom, new phishing attacks, TikTok teaches car thieves, the world’s oldest webcam and how to easily hang pictures with our phone. You will also learn how to make money renting your car and stop websites from tracking you with URLs.
Watch my Kim Komando Today podcast on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name “Komando”.
What questions do you have about the digital lifestyle? Call Kim’s National Radio Show and tap or click here to find her on your local radio station. You can listen or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, TV or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.