How to Edit a Photo with Text Prompts
Updated · By the PixelShift team at Ruvix Ltd
To edit a photo with text, upload the photo to an AI photo editor, describe one change in a plain sentence, say what must stay the same, and check the result before you save it. The clearer the sentence, the closer the edit: “replace the sky with a pink sunset, keep the people unchanged” works better than “make it nicer”.
We make PixelShift, an iPhone app that works this way, so the steps below use it as the example. The prompt advice applies to any text-based photo editor.
What does “edit a photo with text” mean?
It means you change a photo by writing what you want instead of using sliders, brushes or selection tools. An AI image model reads your instruction and returns a new version of the photo. It suits changes that are hard to do by hand, such as swapping a background, relighting a scene or removing a person, and it is weaker at exact, pixel-precise work such as matching a brand colour or retouching a single strand of hair.
How do I edit a photo with text on iPhone?
- Install PixelShift from the App Store and open it.
- Pick a photo from your library or take a new one in the app.
- Type your instruction in the prompt box, or start from one of the built-in prompt ideas.
- Wait for the edit. The app keeps the original, so you can compare and try again.
- Save the result to Photos or share it.
Two app features help with harder edits. You can draw on the photo first (scribble mode) and then refer to your marks in the prompt, for example “remove the object I circled”. You can also attach up to 9 extra images to one prompt, for example a second photo whose background you want to use. PixelShift Pro includes up to 20 edits a day; prices are on the PixelShift FAQ.
How do I write a prompt that works?
A good edit prompt has three parts: the change, what to keep, and the look you want. Ask for one change at a time. If you want several changes, make them as separate edits so you can keep the ones that work.
- Name the change. “Replace the sky”, “remove the bag on the chair”, “make it evening”.
- Say what stays. Faces, pose, clothes, text and composition are the usual things to protect.
- Describe the look. Light direction, time of day, colours or a style such as “vintage film”.
- Use positive wording. “Plain grey wall” is clearer than “no clutter”.
Not sure how to phrase it? The photo edit prompt builder turns a few choices into a ready-to-paste prompt.
Prompt recipes you can copy
These are example prompts, not guaranteed results: what you get depends on your photo and wording.
| Edit | Example prompt | Check afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| Change the background | Replace the background with a plain white studio wall. Keep the person, their pose and their clothes exactly the same. | Hair and shoulder edges, shadows under the subject |
| Fix the lighting | Brighten the photo as if lit by soft morning window light from the left. Keep the colours natural and do not change the face. | Skin tone, blown-out highlights |
| Remove an object | Remove the bin on the right side of the street and fill the space with the same pavement. Change nothing else. | Repeated patterns or smudges where the object was |
| Add an element | Add a few warm string lights along the top of the fence. Keep the people and the table as they are. | Scale, and whether the new light matches the scene |
| Change the style | Make it look like a vintage film photograph with soft grain and faded colours. Keep the composition the same. | Faces and any text in the photo |
| Change a colour | Change the car from red to dark green. Keep the reflections, the background and everything else unchanged. | Colour spilling onto nearby objects |
Why did the edit change things I wanted to keep?
AI editors redraw the image, so details you did not mention can drift. The common fixes:
- The face changed. Add “keep the face exactly the same” and ask for a smaller change.
- Edges look messy. Ask for a simpler background, or start from a photo with a clearer outline around the subject.
- The whole photo shifted style. Say “change only the sky” and “keep the rest of the photo unchanged”.
- Text in the photo got garbled. AI image models often redraw lettering badly; keep text-heavy areas out of the edit where you can.
If an edit is close but not right, edit the result again with a short follow-up (“make the light a little warmer”) rather than rewriting the whole prompt.
Should I use ChatGPT or a photo app?
Both can edit a photo from text. A general chatbot is convenient if you already use it; a dedicated app keeps your photos, originals and edits together on your phone. We compare them honestly in PixelShift vs ChatGPT for photo editing.