There may be several reasons why you would want to transfer photos from your iPhone to a computer: to have copies on your hard drive, to edit the images, or to give a copy to a friend. Transferring photos from iPhone to PC used to be a bit complicated task as they were much less compatible. This scenario, however, has long since changed and when it comes to sharing images. The problems of yesteryear are no longer present.
In this article, you will see how to transfer photos from iPhone to computer quickly and easily. We will also explain the methods to do it from a Mac or PC.
Transfer iPhone Photos Using iCloud
Probably the easiest way to transfer your photos to a computer is to download them from the iCloud service. This process requires you to enable iCloud storage on your iPhone. Once done, all photos are securely stored and become accessible from any computer. Just sign in with your Apple ID.
When transferring to Mac, the process is relatively simple. However, if you are moving to a Windows PC, some preparation is required. Follow these steps to access your iCloud Photos:
- Make sure your computer is running on the latest version of Windows 7, 8, or 10. If not, update as needed.
- Download and install iCloud for Windows, making sure to match it with your operating system version.
- Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. If you're not sure how to do this, follow the instructions that came with your iPhone.
- In iCloud for Windows, open "Options" next to "Photos" and select « Photos iCloud. »
- Click on " Ended, " then " Apply. »
After you've done everything, you can view and download your iCloud photos using the "Download" icon (the cloud with a down-pointing arrow). Besides downloading, you can also edit the images on your computer while in iCloud, and the edited version will be available on any device.
Transfer iPhone Photos to PC Using iTunes
To transfer photos via USB cable to PC, you must have the latest version of iTunes installed. Once you have ensured that iTunes is up to date, connect your iPhone to the PC using your Lightning USB cable. Be careful with your phone as it may need to be unlocked before proceeding. If there is a "Trust this computer" prompt, press “Trust or allow” then your PC will have access to iPhone photos.
Note that you can't transfer iCloud photos if you haven't already downloaded them to your iPhone. This is because the image is not present on the device.
Transfer iPhone Photos Using Photos App
After connecting your iPhone to the PC, open the “Photos” app. You can do this by going to the "The Start Menu" and selecting « Photos. » In the app, go to « Importer, » then select "From a USB device", and follow the instructions. You can then choose the photos you want to transfer to your computer.
If you're transferring to a Mac, connect the iPhone via USB and open the "Photos" app. Similar to connecting to a PC, you may need to unlock your iPhone and allow the phone to connect at the "Trust this computer" prompt.
You should see the Import screen in the Photos app, showing all of your photos on the iPhone. If you don't see it, click your phone's name in the left sidebar. Then you can select the photos you want to transfer or click Import All New Photos to copy each image to your Mac.
Transfer iPhone Pictures to PC without Apps
If you don't have iTunes or iCloud on your PC and want to transfer photos from iPhone without additional facilities, follow these steps:
- Connect your iPhone to the PC using the USB cable. If you don't have iTunes, instead of Trust this computer, you'll see an "Allow this device to access photos and videos" prompt on your phone. Tap Allow.
- On your PC, open File Explorer for Windows 10 or Computer for Windows 7. On the left sidebar, you'll see the iPhone listed as a new device. Be aware that it will show the name of the device - it won't just be listed as "iPhone".
- Double click on the phone in the sidebar. You will only see the DCIM folder because connecting without iTunes does not allow you to explore other files and folders on the iPhone.
- Inside the DCIM folder, you'll see one or more subfolders, depending on how many photos you have on the iPhone and whether or not you're using iCloud. The default folder for images is 100APPLE, while for additional folders the number will change to 101, 102, etc. All the photos on your iPhone are there.
- Once you find the files to transfer, drag and drop them to your desired location on the computer. Additionally, you can drag and drop the entire DCIM folder. Be sure to copy and not move the files, as the Move option will completely delete them from the iPhone.
You can copy the photos to the Pictures folder or to a new folder that you have created beforehand. Also, if you want to transfer the photos and clear your phone memory at the same time, moving the files would be a better solution than copying.
Transfer iPhone Pictures to PC via Bluetooth
Another option for transferring photos is to use Bluetooth. Earlier versions of iPhones did not support Bluetooth connections to Android or PC, but modern devices do not have such issues.
Connecting iPhone to your PC via Bluetooth is as easy as connecting two devices via Bluetooth. All you have to do is enable the connection on your phone and make sure it's discoverable. Then turn on Bluetooth on the PC and let it discover new devices. Log in to the iPhone, enter the one-time passcode, and that's it.
Once the Bluetooth connection is established, transfer photos using the same methods described for USB connections.
Transfer iPhone Photos to PC Using Email
If you are having unexpected issues with iPhone to computer connection, there is an alternative solution that works every time. Maybe you don't have a Lightning to USB cable with you, or your computer doesn't support Bluetooth? Perhaps you would like to send the same photo to several people simultaneously? You can still use email.
Images can be attached to emails using an iPhone as easily as from your desktop. Make sure they're in the right format and don't exceed the size limit, include them with the message, add recipients, and send them. If you don't need to transfer a lot of photos, this might be the best way – you don't even have to be in the same room as the PC, and you can send emails to each other. -mails.
Handling specific file formats
Most of the files you transfer from your iPhone will have the usual JPEG, MOV, and PNG extensions. However, starting with iOS 11, default image format on iPhone changed to HEIF or HEIC. This new image format provides the same image quality as JPEG but with smaller file sizes. There is a downside: the file extension is not visible on anything other than an Apple device without using a third-party viewer.
If you find HEIF or HEIC photos on your iPhone and don't want to install third-party software to view or convert them on your PC, there is a built-in workaround. In your iPhone settings, go to " Pictures " and press " Automatique " under “Transfer to Mac or PC”. The iPhone then automatically converts the images to JPEG format when transferring to a PC.
Additionally, you can set your iPhone to always create images in JPEG format by going to camera settings and selecting "Most Compatible" under “Formats”.
Locating your photos on the computer
Once you've transferred the images to your Mac or PC, you may want to access them to copy or edit them. On Windows, it's relatively simple – they will be located in the Photos folder or in a custom folder you created if you transferred the photos without iTunes.
However, to find the actual photo files on Mac, you will have to go a little further. Here are the steps to find your photo files on Mac:
- In “Finder”, click on " Homepage " and find the " Pictures " folder.
- Find it “Photo Library”. This is the complete photo library on your Mac. Do not double click on it as it will only open the Photos app. Instead, use the right click and select “Show package contents. »
- In the new window, open the "Mastery" folder.
Now you have access to all the images on your Mac, and you can edit or copy them as you see fit.
You can also use the “Spotlight” search to find photos by type. This method is a bit more complicated and works best if you know exactly what you're looking for.
Finally, there are a decent number of third-party apps created to find and organize photos on Mac. If the first two methods seem too intimidating, you can let the software do the work for you.
In conclusion, transferring files and photos from iPhone to computer, specifically PC, is no longer a problem. Sharing between different platforms is becoming more and more convenient over time. Now that you have learned all the relevant methods, such as using cloud services, USB and Bluetooth connections, and even email, you can transfer photos from iPhone to computer in no time.
