How to download photos from iPhone

Do you live in terror of losing all the photos you have saved on your iPhone ? Well, if you lose your phone or break it it could also happen (unfortunately the unexpected is always around the corner), but with a pinch of caution you can face this kind of events in a more serene way. What I’m trying to tell you is that you need to regularly back up your photos by exporting them to your computer and, if you can, by storing them on one of the many cloud services available today.

I assure you that these are two operations that are less long and complex than you imagine. All you have to do is follow this simple guide on how to download photos from iPhone and let your precious snaps be kept safe, ready to be browsed and restored at any time if needed. So, ready to go?

The instructions below are valid for both Windows PCs and Macs, so regardless of the type of computer you use you shouldn’t have difficulty following them. The iPhone model and iOS version in use are irrelevant, the procedure to follow is always the same. So let’s not waste any more time and get to work immediately!

Index

• How to download photos from iPhone to PC
  • How to download photos from iPhone to PC with iTunes
  • How to download photos from iPhone to PC without iTunes
  • How to download photos from iPhone to PC with iCloud
• How to Download Photos from iPhone to Mac
  • How to download photos from iPhone to Mac with cable
  • How to download photos from iPhone to Mac without cable

How to download photos from iPhone to PC

Your iPhone is really full of photos, which now take up almost all of the internal memory and do not allow you to take more. For this reason you would like to understand how to download photos from iPhone to PC , so that you can conveniently save them on your PC and subsequently free up the memory of your iPhone. No problem: now I suggest various ways to do it.

How to download photos from iPhone to PC with iTunes

You have finally decided to free up the memory of your iPhone and for this you would like to understand how to download photos from iPhone to PC with iTunes , since you usually use this software to connect your iPhone to your PC with Windows.

You are right, iTunes is a very important software and is essential to be able to connect your iPhone to Windows PCs, but in this case you will not need it to transfer photos but only to allow the PC to recognize the phone (as it includes the drivers that allow Windows to communicate with iPhone).

If you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11 you can download iTunes from the Microsoft Store . If, on the other hand, you have a PC with Windows 7 or earlier, you must necessarily download iTunes from the Apple website , since the Microsoft Store is not present on these versions of Windows.

Once you have installed iTunes, unlock your iPhone via Face ID or Touch ID and connect it to the PC using the Lightning cable in the sales package: to confirm the connection, tap the Authorize button from the pop-up that appears on the screen and then enter your iPhone ‘s unlock PIN . Then give confirmation also on the PC.

Perfect, you have now managed to connect your iPhone to PC, but you are surely wondering how you can move photos to PC. Don’t worry, now I’ll show you how to proceed quickly and easily.

The first solution you can adopt is using Windows File Explorer: just click on the folder icon on the taskbar. In the window that opens, click on the iPhone item in the side menu. From here you can enter the internal memory of your iPhone where you will find the DCIM folder , which is the folder that contains all the photos inside it: so all you have to do is copy and paste the entire folder inside the your PC (for example on the desktop).

Alternatively you can decide to use the Windows 10/11 Photos application , through which you can decide to import photos and videos directly to your PC, in a really simple way. To start the Photos application, simply click on the Start button (the flag icon) at the bottom, type “photo” on the keyboard and click on the first suggestion that appears in the list.

After opening the Photos app , with the iPhone connected to the PC via cable, click on the Import button located at the top right (a photo icon with an arrow pointing down) and from the menu that appears on the screen click on the voice From a connected device . After a few seconds an import menu will appear on the screen where you can view all the photos on your iPhone.

Now all you have to do is select the photos you want, import by clicking on each of them; or, if you want to select them all, from the Select menu click on the All items item . To start importing the photos on the PC then click on the Import XX of XX elements button , furthermore, if you want to directly delete the photos on your iPhone, set the check mark on the item Delete the original elements after importing .

Once imported, the photos will be saved in the Windows Pictures folder . To reach this folder, click on the File Explorer icon on the taskbar and then click on the Images item in the side menu.

How to download photos from iPhone to PC without iTunes

Are you using an emergency PC, perhaps on which iTunes is not installed and would like to avoid installing it? No problem, below I will show you how to download photos from iPhone to PC without iTunes , thanks to the help of a third-party platform that is really simple and comfortable to use.

In this case, my advice is to use Snapdrop , a web service that will allow you to connect your iPhone to your PC without the need to use a cable or install iTunes: both devices just need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi connection .

To be able to use this service, all you have to do is go to the snapdrop.net website from both your iPhone and your PC. As soon as you open the web page of the service, you will see the name of your PC appear on your iPhone and the name of your iPhone on your PC.

To be able to transfer photos from your iPhone to your PC, all you have to do is tap on the name of your PC and then on the Photo Library item : now select all the photos you want to send and tap the Add button at the top right. In a few seconds the photos will be transferred to your PC, where all you have to do is click on the Save button . In this case the images will be saved in the Windows Download folder . It should be noted that the transfer will be safe and very fast, as the files travel on the local network and do not go through any cloud service (therefore they do not travel on the Internet).

Alternatively, you can also think of contacting instant messaging platforms, such as Telegram , and auto-send you all the files you want within a channel called Saved Messages , accessible only to you. Another option you might consider is to send you the photos via email , although in the latter case you will have to comply with the upload limits imposed by your provider. Find more information in my tutorial on the subject.

How to download photos from iPhone to PC with iCloud

You want to free up the memory of your iPhone and for this you have decided to move all the photos. At the moment, however, you do not have your PC with you, so you would like to use Apple’s iCloud to upload all your photos to the cloud, and then download them calmly to your PC later.

There is only one small problem: you are not a very technological type, so you would like to understand how to download photos from iPhone to PC with iCloud . No problem, I’m here ready to help you.

Before showing you the procedure, it is necessary to give you some additional information about iCloud . This cloud storage service integrates seamlessly with Apple devices, making it the best choice if you want to move photos directly to the cloud while freeing up your iPhone’s internal storage. Unfortunately, the free subscription only comes with 5GB of storage , so make sure your photos don’t exceed that size before continuing. If, on the other hand, you need more space, you will need to change plan and switch to an iCloud + subscription , with prices starting at 0.99 euros / month for 50 GB of storage. 

After evaluating which plan is the one that works best for you, you need to enable photo synchronization so that you can transfer them to iCloud. To do this, take your iPhone, open the Settings app , recognizable by the icon of a gear, and then tap on your Apple account , located at the top. In this section you will find several items, but in this case tap on the iCloud item and then on Photos : to activate the synchronization, set the activation lever of the iCloud Photos item to ON and make sure that the checkmark on the item Optimize iPhone space is set.

To be able to access the photos saved on iCloud from your PC, all you have to do is go to the iCloud website , enter your Apple ID and authorize access from your iPhone, by entering the numeric code that appeared on the iPhone screen. Once inside iCloud, to view the photos, just click the Photos button and wait for the upload, which will depend on the speed of your Internet connection. To be able to download a photo on your PC, all you have to do is click on it to select it and then click on the Download button located in the bar at the top right. Simple right?

Alternatively, you can also enable automatic photo syncing to your computer via the iCloud client for Windows or the macOS Photos application as I explained to you in my iCloud Photos tutorial .

How do you say? Is the space made available by iCloud for free too limited and would you rather not pay? In this case I can recommend the use of Google Photos, a cloud service for photos and videos, which provides you with 15 GB of space completely free. For more information take a look at my tutorial on the subject .

How to Download Photos from iPhone to Mac

Do you want to free up your iPhone’s internal memory a little, perhaps by transferring all the photos to your Mac. Unfortunately, however, you have never done this type of procedure and for this reason you are wondering how to download photos from iPhone to Mac ? Don’t worry, that’s what I’m here for.

How to download photos from iPhone to Mac with cable

Have you connected your iPhone to Mac via Lightning cable, but just can’t figure out how to download photos from iPhone to Mac with cable ? Don’t worry, the procedure is actually simpler than you think.

After connecting your iPhone to the Mac, all you have to do is open the Photos application , which is usually located in the dock at the bottom. Alternatively, click on the Launchpad icon and then on the Photos app .

After opening the Photos application, click on the Start button on the main screen and then on the iPhone item that you find in the side menu (make sure your iPhone is unlocked). In a few seconds the application will load all the photos on your iPhone: if you want to import everything to your Mac, all you have to do is click on the Import all new items button , located at the top right, or select only the photos you want. import by clicking on them and finally click on the Import Items button.

After a few seconds, depending on the amount of photos to be imported, you will find them all in the Imports section , reachable from the side menu of the Photos app.

Alternatively, you can use the Image Capture application , present by default on your Mac and reachable by clicking on the Launchpad icon and then opening the Other folder . Once the application is open, click on the iPhone item in the side menu, but make sure the iPhone is unlocked.

After a few seconds the application will load all the photos on your iPhone: if you want to download them all on the Mac, all you have to do is click on the Download all button , while if you want only a few, all you have to do is select them with a click of the mouse. and then click the Download button . By default, all photos will be imported into the Pictures folder.

How to download photos from iPhone to Mac without cable

You absolutely need to free up the internal memory of your iPhone and you have decided to move all the photos inside your Mac. Unfortunately you do not have the Lightning cable with you at the moment, so you would like to understand how to download photos from iPhone to Mac without cable. . No problem, there are several solutions you could take to be able to transfer photos to your Mac without using a USB cable.

The first solution I recommend, which is also really fast, is to use AirDrop , which allows you to quickly transfer files between iPhone and a Mac, but both need to have Bluetooth connection and Wi-Fi turned on . For more information, check out my tutorial on how AirDrop works.

The second solution I propose is the use of iCloud, Apple’s cloud storage system that allows you to upload all your photos to the cloud, which you can then access from any Apple device with the same Apple ID, or via a browser. Web. In this case, however, remember that you will only have 5 GB available for free. If you want to know more take a look at the previous chapter.

Finally, you could opt for using instant messaging systems, such as Telegram , or emailing all of your photos . I told you in detail about these services in the previous chapter.