Looking for a way to move photos from your Mac to your computer? Read on this guide to get some simple methods to transfer pictures from Mac to iPhone quickly.

• Download Images From Iphone To My Mac
• How To Import Photos From Iphone 6s To Macbook Pro
• How To Import New Photos From Iphone To Mac

There are many ways to move photos from Mac to your iPhone, like iTunes, iCloud Photo Library, AirDrop. And some iPhone photo transfer tool will also do the work for you. In this post, we will offer you 4 step-by-step ways to successfully transfer pictures from your Mac to iPhone.

Before we start, we’d like to tell you that this post works for all kinds of iPhones and computers.

The photos and videos that you download into the Photos app on Mac will also sign in and sync to iCloud, so all of your content is consolidated and backed up. Read more about how to backup iPhone. With all of these apps available to help you manage your photos as well as tools to keep your files tidy, you won’t have to worry about taking too.

• Supported iPhone:iPhone 5/5s, iPhone SE, iPhone 6/6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone X/11/iPhone 12, iOS 14/13/12/11/10
• Supported Computer:Windows XP/7/8/10, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac

Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone Using iTunes
Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone without iTunes
Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone with iCloud
Export Photos from Mac to iPhone Using AirDrop

How to Move Photos from Mac to iPhone Using iTunes

Before you use iTunes to move photos from Mac to iPhone, one important thing you should know: when syncing photos from computer to iPhone, all the photos, music, ringtones, iBooks, and other media files on your iPhone would be erased (just like the following screenshot shows).

Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone with iTunes – Erase Data

Using iTunes on macOS Mojave and earlier versions:

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac and launch iTunes if it doesn’t run automatically.
2. Choose your iPhone icon, and choose “Photos” from the left menu.
3. Check “Sync Photos” and select Pictures or Choose a folder from the “Copy Photos From” checkbox.
4. Click “Apply” to transfer photos from Mac to your iPhone iPad, or iPod touch.

Import Photos from Mac to iPhone with Finder

On macOS Catalina and later, there is no iTunes, but you can sync your iPhone photos and more with Mac with Finder, here is how:

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable.
2. Open Finder on your Mac
3. Your iPhone should appear in the sidebar of the Finder Window under Locations.
4. Click on your iPhone. If prompted, please trust your iPhone.
5. Select Photos and check “Sync photo to your device from” checkbox.
6. Choose Photos, or Choose folder…, or Pictures from the pod up menu.
7. After choosing the photos you need to sync, click Apply.

Sync Photos from Mac to iPhone via Finder

iTunes doesn’t allow you to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone with iCloud Photo Library on. If you get the message of “iCloud Photo is On”, here are three solutions for this.

How to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone – iCloud Photo is On

Method 1. Turn off iCloud Photo Library

On your iPhone, go to Settings app > [your name] > iCloud > Photos. Tap the button next to Photo, choose to Remove from iPhone or Download Photos & Videos, now iCloud Photo is turned off.

Please note that after turning off the iCloud Photo Library, you have to remove all the iCloud photos on your iPhone or download these iCloud photos to iPhone (this would be a large burden for your iPhone, especially if you are running 16 GB or 32 GB plan).

Method 2. Add photos from computer to iCloud

Add photos from the computer to iCloud directly, then all newly added iCloud photos can be synced to your iPhone once it is connected to WiFi or cellular network. Please refer to this guide to make it. How to Transfer Photos from Computer to iCloud >

Method 3. Try iTunes Alternative

If you want to keep your iPhone data safe while syncing photos from computer to iPhone iPad iPod touch, you can refer to Method 2 to make it.

We received a nice bit of requests asking about how to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac computer, if you have the same question, please move to this guide: How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac with 6 Methods

Transfer Photos to iPhone with AnyTrans

If you prefer an easy, quick, and safe way to export photos from your Mac to your iPhone, then you have a try on AnyTrans. It is a smart iTunes alternative that gives you the best management experience on photos, music, ringtones, movies, and more.

AnyTrans – iPhone Photo Transfer

Download Images From Iphone To My Mac

• Transfer ALL or part of photos from Mac to iPhone.
• Lightning-fast speed to transfer Mac pictures to iDevices.
• No compression, transfer photos with the original pixels.
• Also support transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone directly.

Download for Win100% Clean & Safe

Download for Mac100% Clean & Safe

Step 1: Free download AnyTrans on your computer > Connect your iPhone to Mac via USB cable > Choose “Device Manager” and then click the “+” button to add photos from your Mac.

Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone with AnyTrans – Step 1

Step 2: Choose the folder contains the photos you need > Select the photos you want > Click on the “Open” button to continue.

Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone with AnyTrans – Step 2

Step 3: Click on the “Next” button to start transferring the selected photos from Mac to your iPhone. You can click the “>” button to check the details of the selected photos.

Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone with AnyTrans – Step 3

After the release of iOS 11 version, iDevices use HEIC photos by default. While this new file format is remarkably more efficient in terms of storage space, it is not yet widely compatible. But, don’t worry, you can use free iMobie HEIC Converter to convert HEIC photos into JPG, PNG, and PDF. Read this article to see how to convert HEIC to JPG on computer.

Upload Photos from Mac to iCloud with AnyTrans

Besides that, it also lets you upload photos from Mac to iCloud directly, and then photos will be synced to your iPhone when you have logged in with the same Apple ID.

Step 1: Free download AnyTrans on your computer > Install and run it on your computer > Choose “iCloud Manager” mode > Log in with your iCloud account.

Upload Photos from Mac to iCloud with AnyTrans – Step 1

Step 2: Click on the “Photos” option to upload photos from your Mac.

Upload Photos from Mac to iCloud with AnyTrans – Step 2

Step 3: Click thebutton at the top-right conner > Choose the folder contains the photos you want > Select the photos you need > Click “Open” button to upload photos from Mac to iCloud.

Upload Photos from Mac to iCloud with AnyTrans – Step 3

Bonus Method. How to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone Wirelessly

When you find out that there is no USB cable available or your iPhone cannot be recognized by your computer, AnyTrans app on your iPhone can help you to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone wirelessly.

It can help you transfer files like music, video, photos, documents from phone to computer and vice versa, or between two devices. You just need to install it on your devices(both iOS and Android are compatible), then you can directly transfer files from one device to another wirelessly via this app.

Make sure your iPhone and Mac are connected to Wi-Fi, and cellular data would not work in the following steps.

Step 1. Install AnyTrans app on your iPhone.

Step 2. On your Mac: Go to anytrans.io from your browser and you will see a QR Code.

On your iPhone: Open AnyTrans app > Tap on the Scan button to scan the QR code on your Mac.

How to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone Wirelessly with AnyTrans App – Step 2

Step 3. Then all your iPhone photos will show up on your computer > Click the “Upload” button > Select the photos you want to transfer > Click on “Open” button to transfer photos from Mac to your iPhone.

How to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone Wirelessly with AnyTrans App – Step 3

How to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone with iCloud

Using iCloud Photo Sharing with Photos for macOS (macOS high sierra) you can keep photos up to date on all your devices including your Mac and iPhone, This means photos will be transferred to your iPhone from Mac if you enabled iCloud Photos on.

Turn on iCloud Photos on Mac with OS X 10.10.3 or later:

1. Go to System Preferences > iCloud.
2. Click Options next to Photos.
3. Select iCloud Photos.

Turn on iCloud Photos on iPhone with iOS 10.3 or later:

1. Go to Settings > [your name].
2. Choose iCloud > Tap on Photos.
3. Turn on iCloud Photos option.

Sync Photos from Mac to iPhone Using AirDrop

With AirDrop, you can easily transfer photos from Mac or external hard drive to your iPhone iPad iPod touch wirelessly. This is a quick way if you only need to send a few photos.

Requirements:

1. Mac from 2012 or later (excluding the mid-2012 Mac Pro) using OS X Yosemite or later.

2. iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iOS 7 or later.

Turn on AirDrop on both your iOS device and Mac:

1. On your Mac, open a Finder window and choose AirDrop.
2. Turn on Bluetooth and WiFi to enable the AirDrop feature on your Mac.
3. Set the option Allow to be discovered by Everyone.
4. On your iOS device, swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen to launch theControl Center.
5. Tap onAirDrop, and then set your iPhone to be discovered byEveryone.

Send photos from the Mac to the iPhone:

1. On the Mac: Simply drag and drop the photos you wish to transfer to your device.
2. On your iPhone: The iPhone may ask if you want to accept the photos, just tap Accept to save the picture send from your Mac.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, compared to iTunes, it’s much easier and quicker to use AnyTrans to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone, easy-to-operate and no data loss. Even if you have no prior knowledge of data transfer, you can still add photos to your iPhone without effort. Just give it a try >

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Transferring iPhone photos and videos to your Mac can save precious space on your mobile device. Plus, it’s easier to edit and retouch when you’ve got a larger screen with a higher resolution, not to mention that native Mac tools allow you to convert, resize, and organize your images in no time. In this article, we’ll cover the four quickest ways to transfer your images over.

The best ways to transfer photos from an iPhone to a Mac

Because iPhone and Mac are parts of the Apple ecosystem, there are multiple ways to connect them and move content around. Some involve using a USB cable, others work wirelessly. These methods have proven the handiest in our experience:

1. Sync photos to your Mac using Finder (macOS Catalina or later)
2. Move photos and other content with AnyTrans
3. Import pictures to the Photos app
4. Upload photos using ImageCapture
5. AirDrop photos from iPhone to a Mac
6. Transfer photos using iCloud

Let's talk about all these in more detail.

Before you transfer your iPhone pictures to the Mac

Although Macs have more storage than iPhones, that storage is not infinite, so you might want to avoid dumping thousands of unneeded pics onto your Mac. We’re talking blurry party selfies, multiple shots of the same sunset, taken just seconds apart, long-forgotten screenshots of long-forgotten conversations — those can add up to a few gigabytes.

So before you start the transfer, scan your iPhone pics with Gemini Photos: Gallery Cleaner. This app will find all the clutter you’ve accumulated over the years, such as similar shots and blurry photos, and help you delete them in no time.

Now that you’ve done that, here are our top ways to transfer photos and videos.

How to import photos from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac with a USB cable

The most common ways to transfer pictures from your iPhone to your Mac involve connecting your devices with a USB cable. But even then, you have options depending on which application you want to use. Below you’ll read about four different apps that will help you sync your photos.

Move photos from iPhone to Mac using Finder

Starting with macOS Catalina (10.15) or later, you can sync your iPhone with a Mac using Finder. Follow these steps to sync photos from your iPhone to your Mac:

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable.
2. On the Mac, open a new Finder window.
3. In the sidebar, under your Devices, click on your iPhone.
4. At the top of the window, click Photos.
5. Check the “Sync Photos” box.
6. Choose the app or folder that you want to sync from.
7. Choose to sync all photos and albums or just selected albums.
8. Click Apply.

Copy photos from iPhone to Mac with AnyTrans

iCloud and Photos are obvious choices for image transferring, but they're not without flaws. If you want to transfer all content from your iPhone without having to wait forever, and back it up at the same time, a third-party utility like AnyTrans for iOS makes much more sense.

A combination of a backup tool and media downloader, AnyTrans helps you migrate content. Here’s how you use it to move photos and everything else from your iPhone:

1. Launch AnyTrans and ensure both your devices are connected to the same network.
2. Connect iPhone to your Mac’s USB port.
3. Allow AnyTrans access to your photo library.
4. Go to Device Manager > Export iPhone content to computer.

Your content will travel instantly. What’s more, it will sync to iCloud — so there’s no need to worry your photos don’t have a backup.

Import photos from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac using Photos

One of the quickest methods is to plug the Lightning-to-USB cable you use to charge the iPhone into one of your Mac’s USB ports. When an iPhone is connected, the macOS Photos app automatically opens and suggests importing your photos. Here’s the import process, step by step.

1. Connect your iPhone to the Mac using a Lightning-to-USB cable
2. If needed, unlock your iPhone and confirm it trusts the device
3. The Photos app should load and show you the images from your iPhone in the main window. If that doesn't happen, select your iPhone from the left-hand menu in the Photos app. Now you’ll see all of the images and videos stored in your iPhone’s Camera Roll.
4. Click Import All New Items in the top right-hand corner, or go through the photos, select the ones you want to import, and click Import Selected

Once the import is complete, you can ask Photos to automatically delete the pics on your iPhone, giving you space to start again and take even more pictures.

Upload photos from iPhone to Mac using Image Capture

Another method for transferring your pictures from iPhone to Mac is with the Image Capture app, which comes by default with macOS. Follow these steps to import pics from your iPhone:

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable.
2. On your Mac, open Image Capture.
3. In the sidebar, select your iPhone under the Devices category.
4. At the bottom of the window, click the Import To menu to choose where to save your pictures.
5. Select the pictures you want to import and click the Import button or click Import All.

How to transfer photos from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac wirelessly

If you don’t have a USB cable nearby, don’t worry. You can still send pics from your phone wirelessly. And even if you have a cable close, you might want to try one of these methods to save you the hassle of plugging your iPhone into your computer.

Send photos from iPhone to Mac using AirDrop

If you need to move just a few of your images over to your Mac, the quickest way to do that is by using AirDrop.

Start by switching AirDrop on your iPhone.

1. Go to Settings
2. Tap General
3. Scroll to AirDrop
4. Set this to Everyone to send data via AirDrop to any device

Now switch it on on your Mac:

1. Open Finder
2. Click Go in the menu bar and select AirDrop
3. A Finder window will open, with the AirDrop icon at the bottom. It looks like an old-fashioned set of blue radio waves
4. Below this icon is a dropdown. Click on it and select Everyone.

Give both devices a few moments to find one another.

Now, here’s how you transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac with AirDrop:

1. Open Photos on your iPhone
2. Select the pics you want to transfer
3. Tap the sharing button in the bottom left-hand corner
4. Wait till AirDrop finds your Mac and tap on it
5. On your Mac you’ll see a pop-up window asking you to accept the photos. Click Accept.

Depending on your Mac’s settings, you may be asked where you want to save the photos. Once you’re done transferring, you can switch off AirDrop on your Mac and iPhone.

Sync photos from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac using iCloud

Another way to move photos from an iPhone to a Mac is with iCloud. iCloud Photo Library, a.k.a. iCloud Photos, can do all the heavy lifting. However, if you’ve got over 5GB of photos and videos, you’ll need to upgrade your storage plan, paying anything from $0.99 per month for 50GB to $9.99 for 2TB of cloud storage.

To set up iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings

2. Tap on your name at the top

3. Go to iCloud
4. Underneath the iCloud storage indicator, you’ll see a list of Apps Using iCloud
5. Tap on Photos
6. Switch on iCloud Photos

Now, to set it up on your Mac:

1. Launch the Photos app
2. Go to the Photos menu in the menu bar
3. Click on Preferences
4. Next, click on iCloud
5. Check the box next to iCloud Photo Library (iCloud Photos in macOS Mojave)

Provided you’ve followed both series of steps and both your devices are using the same Apple ID, your photos and videos will automatically sync between iPhone and Mac.

How To Import Photos From Iphone 6s To Macbook Pro

Remember: while you have iCloud Photo Library on, any changes you make to photos on one device will automatically sync to the other. So if you want to delete them on your iPhone and keep them on your Mac, switch off the sync after you’ve transferred everything.

How To Import New Photos From Iphone To Mac

Whichever method you use, Apple makes it easy to transfer photos and videos from an iPhone to a Mac. Just make sure you move the pics you really need, otherwise you’re just shuffling clutter around.