How to Insert a Photo into an Excel Cell on iPhone or iPad with WPS Office
Question details
The user needs to insert a photo from an iPhone or iPad camera roll into an Excel workbook stored on Google Drive and save it back without losing the image.
- Product
- WPS Office for iOS
- Device & OS
- iPhone / iPad (iOS / iPadOS)
- Scenario
- Editing an Excel workbook stored on Google Drive and adding a local camera-roll photo to a cell on a mobile device.
- Observed behavior
- The Insert Picture or Photo command may be missing or vary depending on whether the file is opened in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Google Drive preview.
Install WPS Office on your iPhone or iPad, and open the workbook from Google Drive or Files. Then go to iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos and allow WPS Office to access your photo library.
Insert a Photo into an Excel Cell with WPS Office on iPhone or iPad
Use this when you want a reliable way to add camera-roll photos to a .xlsx workbook and save it back to Google Drive.
WPS Office for iOS keeps the Excel layout intact and inserts the selected image as a movable object that you can resize over the target cell.
Tap the WPS Office app, choose Open or Cloud, select Google Drive, sign in if prompted, and open the Excel workbook.
Tap the cell where you want the photo to appear so the cell is active.
Tap the Insert tab or plus icon, choose Picture, then tap From Photos or Photo Library and select the image from your iPhone or iPad camera roll.
Drag the image over the cell and use the resize handles to fit it. Tap Save or the back arrow to save the workbook to Google Drive.
Insert a Picture in Microsoft Excel for iOS
Use this if you prefer to edit the workbook in Microsoft Excel rather than WPS Office.
Use Google Sheets Image-in-Cell When Available
Use this only if the workbook is currently being edited in Google Sheets and the image-in-cell command is available in your app version.
Insert Photos into Excel Cells on iPhone and iPad with WPS Office
WPS Office for iOS offers a free way to open .xlsx workbooks, place photos from your iPhone or iPad camera roll into Excel cells, and save the updated file back to Google Drive in a compatible format.
- 1. Install WPS Office on your iPhone or iPad: Download WPS Office from the App Store, open it, and sign in or skip to start.
- 2. Open the Excel workbook from Google Drive: In WPS Office, tap Cloud > Google Drive, sign in to your Google account, and open the .xlsx workbook.
- 3. Select the cell and insert the photo: Tap the target cell, tap Insert > Picture > From Photos, and choose the photo from your device photo library.
- 4. Adjust the image to fit the cell: Drag and resize the image so it sits over the intended cell, then tap anywhere outside the image to confirm.
- 5. Save and upload back to Google Drive: Tap Save or the cloud upload icon to save the workbook back to Google Drive as an Excel-compatible .xlsx file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I see an Insert Picture option when editing my Excel file on iPhone?
You may be in the Google Drive preview or using Google Sheets. Open the workbook in WPS Office or Microsoft Excel for iOS instead. In WPS Office, tap the Insert tab, choose Picture, and select From Photos.
Can I insert a photo from my iPhone camera roll into a specific Excel cell?
Yes. In WPS Office, first tap the target cell, then go to Insert > Picture > From Photos. The photo appears over the cell and can be dragged and resized to fit that cell area.
Will the inserted photo still appear when I open the workbook in Microsoft Excel?
Yes. When you save the file as .xlsx, the photo is embedded in the workbook and remains visible in Microsoft Excel, although it will appear as a floating image over the cell rather than as a true cell value.
How do I allow WPS Office to access Photos on iPhone or iPad?
Go to iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > WPS Office, then choose Selected Photos or All Photos. After granting access, return to WPS Office and insert the photo again.
