User level: Level 1 (4 points)I can't toggle on Share name and photo in iOS 27 in either Messages or Phone. Is there somewhere else I need to go to enable this?
Posted on Sep 28, 2026 5:47 PM
User level: Level 10 (454,138 points)Sep 29, 2026 12:00 AM in response to VermillionCoyote
Share Name and Photo is an iMessage feature; it does not apply to conventional SMS or MMS messages. Therefore, Name and Photo Sharing is associated with iMessage, rather than with your carrier-based SMS/MMS service.
To use this feature, iMessage must be activated and set up on your iPhone. Your iMessage identity can be your phone number, your Apple Account email address, or both, depending on how you have configured Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive.
When you communicate with another person through iMessage, your configured Name and Photo can be shared according to your Name & Photo Sharing settings.
With SMS or MMS, the Name and Photo Sharing feature does not operate because those messages are handled by your cellular carrier rather than by Apple's iMessage service.
Name and Photo Sharing is an iMessage function, not an SMS/MMS function. It becomes available as part of setting up iMessage, and it can be used with the iMessage identity—phone number or Apple Account email address—that you have enabled for Messages.
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256366862