The latest iPhones pack powerful camera systems that can output some breathtaking shots. Though, naturally, Macs offer more storage space and advanced editing features. That’s why many users might want to import their photos from an iPhone to a Mac. Whether you have a MacBook Pro (2023) or any other recent model, you can pick between three different methods to transfer your media. All you need is a USB cable, iCloud, or AirDrop.
Import photos using a USB cable
You can use a USB to Lightning cable and the Photos app to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac.
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac using the USB cable.
- Open the Photos app on your Mac and click on your iPhone in the sidebar.
- The app will show an import screen with all the photos present on your iPhone. You may need to unlock your iPhone to continue.
- You can select specific photos or import all iPhone photos that haven’t been imported to your Mac. In addition, you can choose the album to which you want to import the images.
- Select the album and click on the relevant Import button.
- The process will take some time, depending on the number of photos you are importing.
- Once done, disconnect your iPhone.
Your iPhone photos are now imported to your Mac. You can find them in the Photos app.
How to import photos from iPhone to Mac using iCloud
If you have iCloud Photos enabled on your iPhone, you can easily view or download your iPhone photos on a Mac or any other device with a browser.
- If you haven’t enabled iCloud Photos, go to Settings> Photos on your iPhone and enable the iCloud Photos toggle. Depending on the data connection speed of your iPhone, the photos may take some time to upload to iCloud.
- Open iCloud.com on a web browser on your Mac.
- Click Photos, and you will see all your iPhone photos.
- You can select a few or all of the iPhone photos.
- Click on the Download icon in the top right.
- If you have selected multiple photos, iCloud will create a compressed file and download it on your Mac. In the case of a single photo, iCloud will download the regular image file.
Your photos will now be available in the Downloads folder. If you use Google Photos or cloud storage services, like OneDrive or Dropbox, you can also use that to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac similarly.
Import photos from iPhone to Mac using AirDrop
AirDrop is another great way to transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac seamlessly. However, it’s best for moving a limited number of pictures since the process could take some time.
- Open Photos app on your iPhone.
- Select the photo(s) you want to transfer to your Mac.
- Tap the Share icon in the bottom left.
- Tap on the AirDrop icon in the share menu.
- Click on your Mac on the AirDrop screen and wait for the transfer to finish.
- Once the photos have transferred, tap Done on the top right.
These are some of the best ways to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac, and it’ll work on just about every great Mac you can buy. If you want to continue to dive into the Photos app, check out our tips and tricks for getting the most out of Photos on macOS.