Three ways to transfer photos from a Windows PC to an iPhone

There are a couple of different options for transferring your photo library from your Windows computer to your iPhone. In this article, you’ll learn how to use iCloud, iTunes, and AnyTrans.

1. How to copy photos from a PC to an iPhone using iCloud 

You can actually transfer your photos wirelessly from your computer to an iPhone by using iCloud. By setting up both devices to sync with the same iCloud account, your pictures will automatically transfer back and forth.

Follow these steps to transfer your photos from your PC to your iPhone using iCloud:

1. On your PC, download iCloud for Windows.
2. With iCloud for Windows open, log in to your account.
3. Select the checkbox next to Photos.
4. Click Apply.
5. Open a File Explorer window.
6. Under Favorites in the left sidebar, click iCloud Photos.
7. Copy the photos into the Uploads folder.

Once you’ve set up iCloud on your computer, you’ll need to turn on iCloud Photos on your iPhone:

1. On your iPhone, go to the Settings app.
2. Tap [your name] > iCloud > Photos.
3. Toggle on iCloud Photos.

The process of uploading your pictures to iCloud and then to your iPhone may take a few minutes. When the sync completes, you’ll be able to find your pics in the Photos app on your iPhone.

2. How to transfer photos from a PC to an iPhone with iTunes

If you don’t have an iCloud account, you can still transfer pictures by connecting your iPhone to your PC using a USB cable. Once you have your devices connected:

1. Open iTunes.
2. Click on the iPhone button in the top-left of the iTunes window.
3. In the sidebar, click Photos.
4. Check the box to Sync Photos.
5. Choose either Pictures or Choose Folder in the drop-down menu.
6. Select the option to sync all or only selected folders.
7. Click Apply in the bottom-right corner.

Keep in mind that when you sync your photos this way, it overwrites the saved photo library on your iPhone. If this is the only computer you plan on using to sync photos with your phone, then it won’t cause any issues. It becomes a bigger problem, however, when you have pictures on multiple computers that you want to transfer to your iPhone.

3. How to transfer pictures from a computer to an iPhone using AnyTrans 

If you only have a couple of photos you want to transfer from your PC and don’t want to sync the entire photo library on that computer, you’ll want to use an app like AnyTrans. AnyTrans lets you move over select files and won’t erase the existing pictures on your iPhone.

When you have AnyTrans downloaded and installed on your computer:

1. Connect your iPhone to your PC using a USB cable.
2. Open AnyTrans.
3. Click Device Manager in the sidebar.
4. In the middle of the window, click the iPhone screen.
5. Navigate to the photos on your computer.
6. Select the pictures you want to transfer.
7. Click Open.

After the transfer is finished, you’ll be able to unlock your iPhone and find your pictures in the Photos app.

Five ways to transfer photos from a Mac to an iPhone 

As you might imagine, there’s no shortage of ways to transfer pictures from your Mac to your iPhone. In this section, you’ll learn how to move your photos using:

• iTunes
• Finder
• iCloud
• AirDrop
• AnyTrans

1. How to sync photos from a Mac to an iPhone using iTunes

Since the launch of the original iPhone, iTunes has been the primary way to sync your phone with your computer. But recently, Apple has been moving away from iTunes altogether and has even stopped including it in their macOS. That being said, if your Mac runs a macOS version older than Catalina, you can still use iTunes to sync your pictures.

Follow these steps to transfer pictures from your Mac:

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
2. Open iTunes.
3. Click the iPhone button near the top-left of the iTunes window.
4. In the sidebar, click Photos.
5. Check the box next to Sync Photos.
6. From the drop-down menu, choose Photos, iPhoto, or Aperture to sync with your iPhone.
7. Click Apply.

2. How to transfer photos from a Mac to an iPhone without iTunes

You can sync your pictures using the Finder if your computer is running macOS Catalina and doesn’t have iTunes anymore. After you plug your iPhone into your Mac:

1. Click on the Finder icon to open a new window.
2. In the sidebar, click on your iPhone’s name.
3. Select Photos on the button bar. Note: If you have iCloud Photos turned on, you won’t see a Photos button.
4. Check the box to Sync Photos to your device.
5. From the drop-down menu, choose either the Photos app or select a folder.
6. Click Apply.

3. How to sync photos from a Mac to an iPhone with iCloud

You can also sync your photos from your Mac to your iPhone wirelessly using iCloud. To start syncing pictures using iCloud:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos.
2. Verify that iCloud Photos is turned on.
3. On your Mac, open the Photos app.
4. Click Photos > Preferences.
5. Select the iCloud tab.
6. If your Mac isn’t signed in to iCloud, click Continue to open System Preferences and log in.
7. Check the box next to iCloud Photos.

The pictures from your Mac will start uploading to iCloud, and you’ll see them in the Photos app on your iPhone. 

If your pictures aren’t showing up on your iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos to make sure you’re logged in to the same iCloud account and verify that photo syncing is turned on.

4. How to AirDrop photos from a Mac to an iPhone

If you only want to transfer a couple of pictures from your Mac, you can use AirDrop to quickly send them to your phone. Once you’ve found and selected your photos in Finder, you can move them to your iPhone by following these steps:

1. Click the Share button at the top of the window.
2. Select AirDrop.
3. Click on your iPhone in the pop-up.
4. Then click Done to finish.

When they’ve been successfully sent to your iPhone, you’ll be able to view them in the Photos app.

5. How to import photos from a Mac to an iPhone with AnyTrans

In the event that you have a lot of pictures you want to transfer to your iPhone, an easy solution is to use the app AnyTrans. It’s a quick way to transfer data from your Mac that doesn’t require iTunes. 

Connect your phone to your computer using the USB cable after you’ve downloaded and installed AnyTrans:

1. Open AnyTrans on your Mac.
2. In the sidebar, click Device Manager.
3. Click the iPhone screen in the middle window.
4. A Finder window will open. Find and select the photos you want to move from your computer.
5. Click Open.
6. Make sure the box next to Photos is checked and click Next.

Once the sync has completed, the photos will show up on your iPhone in the Photos app. (Note that they will be in an album called From AnyTrans and will not appear in Recents.)

After you transfer photos from your computer to your iPhone 

Once you’ve moved your pictures from your computer to your iPhone, you may notice some duplicates or similar-looking images in your photo library. You can quickly clean these up with the Gemini Photos iPhone app. Here’s how you can start decluttering your photo library:

1. On your iPhone, download Gemini Photos from the App Store.
2. Open Gemini Photos and let it scan your library.
3. Tap Similar.
4. Tap on a month or event to sort your pictures.
5. Similar photos will be grouped together, allowing you to select the photos you want to delete in each set.
6. Tap Move to Trash.
7. Repeat this process for each group of similar photos.
8. When you’ve finished going through all your similar photos, tap Empty Trash.
9. Tap Your Library to go back through the other categories like Duplicates, Screenshots, and Notes.
10. When you’re finished, go to the Photos app on your iPhone. 
11. Tap Recently Deleted > Select > Delete All to remove all the pictures from your iPhone.

Transferring your pictures to your iPhone from your computer, whether it’s a Mac or a Windows PC, couldn’t be easier. Hopefully, this article has helped you determine which method will work best for you.

The post How to transfer photos from your Mac or Windows PC to your iPhone appeared first on Backlight.

Transfer photos from iPhone to Android

If you’re transferring pictures from your iPhone to an Android, the process is relatively straightforward. Again, if you only want to move a couple of pictures, then email or text may be the way to go. But if you want to transfer an album or two, or even your entire library, you’ll want to keep reading for instructions.

Before you move your photos from iPhone

The saying is true: “Garbage in, garbage out.” And that’s especially true when it comes to the data on your phone. So before you just dump your entire photo library onto your new Android device, quickly clean it up using the app Gemini Photos. Download Gemini Photos from the App Store and follow these steps to start cleaning your photo library:

1. Open Gemini Photos and let it scan your library.
2. Tap on a category like Similar.
3. Tap a date range or event.
4. Select the picture you want to delete and tap Move to Trash.
5. After you’ve gone through all of your similar pictures, tap Empty Trash.
6. Tap Your Library to go back and choose another category like Duplicates, Blurred, Notes, and Screenshots.

How to send a few pictures from iPhone to Android

Transferring a few pictures from your iPhone to Android is pretty simple. The only catch is that you’ll need to use an app called Send Anywhere, which we used in the previous section. Like before, you can wirelessly transfer your pictures as long as you have both phones in the same room.

1. Open the Send Anywhere app on both of the phones.
2. On your iPhone, tap Send.
3. Select the picture you want to transfer.
4. Tap Send.
5. On your Android, tap Receive.
6. Either type in the 6-digit code on your Android’s screen or scan the QR-code.

Can I AirDrop iPhone photos to an Android phone?

AirDrop is a feature made by Apple solely for their devices. That means it isn’t possible to simply AirDrop pictures and videos to an Android phone. But there are other apps and websites, like Snapdrop, that offer similar functionality.

How to bulk-transfer photos from iPhone to Android

Similarly to transferring your entire library from an Android to an iPhone, you can transfer your whole library from iPhone to Android — all without plugging into a computer — thanks to Google Photos. To transfer your entire photo library:

1. Download Google Photos from the App Store.
2. Open Google Photos and sign in to your Google account.
3. Tap Get Started.
4. Tap OK when asked to allow Google Photos to access your photos.
5. Tap Continue.
6. Select High quality and then tap Continue.
7. Tap No thanks to finish the setup and start uploading your pictures.
8. While your library is uploading, download Google Photos on your Android.
9. On your Android, open Google Photos.
10. Sign in to your Google account.
11. Choose High quality and then tap Confirm.
12. Wait for your photos and videos to download.

Transfer photos from Android to iPhone

Transferring your photos from Android to iPhone doesn’t have to be a long and tedious process; it all depends on how many pictures you want to copy over. Of course, if you only want to transfer a handful of photos, you can always email or text them to yourself, but we wouldn’t recommend doing this for more than about ten pictures. To transfer more photos than that, you’ll need to use a computer or a cloud service as the go-between for both phones.

How to transfer a few pictures from Android to iPhone

If you don’t want to transfer your entire photo library from an Android to your iPhone, you can use the app Send Anywhere to quickly transfer select pictures. If two phones are in the same room, you can use the app to move the photos wirelessly from one phone to the other. 

Once you have Send Anywhere downloaded from the Google Play Store and the App Store, you can start transferring your pics:

1. Open the Send Anywhere app on both phones.
2. On your Android, tap Send at the bottom and select the pictures you want to transfer.
3. Tap Send.
4. On your iPhone, tap Receive at the bottom.
5. Either type in the 6-digit code on your Android’s screen or scan the QR-code.

When you get to Step 3, you also have the option to send your pictures using a link if your phones aren’t close to each other or the wireless transfer isn’t working for some reason.

How to mass-transfer photos from Android to iPhone

Manually selecting each photo won’t really work if you’re upgrading from an Android to an iPhone and want your entire photo library to come over with you. Thankfully, if you were using a cloud service like Google Photos to back up your photo library, it’s easy to transfer to your new iPhone. 

Even if you weren’t already using Google Photos, you can still download it to your Android from the Google Play Store and quickly set it up to start transferring all of your photos. To transfer your photo library using Google Photos:

1. Open Google Photos on your Android.
2. Sign in with your Google account.
3. Tap Backup.
4. Choose either High quality or Original.
5. Tap Confirm.
6. While your Android is uploading the pictures, you can download Google Photos on your iPhone and open it. 
7. Tap Get started.
8. A prompt will appear asking to grant Google Photos access to your photos.
9. Tap Continue.
10. Tap No thanks to finish the setup, and the photos from your Android will start downloading to your iPhone. Any pictures you’ve taken with your iPhone will start uploading to Google Photos.

Something to keep in mind during Steps 4 and 10 is that Google offers free unlimited storage using the High-quality setting, which compresses pictures to save them. However, if you choose Original for those steps, photos will be saved at full-quality and will count toward your Google One storage limit.

After you move your photos to iPhone

When you’re setting up your new iPhone, it’s a good time to start fresh, especially when it comes to your photo library. It’s surprising how quickly your library can fill up with duplicate photos, similar-looking images, or even unnecessary screenshots. 

Thankfully, the iOS app Gemini Photos can help you quickly clean up your library, so you’re not wasting any storage space on your new iPhone. To start cleaning up your photo library:

1. On your iPhone, download Gemini Photos from the App Store.
2. Open it and let it scan your photo library.
3. Tap a category like Duplicates.
4. Tap a group of photos.
5. Select the pictures you want to delete.
6. After you’ve gone through all of them, tap Delete Duplicates.
7. You can then tap Your Library at the top to go back through the other categories of pictures and videos.

Gemini Photos only scans pictures saved in iCloud or stored on your phone, so if you have pictures and videos in Google Photos, you’ll have to download them to your phone before you can clean up your library and reduce the clutter.

Whether you’re going from Android to iPhone or iPhone to Android, there are a couple of ways you can get your pictures onto your new device. Whichever method you choose, it’s important to have a bit of patience. It can take some extra time to transfer everything depending on how much you’re trying to move at one time. 

The post How to transfer your photos between Android and iPhone appeared first on Backlight.

Thankfully, iPhone is just as friendly with Windows computers as it is with Macs. Read on to see how you can transfer your pictures via your USB cable or by using a cloud service like iCloud.

Before you transfer photos from your iPhone

If you have a massive photo library, it can take a lot of time to transfer it in full, or to find those several photos you actually wanted to move. So before you start, clean up your photo library with Gemini Photos. This app will find similar shots, duplicates, blurry photos, and other clutter, so you can trim a few gigabytes off your photo collection before transferring it.

To clear all the unneeded photos, download Gemini Photos and follow these steps:

1. Launch Gemini Photos and grant it access to your photos.
2. As the app finds the first few photos, tap Similar.
3. Tap on a month and review group of photos, selecting those you want to delete.
4. Tap Move to Trash.
5. When you’re done, tap Empty Trash.
6. Now tap Your Library at the top to go through other categories like Duplicates, Screenshots, Notes, Videos, and Blurred.

How to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer with iTunes

Even though you won’t be opening iTunes to transfer pictures from your iPhone to your computer, you’ll still need to have it installed in order for your iPhone to be properly recognized when you plug it in.

If your computer already has iTunes installed, you can follow the steps below. Otherwise, you’ll need to download iTunes and install it beforehand.

1. Connect your iPhone to your PC.
2. Unlock your iPhone and tap Trust This Computer.
3. In Windows 7, go to My Computer, or in Windows 10, go to This PC.
4. Your iPhone should appear under either Portable Device or Devices.
5. Click iPhone > DCIM.
6. Select the pictures and videos you want, then drag and drop them into the folder where you want to save them.

While you certainly can use this method to transfer your entire photo library from your iPhone, you might find it more convenient if you only want to transfer select pictures or videos.

How to copy photos from an iPhone to a PC without iTunes

Fortunately, iTunes isn’t the only way to transfer your iPhone pictures to your computer. If your computer has Windows 10 installed, you can use the Windows Photos app that comes with the operating system. Or you can wirelessly transfer all of your pictures and videos using your iCloud account.

How to import photos from an iPhone to a PC with Windows Photos

Similar to transferring pictures with File Explorer, Windows Photos requires you to connect your iPhone to your PC physically. But Windows Photos makes it a little easier to move new pics and videos, and it will help manage your entire photo library on your computer.

To get started, plug your iPhone into your computer with your USB cable and follow the steps below:

1. On your PC, open Windows Photos.
2. In the top-right corner, click Import > From a USB device.
3. Your photos should be ready to be imported.
4. Select or deselect photos, depending on what you want to import.
5. Click Continue.

And that’s it! Just let the transfer finish and don’t unplug your iPhone until it has completed. 

How to sync iPhone photos to a PC using iCloud

If you have an iCloud account, you can sync all of the pictures you take with your iPhone to your computer without ever having to plug it in. First, you need to make sure iCloud Photo is enabled on your iPhone.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on your name > iCloud > Photos.
3. Switch on iCloud Photos.

Now you need to get iCloud set up on your PC.

1. Download and install iCloud for Windows.
2. Restart your PC.
3. Open iCloud for Windows.
4. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID.
5. Check the box next to Photos.
6. Click Apply.

Depending on how large your photo library is, this process can take some time. The good news is that the first time will be the longest because it’s syncing your entire library. As long as you keep these settings turned on, your PC will automatically update your library as you take new pictures with your iPhone.

Transferring pictures from your iPhone to your computer couldn’t be easier — even if you’re using a Windows computer. And like most things iPhone-related, there are several ways you can go about it. Hopefully, you found the method above helpful and you’re now keeping your photo library on both your computer and your iPhone entirely in sync.

The post How to transfer photos from your iPhone to your Windows PC appeared first on Backlight.

Don’t worry; if you keep reading, you’ll learn how to quickly share a couple of photos with friends, transfer your entire photo library to a new iPhone, or even keep your library in sync across all of your devices.

Before you start syncing photos

Depending on the size of your photo library, it can take a decent amount of time to transfer all of your pictures. So before you start syncing all of your photos and videos to another device, it might be a good idea to clean up some of the clutter. Use an app like Gemini Photos to scan the pictures on your iPhone and help you quickly sort through duplicates, blurry images, similar-looking photos, and more.

After you download Gemini Photos from the App Store, you can start cleaning up your pictures:

1. Open Gemini Photos and let it scan.
2. Tap on a category like Duplicates.
3. Tap on a group of photos and select the pictures you want to delete.
4. After you’ve gone through all of the photos, tap Delete Duplicates.
5. Tap Your Library at the top to go through other categories like Similar, Screenshots, Notes, and Blurred.

Four ways to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone or iPad

There are a few different ways you can go about moving pictures from your iPhone to another device. The best method for you will depend mostly on how many photos and videos you want to transfer. Here are your options:

1. AirDrop from iPhone to iPhone
2. Sync photos from iPhone to iPad using iCloud
3. Transfer pictures from iPhone to iPhone using Shared Albums in iCloud
4. Transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone using iTunes

1. How to AirDrop photos from iPhone to iPhone

If you only want to transfer a couple of pictures from one iPhone to another, then the quickest and easiest way to do that is with AirDrop. When you have both iPhones in the same room, you can start sending your pictures and videos by:

1. Opening the Photos app
2. Tapping Select and choosing the pics you want to share
3. Tapping Share > AirDrop
4. Selecting the other iPhone

If you don’t see the other iPhone as an available option, make sure it’s set as discoverable over AirDrop. Go to Settings > General > AirDrop and select Everyone.

2. How to sync photos from iPhone to iPad using iCloud Photos

Maybe you’ve started using an iPad in addition to your iPhone and want to keep everything in sync, including your pictures. Thankfully, you can use iCloud to keep everything in sync wirelessly. 

To start using iCloud Photos, follow these steps on both your iPhone and then your iPad:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap your name > iCloud > Photos.
3. Turn iCloud Photos on.

It’s important to make sure that you’re signed in to the same iCloud account on both devices. Otherwise, you’ll be syncing your pictures to different iCloud accounts.

3. How to sync pictures with iCloud Shared Albums

You can also use iCloud to share photos from your iPhone to a friend’s iPhone with Shared Albums. Unlike AirDrop, the two iPhones don’t need to be in the same room. As long as both phones have an internet connection, the shared album will update with new pictures and videos. 

Creating a shared album on iCloud is simple and can be done directly in the Photos app on either iPhone.

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Tap +.
3. Tap New Shared Album.
4. Type in a name for the album and hit Next.
5. Add the person or people you want to access the shared album and tap Create.
6. Tap the Shared Album and hit + to select pictures and videos.
7. Tap Done to finish.

4. How to sync photos from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud 

Of course, if you want to move your photos from one iPhone to another without using iCloud, you can always import them to your computer and sync the new iPhone via iTunes.

If you’re using a Mac:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable.
2. Unlock your iPhone and tap Trust This Computer.
3. On your Mac, open the Photos app.
4. The Import screen should automatically appear with all the photos and videos from your iPhone. If it doesn’t, click on the iPhone in the Photos sidebar.
5. Click Import All New Photos or select the pictures you want and click Import Selected.

If you want to import your pictures using a Windows PC:

1. Connect your iPhone to your PC.
2. Unlock your phone and tap Trust This Computer.
3. In Windows 7, click on My Computer. If you’re using Windows 10, click on This PC.
4. Your iPhone should appear under either Portable Device or Devices.
5. Click on your iPhone’s name > DCIM.
6. Select the pictures and videos you want, then drag and drop them into the folder where you want to save them.

After you’ve imported your pictures, you can disconnect the old iPhone. Connect the new iPhone and follow these steps:

1. Open iTunes.
2. Click on the iPhone icon at the top.
3. Click on Photos in the sidebar.
4. Check Sync Photos.
5. Select where you want to sync your photos from. (This will vary depending on your computer’s operating system.)
6. Choose to either sync all or only selected folders.
7. Click Apply in the bottom-right corner.

iPhone has made taking great-looking pictures a breeze, and sharing them is just as easy. Whether you’re sharing them with a friend, transferring them to a new phone, or just keeping your devices in sync, there are a handful of ways you can go about moving your photos around. Hopefully, this article has helped you determine which method is the best for you.

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