How to Send Pictures From Your Phone to Facebook

Phones, Facebook and photos might be the pinnacle of technological ubiquity. And although it seems like everyone has a cell phone capable of taking pictures, those snapshots sure don't do you much good unless you share them -- that's where Facebook comes in. Now there's just the matter of figuring out the best way to send photos to your account using your phone.

Because Facebook is so pervasive and multi-faceted, there are a lot of ways to access it, whether you opt for a laptop, a tablet PC or a phone. In addition, a single phone might offer several options for photo uploads alone.

Before you get crazy and start uploading pictures of your entire day, from breakfast to midnight snacks to everything in between, be sure that you understand your phone's service plan. Some plans include unlimited texting, while others tack on fees for each individual message. Similar rules apply to data usage. Read those rules -- understanding your plan could help you avoid hundreds of dollars in excess charges.

Caveats aside, you'll first have to decide exactly how you want to interact with Facebook via your phone.

That detail, of course, depends on the kind of phone you own. From the simplest (and perhaps most archaic) devices, to the latest and greatest in smartphones, you'll likely be able to send your photos to the Web.

If you have a basic phone with a camera, start by setting it up to work with Facebook. After you log in, click "account" on the top right side of your screen, then "account settings" and finally the "mobile" tab. Select your country and mobile phone carrier and follow the prompts. Facebook will send you a text message with an activation code; enter that code in the dialog box on your computer to confirm the process.

With most carriers, you should now be able to send picture text messages, otherwise known as MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), to this e-mail address: mobile@facebook.com. In your Facebook account, those pictures will appear in your "mobile uploads" album. Your phone does require e-mail capabilities in order to upload photos through this method, however.

Perhaps you prefer a different picture-transfer process? On the next page, we'll give you the scoop on more advanced ways to get those photos from your phone (and give them some real face time with your Facebook friends).