5 Easy Ways to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC or Mac (Dec 2022)
You have a number of options to choose from if you are interested in learning how to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer running Windows or macOS. It is not nearly as difficult of a process as you might believe it to be in order to move photos from an iPhone to a Mac or to transfer photos from an iPhone to a PC. Transferring data between Apple devices is a fairly straightforward process, and we’ve identified several straightforward methods for PC users as well (including some solutions that Microsoft does not promote). Let’s go over the steps necessary to easily transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer.
How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC
How to Upload Photos from iPhone to Computer in Windows 8
The Step-by-Step Guide to Transferring Photos from Your iPhone to Your Computer Using Windows 8
When you connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable, if your personal computer is running an older version of Windows, the Auto Play window will automatically appear. Your personal computer running Windows 8 will detect the device and display a pop-up prompting you to “Tap to choose what happens to this device.” when the prompt appears. After clicking on that pop-up, you will be presented with the option to Import Photos and Videos, which will enable you to transfer photos and videos from your iPhone to your personal computer. The remainder of the process should be fairly analogous to what is shown in the following demonstration for Windows 10. If you are unsure of what to do, look for the Import button!
How to Import Photos from iPhone to PC in Windows 10
Here is how to get photos off of your iPhone and onto your PC if you’re looking for the easiest way to transfer them from your iPhone to your computer (with additional detail that Microsoft doesn’t provide):
Uncover some of the iPhone’s more obscure capabilities.
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Simply connect your iPhone to your Windows computer using the provided USB cable in order to move photos from your iPhone to your PC.
A pop-up will appear on your iPhone asking if you would like to grant permission for the computer to access the iPhone. Click the Allow button.
It’s possible that the Photos application will open by itself when you boot up your Windows computer. In the event that it does not, you can start the Photos programme by using the search bar or the Start menu in Windows.
In the Photos app’s upper-right corner is a button labelled “Import.” Click this button.
How to Transfer Pictures from iPhone to Computer with a Cable (Alternative Method)
Choose From a USB device from the corresponding drop-down menu.
instructions on how to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer
If you have more than one USB device, like a thumb drive, plugged into your personal computer, you will be prompted to choose which one of those devices you want to import from. Choose your iPhone from the list.
The computer will look for photos to import, and then a box will appear on the screen with the newly added photos ready to be transferred. If the Photos application has crashed for you at this point, you may be suffering from a widespread issue. Try out the different approach that is described in the following section.
Choose the photographs that you wish to import.
Click the settings button, which is represented as a gear icon, to see where the photos will be saved and to change where they will be saved.
How to Download Photos from iPhone to Computer with iCloud Photos (Mac or PC)
You will be able to see the location where the photos will be saved as well as a link labelled Change the import destination. This link is provided in case you want to change the location on your personal computer where photos imported from your iPhone are stored.
To return to the screen where you can select an image, click the Done button.
After you have decided which pictures you want to import, select them and then click the Import button.
After the images have been imported, you will be able to view them in the Collections menu of the Photos app. Alternatively, you can view specific albums by selecting the Album icon located on the left sidebar.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Copying Photos from Your iPhone to Your Computer Using a Cable (A Different Way to Do It)
The built-in Windows Photos application has been known to give certain users a faulty experience. If you are unable to get it to work and are looking for an alternative solution, try using the following method to copy photos from your iPhone to your personal computer:
To transfer photos from an iPhone to a PC, you must first unlock the iPhone, then plug the iPhone into a Windows computer using the appropriate cable, and finally select the Allow option.
To access This PC on your Windows computer, follow the on-screen prompts. You ought to find a listing for your iPhone in the Devices and Drives section.
Select “Import pictures and videos” from the context menu that appears after you right-click on your iPhone.
You have the option of importing all new items or clicking the Review button to organise and group items that need to be imported. Because the automatic organisation might not be the best option, I suggest going to the Review tab instead.
The More options link at the bottom of the page provides options to change the location where the files are saved; however, for the vast majority of users, the Pictures folder that is pre-set is sufficient.
Simply clicking the Next button will cause the computer to search your iPhone for photos and videos.
Choose the items that you want to import into the following window that appears.
A slider at the bottom of the menu allows you to change the way the pictures are organised into folders, for example, by the hour, by the hours, by the day, by the month, or by the year they were taken. You can save all of your documents in a single folder by sliding the bar all the way to the right.
When you are ready to transfer images, click the Import button.
Next, we are going to delve into the process of using the iCloud Photo Library to transfer pictures from your iPhone to your personal computer.
How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Computer (Mac)
Using iCloud Photos, Here’s How to Download Photos From Your iPhone to Your Computer (Mac or PC)
You can use iCloud.com to safely store and access your photos, even if you only have access to a PC. This is a little-known fact that Microsoft will never let you in on. You, along with every other person who uses iCloud, will be required to pay a nominal fee on a monthly basis for storage ($0.99 per month for 50 GB or $2.99 per month for 200 GB). However, considering that iCloud will automatically keep the two libraries in perfect sync, I believe this to be a relatively minor inconvenience to bear given the fact that the process of how to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer will be made to appear almost effortless. This method is probably the best solution for you if you want to avoid having to plug your iPhone into your computer in order to transfer your photos, as it eliminates the need to do so.
First, in order to ensure that your photos are backed up securely in the cloud, users of both Mac and PC will need to follow the steps outlined below for the iPhone:
Launch the Settings application, and at the very top, select the profile associated with your Apple ID.
How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac in MacOS Catalina & Later
To enable iCloud sync on iPhones running iOS 16, tap the Sync this iPhone button. (To enable iCloud Photos in older software versions, use the toggle button.)
iCloud instructions for transferring photos from an iPhone to a computer
If you own a PC, viewing and accessing your photos in iCloud requires nothing more than logging into your account with your Apple ID on iCloud.com. The limitation that you can only download up to 1,000 photos at a time from iCloud.com to your personal computer is a drawback of using this method (so downloading your entire photos library at once is likely out of the question).
If you have a Mac, you can sync the Photos app to iCloud by following the steps that are provided below. This way, the pictures taken on your iPhone will be imported into the Photos app on your Mac, and vice versa. The following instructions are for people who use Macs and want to transfer photos from their iPhones to their computers:
Launch System Preferences by selecting Apple > System Preferences from the menu that appears in the upper-left corner of your screen.
Select Apple ID, then sign in to your account.
The option to use iCloud should already be selected in the menu on the left. If it isn’t already selected, click it.
Mark the box that’s located next to Photos, and if prompted, enter your computer’s passcode.
Both the photos that you take with your iPhone and the photos that you add to your computer will now appear on your iPhone as well as on your computer. Keep an eye on the storage space you have in iCloud!
The Step-by-Step Guide to Moving Photos from Your iPhone to Your Computer (Mac)
Using the photo transfer feature within the Photos app on your Mac is the time-honored method for transferring photos from an iPhone to a Mac. It is important to note that the process of importing photos from an iPhone to a Mac has changed slightly since the release of MacOS Catalina, Big Sur, and soon macOS Monterey. Because of this, you will want to use the method that is shown in the following section if you are utilising a more recent version of the operating system. You can skip ahead to the following section if you are using Mojave or an earlier version.
How To Import Photos from iPhone to Mac in MacOS Mojave
You can unlock your iPhone by using the USB cable to connect it to your Mac and performing the unlocking process there.
Launch the Photos application on your Apple computer. You can search for it using Spotlight, look for it in your Dock, or locate it by opening the Applications folder on your computer and selecting the Photos app from within that folder.
On the left side of the Photos page, the browser should already have your iPhone selected as the device to display the photos from. If it isn’t, then choose your iPhone as the device to use.
Simply click on the pictures you want to import to make your selections.
Simply select the Import button located at the very top.
The process has been streamlined thanks to Finder’s efforts. You can also learn how to transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac without the use of a USB cable by transferring them using AirDrop or iCloud Photo Stream. This option is available to you if you would prefer not to use a cable. If you own a MacBook that does not come with built-in USB-A ports, utilising these methods will be especially helpful for you!
Importing Photos from an iPhone to a Mac Using the Latest Version of MacOS Mojave
If you are running the macOS Mojave operating system on your Mac or MacBook, you can use this method to transfer photos from your iPhone to your computer. If your device is compatible with the most recent version of macOS, we strongly encourage you to keep your device as up to date as possible. This guarantees that bug fixes, updates to your privacy settings, and new features will always be accessible to you.
Make the connection between your iPhone and computer using the USB cable.
Launch the Photos application on your Apple computer. You can search for it using Spotlight, look for it in your Dock, or locate it by opening the Applications folder on your computer and selecting the Photos app from within that folder.
Choose File from the top menu, then pick Import from the drop-down menu that appears.
Move pictures from your iPhone to your computer.
You can download selected photos by holding down the command key (cmd) on your keyboard while clicking all the pictures you want to move, and then clicking the Review for Import button when you are finished selecting the pictures.
What is the process for transferring photos from an iPhone to a computer?
Your Mac will inform you that you have already imported some or all of the photos that you have selected, and then it will give you the option to import the remaining photo(s) by allowing you to click the Import New Photo button.
instructions on how to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer
Click the Import All New Items button if you’d rather bring over all of the pictures from your iPhone that you haven’t brought over from a previous backup.
instructions for transferring photos from an iPhone to a Mac
Select “Last Import” from the list of options on the sidebar to see the most recent photos imported.
And you’re done! If you would rather not use a USB cable to transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac, you can also learn how to import photos from your iPhone to your MacBook or Mac using iCloud Photo Stream or AirDrop. Both of these options are available to you. If you own a MacBook that does not come with built-in USB-A ports, utilising these methods will be especially helpful for you!
AirDrop Tutorial: How to Transfer Photos from Your iPhone to Your Mac
Since AirDrop relies on Wi-Fi to transfer files from an iPhone to a Mac and vice versa (and can also be used to transfer other types of files), the very first thing you need to do is make sure that both your iPhone or iPad and your personal computer are connected to Wi-Fi. Keep in mind that in order to transfer photos from an iPhone to a Mac, AirDrop requires both devices to run OS X Yosemite or a later version of the operating system. The following steps will walk you through using AirDrop to transfer photos from your iPhone to your computer:
Launch the Photos application on your iOS device. Tap the Share icon, then choose the photos you want to save to the computer from the gallery that appears.
- Choose AirDrop from the menu labelled Share.
- Select your computer from the drop-down menu of available devices that appears at the bottom of the screen.
- If all goes well, it will state that. Posted beneath the icon on your computer.
- Tap Done in the upper-right corner to leave the AirDrop screen.
- When the file arrives on your computer from your iPhone, you will need to click the Save button if your computer is not logged into the same iCloud account as the iPhone from which you are sending the file. If you are logged into the same iCloud account on both devices, the pictures will be saved for you automatically.
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