Transfer photos from phone to computer: all methods

Your phone is full of photos but you want them safely on your computer? There are multiple ways to transfer photos. In this article, we explain all methods for both iPhone and Android.

Method 1: USB cable (fastest)

iPhone to Windows

1. Connect your iPhone to your PC with the lightning/USB-C cable
2. Unlock your iPhone and tap Trust if asked
3. Open File Explorer on your PC
4. Click on Apple iPhone under "This PC"
5. Open Internal Storage → DCIM
6. Copy the folders to your computer

iPhone to Mac

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac
2. Open the Photos app on your Mac
3. Click on your iPhone in the sidebar
4. Select photos and click Import Selected
5. Or click Import All New Photos

Android to Windows

1. Connect your Android phone with a USB cable
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (not just charging)
3. Open File Explorer on your PC
4. Click on your phone under "This PC"
5. Open DCIM → Camera
6. Copy the photos to your computer

Android to Mac

1. Download Android File Transfer from android.com/filetransfer
2. Connect your phone and open the app
3. Navigate to DCIM → Camera
4. Drag photos to your Mac

Method 2: Cloud storage (automatic)

iCloud Photos (iPhone)

1. On iPhone: Settings → your name → iCloud → Photos
2. Enable iCloud Photos
3. On computer: go to icloud.com/photos or install iCloud for Windows
4. Your photos sync automatically

Free storage: 5 GB. More space costs €0.99/month for 50 GB.

Google Photos (Android & iPhone)

1. Install Google Photos app
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Enable Backup in settings
4. On computer: go to photos.google.com

Free storage: 15 GB (shared with Gmail and Drive).

OneDrive (Microsoft)

1. Install the OneDrive app
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account
3. Enable Camera Upload
4. Photos appear in the OneDrive folder on your computer

Free storage: 5 GB. Microsoft 365 subscribers get 1 TB.

Method 3: Wireless transfer

AirDrop (iPhone to Mac)

1. Enable AirDrop on both devices
2. On iPhone: open Photos, select photos
3. Tap the Share icon
4. Tap your Mac under AirDrop
5. Accept on your Mac

Bluetooth (Android)

1. Enable Bluetooth on both devices
2. Pair the devices
3. On your phone: select photos → Share → Bluetooth
4. Accept the transfer on your computer

Note: Bluetooth is slow. Only suitable for a few photos.

Nearby Share / Quick Share (Android to Windows)

Windows 11 supports Nearby Share for Android phones:

1. On Windows: enable Nearby Share in settings
2. On Android: select photos → Share → Nearby Share
3. Select your PC and accept

Method 4: Email / messaging apps

For a few photos, you can simply email them to yourself:

1. Select photos on your phone
2. Tap Share → Email (or WhatsApp, Telegram)
3. Send to your own email address
4. Download on your computer

Disadvantage: Quality may be reduced, not suitable for many photos.

Method 5: Memory card (Android only)

If your Android phone has an SD card slot:

1. Move photos to the SD card (via Files app)
2. Remove the SD card from your phone
3. Insert into your computer (with card reader if needed)
4. Copy the photos

Tips for organizing photos

On your computer

• Create folders by year/month (e.g., 2024/06-June)
• Or organize by event (Vacation Spain 2024)
• Use photo software for tagging and searching
• Excel for beginners: the basics explained

Delete duplicates

After transferring, check for duplicate photos. There is software to find and remove duplicates.

Backup!

After transferring, make sure you have a backup:

• External hard drive
• Cloud storage
• Second computer

Which method is best?

Need help? Our support team is ready for you! Send a ticket through the customer portal and we'll usually help you within a few hours.