Moving photos from iPhone to Mac: four ways

You want to move photos from iPhone to Mac, for example to edit them, keep them or free up space on your phone. There are several ways, each with pros and cons. This article explains how to put photos from your iPhone on your MacBook with iCloud Photos, AirDrop, a cable or Image Capture, and what to do when it does not work.

Blue Apple repairs MacBooks and iPhones in Amsterdam. If the port on your Mac or iPhone does not work, we help you further.

1. iCloud Photos: automatic

On your iPhone, turn on iCloud Photos under Settings, your name, iCloud, Photos. Do the same on your Mac in the Photos app, under Settings, iCloud. All your photos then appear on both devices by themselves.

• Advantage: automatic and always up to date.
• Downside: you often need a larger iCloud plan, and deleting on one device also deletes on the other.

2. AirDrop: a few photos quickly

Select the photos on your iPhone, tap Share and choose AirDrop and your Mac. They land in the Downloads folder. On your Mac, turn on receiving in System Settings, General, AirDrop and Handoff. If AirDrop does not work, see AirDrop not working.

3. With a cable and the Photos app

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a cable.
2. Unlock the iPhone and tap Trust if asked.
3. Open the Photos app on your Mac. Your iPhone appears on the left.
4. Choose the photos and click Import.

4. Image Capture: to a folder of your choice

If you want photos in a normal folder rather than the Photos library, use the Image Capture app. Choose your iPhone, a destination folder and click Download All or the photos you want.

Which way suits you?

• You never want to think about it again: iCloud Photos.
• A few photos for a document or e-mail: AirDrop.
• A whole holiday at once, without iCloud: a cable with the Photos app.
• Photos in folders per project or client: Image Capture.

You can also combine them, for example iCloud Photos for everything and Image Capture for a separate folder.

HEIC files

iPhones save photos as HEIC by default. Macs open them fine, but some programs and websites do not. Options:

• Export as JPEG in Photos via File, Export.
• Open the photo in Preview and choose File, Export, JPEG.
• On your iPhone, under Settings, Photos, Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic; they are then converted on a cable import.

It does not work

• The Mac does not see the iPhone: try another cable and port, and tap Trust. See USB-C port not working.
• Photos are only in iCloud: with iCloud Photos and "Optimise Storage" the originals are sometimes only online. Then download them via the Photos app with internet.
• Your Mac is full: free up space first. You can put the Photos library on an external drive. See external SSD.

After moving them

If you want to free up space on your iPhone, first check that all photos really are on the Mac before deleting them. Also back up your Mac. See backing up.

What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam

If the port on your iPhone or MacBook does not work, or a device no longer starts and you want your photos back, we help with repair and data recovery. More on our page about MacBook repair in Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

Where do AirDrop photos go?

Into the Downloads folder on your Mac.

Are photos deleted from my iPhone after importing?

Only if you tick that when importing. By default they stay on your iPhone.

Can I move videos the same way?

Yes, all four ways also work for videos.