How to transfer photos from iPhone to computer

The process is slightly different depending on whether you’re transferring to a Mac or PC, and whether you’re using a USB cable or taking advantage of Apple’s iCloud service, but we’ll take you through plenty of options in more detail on some of them to help get you started.

using a USB cable

Transferring to your Mac

To transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable, follow these steps:

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
2. Open the Photos app on your Mac.
3. An import screen should appear within the Photos app showing all the photos and videos on your connected iPhone. If it doesn’t, tap your device’s name in the Photos app sidebar.
4. If prompted, unlock the iPhone using your passcode. If your iPhone asks you to “Trust This Computer,” tap “Trust.”
5. Decide where you want to import your photos. You can choose an existing album or create a new one.
6. Select the pictures you want to import and click Import Selected, or click Import All New Pictures.
7. Wait for the import process to complete before disconnecting your device from your Mac.

Transferring to a Windows PC

To transfer photos from your iPhone to your Windows PC, you will need to have iTunes version 12.5.1 or later installed on your computer. Follow these steps:

1. Update iTunes on your computer to the latest version.
2. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
3. Unlock your iPhone with your passcode if prompted.
4. Tap Trust or Allow on your iPhone if it asks you to Trust This Computer.
5. You will then need to import your photos into the Windows Photos app. Note that if you have iCloud Photos turned on, you’ll need to download the original, full-resolution versions of your photos to your iPhone before importing to your computer.

using iCloud

iCloud Photos is another way to transfer photos across your devices. It automatically keeps your photos and videos safe and available on all of your Apple devices, iCloud.com, and even your computer. Before turning on iCloud Photos, make sure you have enough iCloud storage for your entire collection.

When iCloud Photos is turned on, there’s no need to import photos from one device to another as it automatically uploads and stores your original, full-resolution photos. You can choose to keep these originals on all your devices or save space with device-specific versions. You can download your originals any time you need them. Any changes you make, such as edits or organization, update across all of your Apple devices.

Other ways to transfer photos

Apart from using a USB cable or iCloud, there are other ways to transfer photos from your iPhone to your computer:

1. AirDrop: This method is for Apple devices. With AirDrop, you can wirelessly send documents, photos, videos, and more to a nearby Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. To use AirDrop, open the file you want to send, then click the Share button in the app window or Control-click the file and choose Share from the shortcut menu. Choose AirDrop from the sharing options listed, then choose a recipient from the AirDrop sheet. Alternatively, you can select AirDrop in the Finder window’s sidebar and drag files to the recipient shown in the window. Please note that both devices must be within 30 feet (9 meters) of each other and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. If you set your device to receive from Contacts only, both devices must be signed in to iCloud, and the email address or phone number associated with the sender’s Apple ID must be in the recipient’s Contacts app.
2. Import from storage media: If you have photos or videos stored on external media like your hard drive or SD card, you can import them directly into the Photos app on macOS. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find specific instructions on this method during this search.
3. Take pictures: This macOS utility can import your photos directly into a folder on your Mac. However, I ran out of time before I found detailed instructions on this method.
4. synchronization: Syncing with your computer through iTunes or the Finder can transfer photos and other media from your iPhone to your Mac or PC. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find detailed instructions on this method during this search.
5. Time Machine: This is a Mac backup solution that can back up all your files, including photos and videos, to an external hard drive. It is not a straightforward way to transfer certain photos but more of a way to ensure that all of your data is backed up. I couldn’t find specific instructions on using Time Machine for this purpose during this search.

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