How do family members send photos to a digital frame?
Updated October 29, 2026
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Most digital frames take photos from the family's phones through an app, and some also accept plain email. Skylight is the simplest: anyone who has the frame's email address can send photos as attachments. Aura works through its app, a web uploader, email for invited members and, in the US, text messages. Frameo-based frames such as many Dragon Touch models use the Frameo app after a one-time pairing code.
At a glance
| Frame | App | Other ways | Videos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skylight | Yes | Yes, anyone with the frame's address | Gift setup of the frame's email before it's opened | Needs Skylight Plus |
| Aura | Yes | Yes, for invited frame members (still photos only) | Web uploader on a computer, text messages (US only) | Through the Aura app |
| Frameo frames | Yes, the Frameo app | Not offered in Frameo's guide | Pair each phone with a friend code from the frame | Through the app |
| Nixplay | Yes | Yes | The Nixplay website | Nixplay Plus allows clips up to 2 minutes |
| Dragon Touch | Depends on the model: OurPhoto, Vphoto or Frameo | Check the model's manual | SD card or USB drive, no internet needed | Depends on the app |
Checked on each brand's support pages, October 29, 2026.
Skylight: send photos by email
Every Skylight frame gets its own address, such as [email protected]. Family members attach photos to an email and send it to that address. They don't need an app or an account, and the subject and text don't matter, because the frame only shows the photos. When the person at home taps the heart on a photo, Skylight emails the sender to say it was loved.
You can choose the frame's address before you wrap it, so photos start arriving as soon as it's set up. Sending videos needs Skylight Plus. More: set up a digital frame before you gift it.
Aura: the app, plus email and text
Aura's main route is the Aura app, which uploads both photos and videos. On a computer, the Aura web uploader adds photos, including from Apple iCloud. Any invited frame member can also email still photos to the frame's own address, and in the US you can text photos to a frame. The person who receives the frame doesn't need to do anything.
Frameo frames: pair once, then send from the app
Many lower-priced frames run on Frameo. Each relative installs the Frameo app and connects to the frame once, using a friend code the frame shows on screen or a QR code. After that they pick a photo, choose the frame, add a caption if they like, and send it. Frameo's own guide only describes sending through the app, so plan on every sender having it.
Which way is easiest for your family?
- Relatives who only use email: choose Skylight. Nobody needs an app.
- A big family on smartphones: Aura or Frameo work well, because the apps make sending a habit.
- No internet at home: load photos on an SD card or USB drive with a Dragon Touch. See frames that work without Wi-Fi.