7 Easy Ways to Send Pictures from Phone to Computer

Do you have pictures you want to move from your cell phone to your computer? While emailing the pictures to yourself is always an option, it’s not the most practical way. Fortunately, there are a ton of quick and easy ways to transfer photos between your phone and your desktop computer or laptop, whether you’re using an Android or an iPhone with a Windows PC or a Mac. We’ll cover all the best options here.

Quickly Move Images from Phone to Computer

If you have a Windows computer, plug in your Android or iPhone and import pictures using the Photos app. For iPhones, you'll also need to install Apple Devices. Sync your pictures with cloud storage to share images wirelessly. Use services like Quick Share (Android) or AirDrop (iPhone) for an instant transfer.

Method 1

Method 1 of 7:

Windows: Using a USB Cable

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1
Download Apple Devices if you have an iPhone. While the process for transferring images is almost identical whether you have an iPhone or an Android, Apple recommends installing the Apple Devices app on your PC before you attempt a transfer. You can download Apple Devices Microsoft.^{[1]
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- You can also change the format of your photos on your iPhone to make sure they’re compatible with your PC before making a transfer. To do so, open the Settings app on your phone and go to Camera > Formats. Select Most Compatible at the top of the screen.
  - Note that this changes the capture format for your camera, meaning it only affects new photos. It won’t change the format of pictures you’ve already taken.
2
Connect your phone to your PC with a USB cable. Make sure you use a cable with data transfer capabilities. Some USB cables can transmit power, but not data. You might also need an adapter, depending on what kind of port your phone has.
- Most newer smartphones, whether Android or iPhone, have a USB-C cable port. However, older phones might have a mini USB port (Android) or a Lightning port (iPhone).
- Your phone may have come with a USB cable that can connect to your computer.
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3
Turn on your phone and unlock it. Windows won’t recognize your phone unless it’s powered on and unlocked.^{[2]
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- On an iPhone, you may be prompted to trust the computer before you can continue. Tap Allow or Trust on your phone.
4
Use the Photos app to transfer photos from your phone. Once you have the right software installed, the process is basically the same whether you’re using an Android or an iPhone. Open the Start menu on your PC and type in photos. Select the Photos app from the results. Then:
- Click Import.
- Select your phone from the list of available devices.
- Follow the prompts on the screen to complete the process. You’ll have the option to select which pictures you want to import and where to save them.
- If you’re having trouble getting your computer to recognize your Android, you might need to change the USB settings on your phone:^{[3]
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  - After you plug your phone into your computer, tap the notification that says Charging this device via USB.
  - Under Use USB for, tap File Transfer.
  - At this point, a file transfer window may open on your computer screen that you can use to drag and drop files directly. You can also check again to see if your phone shows up under the Import option in Photos.
- If you have iCloud Photos enabled on your iPhone, you won’t be able to import photos that are stored only in the cloud and not on your device.

Method 2

Method 2 of 7:

Windows: Phone Link (Android Only)

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Install the Phone Link app on your computer. This app lets you wirelessly transfer your most recent photos from your Android phone to your computer. To get started, download and install Phone Link from the Microsoft Store on your PC.^{[4]
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2
Install Link to Windows on your Android phone. To use Phone Link, you’ll need the companion app, Link to Windows, on your phone. You can download this app from the Google Play Store.
3
Select the photo(s) you want to share on your phone. You’ll be sharing it/them from within your photo library app (this may be Google Photos or Samsung Gallery, depending on your phone).
4
Tap the
Share icon. This will open a menu of sharing options.
5
Select Link to Windows – Send to PC. If you’ve installed the app correctly, you should see this option in the share menu.
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Select your computer from the device list. Navigate to the page listing any connected devices and select your PC. Tap on it to begin the sharing process.
7
Click the button in the notification on your PC to open the location of the shared image(s). By default, any images or other files you share this way will go to your Downloads folder in a subfolder called “Phone Link.”
- If you want to change the default location, you can do so in the Settings section of the Phone Link app on your computer.

Method 3

Method 3 of 7:

Windows: Quick Share (Android Only)

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Install the Quick Share app on your computer. Quick Share is an easy way to share a small number of photos wirelessly between your Android phone and a Windows PC. To share between your phone and your computer, you’ll need to install Quick Share on your computer first. You can download it here.
- Both your phone and your computer must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled for this to work.
- Make sure both your devices are up to date.
- If your phone and your computer are both signed into the same Google account in Quick Share, you shouldn’t have to adjust any settings in the Quick Share app. If they are signed into different accounts:^{[5]
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  - On your computer, open Quick Share and sign in with the Google account you want to use, then select your computer’s name under Visible to others as. Select who can share with you (i.e., Your Devices, Contacts, or Anyone) under Receiving. Click Done.
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Select the photo(s) you want to share on your phone. Open your phone’s photo gallery and select the photo(s) you want to send to your computer.^{[6]
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Tap the
Share icon. This will open a menu of sharing options.
4
Select Quick Share. The icon looks like a circle with two inward-facing arrows.
5
Choose your computer from the list of devices. This should begin the sharing process.
6
Select Accept in the share request on your computer. You may be asked to enter a PIN from your phone. If prompted, tap Accept again to confirm.
- Images sent this way should go to the Downloads folder on your computer.

Method 4

Method 4 of 7:

Windows or macOS: Cloud Storage

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Upload your images to a cloud service. There are several options you can use, depending on your phone and your preferences.
- If you’re using an Android phone, the easiest option is Google Photos. You can also use Google Photos on an iPhone. To sync your photo library with Google Photos:^{[7]
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  - Open the Google Photos app on your phone and sign in with your Google account.
  - Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right side of the screen.
  - Tap the
    Settings icon and select Backup.
  - Toggle Backup on.
- On an iPhone, you can sync your photos with iCloud:^{[8]
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  - Open Settings and tap your name at the top of the menu.
  - Select iCloud.
  - Tap Photos and turn on Sync this iPhone.
- You can also use third-party cloud services like OneDrive or DropBox.
2
Download the images onto your computer. The right way to do this may vary a little depending on what type of computer and cloud service you’re using, but the basic idea is the same.
- If you’re using Google Photos, go to photos.google.com on your PC or Mac and log into your Google account. Open the photo you want to download and click ⋮ in the top right corner, then select Download.
  - To select multiple images at once, hover over one picture and click the circle with the checkmark in the top left corner to select it. Click the bubbles in the top corners of any other pictures you want to select, or hold down Shift to select several pictures in a range.
  - Once you’ve selected all the pictures you want to save, click ⋮ at the top right corner of the screen and select Download.
- To download iCloud images to a PC, go to www.icloud.com and sign in with your Apple Account.
  - Scroll down and click Photos.
  - Browse your library for the photos you want to download. Click a photo to select it, or hold down Ctrl or Shift while clicking to select multiple photos.
  - Click
    at the top right corner of the screen to download the selected photo(s) to your computer.
- If you’re on a Mac, you can use the iCloud website or enable iCloud Photos on your computer to sync your photo library with what’s on your iPhone. You’ll need to be logged in with the same Apple Account on both devices.
  - To enable iCloud Photos on your Mac, go to
    Apple menu > System Settings and click your name.
  - Click iCloud > Photos and toggle on Sync this Mac.
  - Just be aware that if you delete or edit a photo on your Mac after enabling iCloud Photos, it will also be deleted or changed on your iPhone and any other connected devices (and vice versa if you delete or edit photos on your iPhone).

Method 5

Method 5 of 7:

macOS: Image Capture

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1
Connect your phone to your Mac with a cable. This option should work for an iPhone or an Android phone.^{[9]
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- Most newer Macs have USB-C ports. Depending on what kind of phone you have, you’ll probably need a USB-C to USB-C data cable or Lightning to USB-C cable.
2
Turn on and unlock your phone. You may be prompted to allow the device to connect to your Mac. You might also see a message on your phone asking you to trust the computer.^{[10]
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Open the Image Capture app on your Mac. You can find it in the Launchpad or in Applications > Utilities.
4
Select your phone from the left-hand menu bar. You should see it under Devices or Shared.
5
Select the individual images you want to download. Click any images you want to download to your computer, or Command-click to select multiple images. You can also hold down Shift and click to select a range of images that are next to each other.
- If you want to download all the images from your phone, you can select Download All instead.
6
Choose a save destination in the Import To menu. This dropdown menu is located at the lower left side of the window. By default, it’s set to Pictures.
7
Click Download or Download All. All the images you selected will be saved to your chosen location.
- By default, the original images will be left on your phone. However, you can choose to delete them from your phone if you like. Click ••• in the toolbar and either deselect Keep originals or select Delete after import, depending on which option you see.

Method 6

Method 6 of 7:

macOS: Photos App (iPhone Only)

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1
Plug your iPhone into your computer. If you don’t use iCloud to sync photos between your iPhone and your Mac, you can transfer photos over using a USB cable and the Photos app. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a cable that can support data transfer.^{[11]
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- Your iPhone likely came with a cable that will allow you to do this.
- Most newer Macs have USB-C ports, as do the latest iPhones. If both your devices support USB-C, you can use a USB-C to USB-C data cable. Otherwise, you might need a Lightning to USB-C cable.
- You might see a prompt on your computer asking if you want to allow the iPhone to connect. If so, select Allow. You might also need to tell your iPhone to trust your computer.
2
Open the Photos app on your Mac. You can find it in your Dock or Launchpad.
3
Select your photos in the Import screen. Photos should automatically open to an Import screen. If not, click your phone’s name in the left-hand sidebar of Photos to get to this screen. Click any photos you want to import to select them, or click Import All New Photos at the top right side of the Photos app.
- Your iPhone may prompt you to trust your computer. If so, select Trust. You might also be prompted to unlock your phone with your passcode.
- If you want, you can choose a specific album where you want to save the photos using the Album dropdown menu at the top of the window.
- Once the process is done, you can disconnect your iPhone from your Mac.

Method 7

Method 7 of 7:

macOS: AirDrop (iPhone Only)

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1
Select the image(s) you want to send to your computer. AirDrop is a quick and easy way to instantly share photos from your iPhone to your Mac. To get started, open Photos on your phone and select the image(s) you want to transfer.
- For AirDrop to work, your Mac and iPhone both need to have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. It’s also easiest if both devices are signed into the same Apple Account.^{[12]
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Tap the
Share icon. This will open a menu of sharing options.
3
Select AirDrop and tap your computer’s name. You might also see an icon of your computer with the AirDrop symbol in the corner in the main Share menu.
- The AirDrop icon looks like a series of concentric circles with a wedge missing from the bottom.
- The photo should automatically share to your computer. If it doesn’t, or if you don’t see your computer in the AirDrop menu:
  - Make sure AirDrop is enabled on both your devices. You can do this from the Control Center. Swipe down from the top right corner of your iPhone’s screen to open the Control Center. On your Mac, click the
    icon at the top right side of your screen.
  - If you’re not logged into the same Apple Account on both devices, you may need to adjust your AirDrop settings. On your Mac, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff and make sure you have AirDrop set so you can receive from Contacts Only or Everyone.
- You may need to accept the AirDrop in the notification on your computer.

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Question

How do I transfer photos from phone to Mac without USB?

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Expert Answer

Use iCloud to upload to your Mac. As long as you're using iCloud Photo Library you never have to manually transfer anything. Photos upload directly to the cloud without user involvement. If you have a Mac, open the Photos app and select your phone to import any photos you'd like.

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How do I transfer files from my Android to my computer wirelessly?

Mobile Kangaroo
Computer & Phone Repair Specialists
Mobile Kangaroo is a full service repair shop and Apple Authorized Service Provider headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Mobile Kangaroo has been repairing electronic devices such as computers, phones, and tablets, for over 19 years, with locations in over 20 cities.

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Computer & Phone Repair Specialists

Expert Answer

Android phone can sync automatically to Google Photos. With Google Drive and Google Photos, your android phone can upload automatically without getting involved. You can manage and download your photos by going to the Google Photo website.

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How can I get an Android phone to accept an external SD card?

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That depends on a couple things. First, your phone has to actually have an SD card slot. Many modern Android phones don't. Second, your phone has to be able to read and write to the type and capacity of SD card you're using. You'll have to do some research on your phone to find out that information.

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