There are several ways to move photos from a phone to a computer. The best one depends on your phone, your computer, and how many photos you're moving.

iPhone to Windows PC

  1. Connect your iPhone to the PC with a Lightning or USB-C cable.
  2. Unlock your iPhone and tap Trust when the prompt appears.
  3. Open File Explorer on the PC. Your iPhone should appear as a device under This PC.
  4. Navigate to Internal Storage → DCIM. Your photos are organised in folders inside.
  5. Select the photos you want, copy them (Ctrl+C), and paste them into a folder on your PC (Ctrl+V).

Alternatively, install Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store (previously called iTunes). It gives you more options including syncing and backup.

iPhone to Mac

  1. Connect your iPhone with a cable. The Photos app usually opens automatically.
  2. Select your iPhone in the Photos app sidebar.
  3. Choose the photos you want and click Import Selected, or click Import All New Photos.

Alternatively, if you use iCloud Photos, your images appear automatically in the Photos app on your Mac as long as you're signed into the same Apple ID and have iCloud Photos enabled on both devices.

Android to Windows PC

  1. Connect your Android phone to the PC with a USB cable.
  2. Swipe down on the phone's notification bar and tap the USB notification.
  3. Choose File Transfer (sometimes called MTP).
  4. On the PC, open File Explorer. Your phone appears as a portable device.
  5. Navigate to [Phone name] → Internal storage → DCIM → Camera for your photos.
  6. Copy and paste them to your computer.

Android to Mac

Macs don't natively support Android's file transfer protocol. Download and install Android File Transfer (free from Google) on your Mac first, then:

  1. Connect your phone with USB, choose File Transfer on the phone.
  2. Android File Transfer opens automatically on the Mac.
  3. Browse to DCIM → Camera and drag photos to your Mac.

Wireless Options (No Cable Needed)

  • Google Photos: Install the app on your Android or iPhone and enable backup. Your photos sync to your Google account and you can download them to any computer by visiting photos.google.com.
  • iCloud Photos: On iPhone, enable iCloud Photos in Settings and access all photos at icloud.com on any computer.
  • Email or AirDrop: Works well for a small number of photos but isn't practical for hundreds.

If you're struggling to get your phone to appear on the computer, ask us — cable trust prompts and driver issues are the most common stumbling blocks.