How to Put a Photo in a Circle in Keynote on iPhone

To put a photo in a circle on a Keynote slide on your iPhone, add a circle shape and fill it with your photo. If you already have a circle image with transparent corners, you can insert that image instead. The first method keeps the result in your presentation; the second is useful when you want to reuse an image you have already made.

Method 1: Fill a circle shape with a photo

1. Open your presentation in Keynote and go to the slide where you want the photo.
2. Tap the Content Hub button in the toolbar, open Shapes, and add a circle. Resize it on the slide. If it looks oval, adjust its width and height until they are equal.
3. Tap the circle to select it. Tap the Format button, then Style and Fill.
4. Tap Image, then Replace, and choose the photo you want to use.
5. Under the image-fill options, try Scale to Fill to cover the whole circle. Scale to Fit keeps the entire image within the shape but can leave space around it. Choose the option that works for your picture, then close the controls.

Apple's guides explain how to add a shape and fill a shape with an image. Exact labels can differ with your Keynote version.

Method 2: Add a circle photo you already saved

If your picture is already a circle image, open the slide, tap Content Hub, then tap More Options. Choose Photo or Video to select one from your library, or choose a file if the image is in Files or another location. Resize it on the slide. Apple's image insertion guide shows the current options.

Place the image over a colored area of the slide to check the corners. If the slide color shows through around the circle, those corners are transparent in the image Keynote received. If you see a white rectangle, follow the white-background troubleshooting guide to compare your original and any shared copy. A PNG can contain transparency, but a PNG filename alone does not guarantee it.

Which method should you use?

Use a shape fill when you only need the photo to look round on this slide. The circle is an object in the presentation; filling it does not by itself create a separate transparent PNG file.

Use an existing circle image when you already have one you want to place in more than one design. Check the saved file and the result in each destination rather than assuming every app or sharing method preserves transparency.

Make a circle photo on your iPhone

If you want to prepare a separate circle photo first, Rounder offers a circle editor for iPhone. It is free to download, contains advertising, and offers in-app purchases; the App Store listing requires iOS 26 or later. Choose a photo, preview the framing, and check the saved result before adding it to your slide.

For a portrait or pet picture, leave enough room around the subject so important details stay visible. Our round profile picture guide has a few ideas for choosing the original photo.