Discover the 10 best ways to transfer photos from your iPhone to your MacBook effortlessly. From iCloud to AirDrop, find the method that works best for you.Transferring photos from iPhone to MacBook is a process that many Apple gadget owners regularly encounter. We tell you about the ten best ways to do this.
Why are there so many ways to transfer photos?
There are several methods for transferring photos, each of which is suitable for specific conditions and tasks. For example, wireless methods are convenient when there is no cable at hand, and wired methods provide stability when transferring large volumes. Sometimes there are problems with connection or compatibility, sometimes Apple simply breaks something in the next update, and file transfer in the usual way stops working. Therefore, it is better to know several methods in advance.
The speed, convenience and reliability of data transfer also depend on the method you choose. We recommend that you consider the volume of files being transferred, available devices and programs, as well as the relevance of iOS and macOS versions. Below are 10 proven methods for transferring photos from iPhone to MacBook.
10 Most Convenient Ways to Transfer Photos from iPhone to MacBook.
Using AirDrop
Make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on on your iPhone and Mac
- On your iPhone, launch the Photos app and select the photos you want;
- Click the Share button and select AirDrop;
- Find your MacBook in the list of devices and confirm the transfer;
- On your MacBook, accept the files. They will automatically be saved to your Downloads folder.
Synchronization via iCloud
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Photos and turn on iCloud Photos;
- Make sure you’re signed in to the same Apple ID on your MacBook;
- Open Photos on your Mac and all your iCloud photos should automatically download.
Transfer via Finder (for macOS Catalina and later)
- Connect your iPhone to your MacBook using a cable;
- Open Finder and select the device from the left sidebar;
- Go to the Photos tab, select the files you want to transfer, and click Import.
Import via Photos app
- Connect your iPhone to your MacBook using a cable;
- Launch the Photos app on your Mac;
- Select the photos you want to transfer and click Import.
Using Google Photos
- Install the Google Photos app on your iPhone and sign in to your account;
- Turn on photo backup or select the photos you want and click “Copy to cloud”;
- Open Google Photos on your MacBook via a browser and download the photos you want.
Transfer via iMessage or email
- Select the desired photos on your iPhone and click the “Share” button;
- Send them via iMessage or to your email;
- Save the resulting files on your MacBook.
Third-party cloud services (Yandex Disk, OneDrive, Mail.ru Cloud);
- Install your preferred cloud service on your iPhone and upload photos to the cloud;
- Open the appropriate app or website on your MacBook and download the files.
Using the Image Capture utility
- Connect your iPhone to your MacBook via cable;
- Open the Image Capture program;
- Select iPhone from the list of devices, check the photos and click Import.
Telegram
- Send photos to your favorites via Telegram messenger on iPhone;
- Open Telegram on your MacBook and download files from the chat.
Using an external drive
- Connect a flash drive or external SSD to the iPhone via an adapter ( we talked about this in detail here );
- Copy photos to the drive using the Files app;
- Connect the drive to your MacBook and transfer photos to the device.
These methods will help you choose the best method depending on your tasks and available resources. Choose the one that best suits your situation.