4 Easy Ways to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Android

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Easily send photos to Android users without Airdrop

Co-authored by Travis Boylls Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: July 14, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Using Send Anywhere
|
• Using PhotoSync
|
• Using Text, Email, or Messaging Apps
|
• Sending an iCloud Photo Album

|Show more |Show less

When transferring files over Bluetooth, iPhone has its own feature called AirDrop. Unfortunately, AirDrop is not compatible with Android phones. However, there are alternative methods of sending photos to Android users. This wikiHow article teaches you about two free apps you can use to transfer photos from an iPhone to an Android over Wi-Fi, plus other quick tricks for sharing photos without Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Pics from iPhone to Android

You cannot use Bluetooth to transfer files from iPhone to Android. iPhones use AirDrop, which is a protocol that is specific to Apple products. To transfer files, you will need to use alternative methods, such as a third-party file-transfer app, text, email, messaging apps, or Cloud storage.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Send Anywhere

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1. 
   1
   Connect the iPhone and Android to the same Wi-Fi network. The Send Anywhere app makes sending photos over Wi-Fi so easy you'll forget you're not using Bluetooth or AirDrop. Start by making sure both devices are connected to the same wireless network.
2. 
   2
   Install Send Anywhere on both the iPhone and Android. You can get the app from the App Store for your iPhone and the Play Store for Android devices.
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3. 
   3
   Open the Send Anywhere app on your iPhone. After installing the app, you'll find its white and pink arrow icon on your Home screen or in your Recently Added folder in the App Library.

   • The first time you launch Send Anywhere, give the app permission to access your photo library. Tap Allow access to all photos when asked to grant the app permission.
4. 
   4
   Tap Photos tab. It’s at the top of the page. This displays all the photos you have on your device.
5. 
   5
   Tap one or more photos. You can send just one photo if you want, or tap as many photos as you'd like to send.

   • As you tap photos, you'll see the total size of the transfer on the tile at the bottom of the screen.
6. 
   6
   Send the photos. To do so, tap Send in the bar at the bottom of the screen. Then tap Send in the upper-right corner. This displays a QR code and a 6-digit PIN.
7. 
   7
   Open the Send Anywhere app on the Android device. When the Android user opens the app, they'll need to give the app permission to access their files.

   • Tap Allow to allow Send Anywhere to have access to your photos and files.
8. 
   8
   Tap Receive. It’s the second option at the bottom of the screen. It has an icon with an arrow pointing down.
9. 
   9
   Enter the 6-digit code or scan the QR code. The Android user can now enter the code on the iPhone's screen. Or, they can tap the tiny QR code icon, which opens their camera, and then align the QR code from the iPhone in the camera lens.

   • If you use your camera to scan the QR code, you will also need to grant the app permission to use your camera.
10. 
    10
    Tap Ok on the iPhone. This confirms that the iPhone user wants to send pictures via teh Send Anywhere app. This will immediately start transferring the files ot the Android.

    • The Android user can find the photos in the Gallery.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using PhotoSync

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1. 
   1
   Connect the iPhone and Android to the same Wi-Fi network. The PhotoSync app allows you to send photos over Wi-Fi. Start by making sure both devices are connected to the same wireless network.
2. 
   2
   Install PhotoSync on your Android and iPhone. PhotoSync is a file transfer app that allows you to transfer low-quality photos for free from one device to another. You can get the app from the App Store for iPhone and the Play Store on Android.

   • You can transfer high-quality images with a Pro subscription.
3. 
   3
   Open PhotoSync on both devices. Tap the PhotoSync app icon on your Home screen or Apps menu to open the app.

   • The first time you open the app, you will be asked to allow it permission to access your photos. Tap Allow access to all photos when asked to grant the app permission.
4. 
   4
   Tap the photos you want to send. This places a checkmark next to the photos.
5. 
   5
   Send the photos to the Android device. To do so, tap the red icon with two circular arrows in the upper-right corner. Tap Selected and tap the Send button. Then tap Phone/Tablet. Tap the Android device when it is detected. Select Low Quality (or High Quality if you have a Pro subscription) and tap Ok.
6. 
   6
   Receive the photos on the Android device. To receive the photos on the Android device, tap the red icon with the circular arrows in the upper-right corner. Then tap Receive. This will start transferring the photos to your Android.

   • The first time you receive photos on your Android, you will need to grant the app write permission for a specific folder you want to download the photos to. When prompted, tap Ok and then tap the folder you want to download the photos to (PhotoSync recommends you use the "Pictures" folder). Then tap Use this folder at the bottom of the page. All your photos will be downloaded to this folder, which can be accessed in your Gallery app.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Text, Email, or Messaging Apps

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1. 
   1
   Open your iPhone's Photos app. Since your iPhone doesn't support sending files over Bluetooth and the Android can't accept AirDropped photos, one alternative is to send the photos over the internet. It's not quite like Bluetooth, but it's a great option if both you and the Android user can't connect to the same Wi-Fi network.

   • Sending photos via text, email, or other messaging app is a great option if you aren't in the same room with the Android user or don't have access to Wi-Fi.
   • If the photos are very high quality and you want to send a lot of them, they might be too large to attach to an email. You could also try creating a shared iCloud photo album.
   • If you're not connected to Wi-Fi at all, sending photos might count against your data plan.
2. 
   2
   Open the album from which you want to send photos. You can tap the Albums tab to browse your albums, or tap the Library tab and choose All Photos to view your entire camera roll.
3. 
   3
   Tap Select at the top-right corner. This allows you to choose multiple photos instead of just one.

   • It's okay if you just want to send one photo, too.
4. 
   4
   Tap the photos you want to send. As you tap photos, you'll see the number of selected photos updating at the bottom of the screen.
5. 
   5
   Tap the Sharing icon

   

   . It's at the bottom-left corner of your screen. A list of sharing options will appear.
6. 
   6
   Choose an app to share with. You can choose Messages to attach the photos to a text, Mail (or your preferred email app) to attach them to an email, or use a social media messaging app like Messenger or WhatsApp.
7. 
   7
   Send the message to the Android user. You can choose their name, phone number, email address, or username from your contacts in the selected app, or enter it manually, depending on the app you're using. Once sent, the Android user will receive the photos via text, email, or messaging app.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Sending an iCloud Photo Album

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1. 
   1
   Enable Shared Albums on your iPhone. Another great way to share photos with an Android user is to create a shared iCloud photo album and invite the person to view the photos. The Android user doesn't need to have their own iCloud account to view your photos—you can create an iCloud photo album website that they can access in their browser without having to sign in. To enable Shared Photos:

   • Open the Settings app.
   • Tap your Apple Account at the top.
   • Tap iCloud.
   • Tap Photos.
   • Toggle the "Shared Albums" switch to On.
2. 
   2
   Open the Photos app on your iPhone. You'll find it on your Home screen or in your App Library.

   • Alternatively, you can use other cloud services, such as Google Drive to transfer files to an Android device. Just upload the photos you want to send and then create a share link. You can send the share link to an Android user and then can download the photos to their phone.
3. 
   3
   Tap the Albums tab. It's at the bottom of the screen.
4. 
   4
   Tap the + and select New Shared Album. You'll see the plus sign at the top-left corner of the screen.
5. 
   5
   Name the album and tap Next. You'll be prompted to invite someone to the album—but you'll ignore that for now.
6. 
   6
   Tap Create. Instead of inviting the Android user to the album (which would fail if the Android user doesn't have iCloud), you'll skip adding an invite and turn the photos into a web-based photo album instead.
7. 
   7
   Add photos to the new album. Tap the new album, tap the + to select the photos you want to add, and then tap Done to add them to the album.
8. 
   8
   Tap the People tab. It's the outline of a person at the top-right corner.
9. 
   9
   Toggle the "Public Website" switch to On

   

   . This option makes it so anyone—even an Android user—can see the album if they have a link.
10. 
    10
    Tap Share Link. Now you can share a direct link to the photos on the web with the Android user via message, email, or even a social media app.

    • Once the Android user receives the link, tapping it will open the photos in their web browser, where they can.
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