Download and install the latest iTunes. Connect your iPhone to PC and run the program. Find the iPhone icon on the menu and click Photos tab under settings on the left. Check the box to Sync Photos from and browse to the wanted folder and select the picture you’d like to download. Click Apply to download pictures from iPhone.

Get 6 ways to transfer photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to your Mac computer in this article!

iPhone Data to Computer

AnyTrans – Full-way iPhone Photos Transfer Tool

AnyTrans is a good choice for transferring pictures and videos from iPhone to Mac (& Windows). Transfer photos with your free trial now!

As photo collections grow, you may find Photos & Camera takes up the most of your iPhone storage. For me, in iPhone storage, it shows that photos occupy 48 GB of my 128GB iPhone 11. At this moment, moving all pictures and videos to the computer for backup and then delete them is a good option to free up the iPhone storage space. Or if you just switch from an Android photo to the new iPhone, you may also ask how can I transfer photos from iPhone to MacBook Pro/Air? Here in the following guide, we will focus on how to transfer photos and videos from iPhone to Mac computer, like iMac, MacBook Pro/Air, Mac Mini, Mac Pro in some simple ways. Just keep reading!

Import Photos from iPhone to Mac with Photos

On Mac OS X Yosemite or later, you can use the Photos app to import iPhone photos, which replaces the old iPhoto and Aperture with a simpler photo editor and library manager. It also can be used to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac, and here we’ll show you how to make it:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with the USB cable.
  2. The Photos app on your Mac will automatically launch. If not, go to the launchpad and select the Photos app.
  3. Under Devices, choose your iPhone.
  4. Click the Import All New Items will transfer all the new photos from your iPhone to Mac.
  5. Or you can select some photos and click Import XX Selected.

Import iPhone Photos with Mac Photos

Note: If you want to delete iPhone photos after import to your Mac, you can check the “Delete items after import”, which will automatically remove your iPhone photos after importing to your Mac.

Bonus Tip: Move Photos from Mac to an External Hard Drive

After import iPhone photos, you can also move your photos from your Mac to an external hard drive to make a copy, or free up Mac’s space. Here is how:

  1. Connect your external hard drive to your Mac.
  2. In the Finder, find your external drive.
  3. Open another Finder window, find and open Pictures.
  4. Drag your library to the external drive.

Import Photos from iPhone to Mac with Image Capture

Follow the steps on how to using Image Capture on Mac to import photos from iPhone:

  1. Connect your iPhone to Mac with USB cable > Run Image Capture on your Mac.
  2. Unlock your iPhone.
  3. Select your iPhone from the device list if it is not selected > Set the output folder for your iPhone photos.
  4. Click Import or Import all to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac.

Sync Photos to Mac with Image Capture

How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac with AnyTrans

How do I import photos from iPhone to Mac without iPhoto? You can have a try on the professional iPhone photos transfer tool – iMobie AnyTrans. And below are its outstanding features on uploading iPhone photos:

AnyTrans– iPhone Photo Transfer

  • 1-click to transfer photos & videos iPhone to computer (Mac & PC).
  • Keep photos in original quality and well-organized in albums.
  • Fast transferring speed quite saves your time.
  • Get photos from PC/Mac to your iPhone without erasing.

Free Download100% Clean & Safe

Free Download100% Clean & Safe

If you prefer this way, just Free Download AnyTrans on your computer firstly, and then follow the steps below to import iPhone photos to your Mac quickly.

If you just want to transfer some specific photos of some album to Mac instead of all the iPhone photos or the whole album, you can follow us to transfer multiple or selected photos from iPhone to Mac.

Step 1: Download AnyTrans on your Mac > Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable > Click on “Device Manager” mode, and then choose the “Photos” option.

Open AnyTrans and Choose Photos

Step 2: Choose the album contains the photos you need > Select photos you want to transfer > Click on the “To Mac“ button at the top-right corner to transfer the selected photos to your Mac.

Note: After transfer, you can select all photos in AnyTrans and click the delete button to remove all iPhone photos to free up space.

Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac Wirelessly

If there is no USB cable available or your iPhone cannot be recognized by your computer, then you can try the AnyTrans app to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac wirelessly.

Now connect your iPhone with Wi-Fi and do as the following steps:

Step 1. Install AnyTrans app on your iPhone. You can download it by clicking the below button or directly search AnyTrans on App Store.

Step 2. On your computer, enter anytrans.io in your browser, and you’ll see a QR code.

How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac Wirelessly – Step 2

Step 3. On your iPhone, open the AnyTrans app you just installed and tap on the Scan button to scan the QR code on your computer.

Step 4. Then all your iPhone photos will show up on the computer. Select the photos you want to transfer and click the “Download” button to start transferring photos from iPhone to Mac. After the process completes, you can check them by going to Finder on your Mac > Downloads.

How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac Wirelessly – Step 4

  • For iPhone 7 or later users who want to convert HEIC to JPG, please click the settings button to set it or using hassle-free HEIC to JPG converter to change these photos to JPG format on your computer.
  • When syncing photos from iPhone to Mac with AnyTrans, you won’t lose any previous photo on your iPhone.

AirDrop Photos from iPhone to Mac

How to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac without USB? You can try AirDrop. On your iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the Control Center, and then tap the “AirDrop” button. You can also turn on AirDrop from Settings app > General > AirDrop. Select either “Contacts Only” or “Everyone,” depending on who you want to be able to send the photos.

Here is how to AirDrop photos from iPhone to Mac:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Photos app and find the photos you want to transfer to your Mac.
  2. Ensure you’re viewing the photos in thumbnail view and tap Select in the top right corner.
  3. Choose the photos you want to send to your Mac (selected photos appear with a blue checkmark).
  4. Then tap the Share icon (a square with an up arrow).
  5. In the AirDrop section, tap the name of your Mac.
  6. Accept the photos on your Mac and they will be saved into the Downloads folder on your Mac.

Sync Photos from iPhone to Mac with iCloud

iCloud Photos is Apple’s online photo storage service. When you activate iCloud Photos, all your iPhone photos get stored in iCloud so you can view and download them from your Mac. Note that you must be signed in with the same Apple ID on your iPhone and Mac. Here is how to sync iPhone photos to Mac with iCloud:

  1. On your Mac, click the Apple icon at the top left of the screen, then go to System Preferences > Choose iCloud.
  2. Check the box next to the iCloud Photo Library (iCloud Photos in macOS Mojave).
  3. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Photos > Ensure iCloud Photos is on.

Sync iPhone Photos to Mac via iCloud

Send Photos from iPhone to Mac with Email

If you just want to transfer several photos from iPhone to Mac and your Mac is not at your hand, Email becomes a wonderful choice. Here is how to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac with Email:

  1. Run Photos App on your iPhone > Tap on Albums to open Albums Page > Choose the target album.
  2. Tap on Edit button > Pick up the photos you want to transfer > Tap on Share button and choose Email.
  3. Type your Email address and complete the Email > Tap on Send > Sign in your Email on Mac and download those pictures and store them on Mac.

Transfer Photos from iPhone to Windows PC

There are also many ways to transfer iPhone photos to PC, and using the Windows default Photos app is one of the good ways. To get more ways and details on how to transfer iPhone photos to Windows PC, you can move to this guide: How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Computer (Windows).

In addition, if you want to transfer photos from Mac back to your iPhone, just refer to How to Transfer Photo from Mac to iPhone >

Since iOS 11, iPhone has taken HEIC as the default format of its photos, as this new format is more efficient in terms of storage space. However, HEIC is not widely compatible, especially on Windows PC. If you have trouble opening HEIC photos on your computer and want to convert HEIC photos into other formats such as JPG, PNG, JPEG, etc, you can try a free tool – iMobie HEIC Converter.

Why Won’t My Photos Import from iPhone to Mac? FAQs

Where are photos stored on my Mac?

When you copy photos to your Mac with the Photos app, they are stored in the Photos library folder. Also, you can change the location to somewhere else like in a folder on your Mac or on an external drive, and still view them in Photos.

Here is where to find photos stored in the Photos app: On your Mac, Go to Finder > Choose Pictures > Right Click Photo Library > Choose Show Package Contents > In a folder named Masters, you will find photos in different folders.

Whare are Photos Stored on Mac

What if my computer doesn’t recognize the iPhone?

Some of our users report that the iPhone cannot connect to the computer, here are some fixes for How to Fix Computer Not Recognizing iPhone Issues >

What to do if photos not showing up on Mac?

Any pictures in iCloud will not show when you import photos with Photos or Image Capture. You can download all from iCloud then try again.

Camera Roll only has the photos you took with the cameras on that iPhone or images captured from the screen.

If your images still don’t show on the Photos/Image Capture app on your Mac, you can try tips in this article: How to Fix Photos Not Showing up on Computer Issue >

iPhone keeps connecting and disconnecting from Mac

  1. Check USB cable > Try using a different cable > Try unplugging and then replugging.
  2. Check the charging port on the bottom of your iPhone and remove any debris.
  3. Avoid a defective, damaged, or non-Apple-certified cable, you may see the “Accessory Not Supported” error.
  4. Restart your iPhone and restart your Mac.
  5. Ensure that you have the latest version of iOS 14.
  6. Disconnect your iPhone from your Mac and on your iPhone tap: Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Location & Privacy.

The MacBook Air/Pro doesn’t have USB-A ports?

Some MacBook Air/Pro doesn’t have USB-A Ports. As Apple said: “You can connect a USB-C power adapter and cable to charge your notebook computer. If you have a device that doesn’t connect to this port, you might be able to use an adapter to connect it.”

MacBook with USB-C Ports

These Mac models don’t have USB-A ports and have USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) ports:

  • MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
  • iMac introduced in 2017 or later
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac mini introduced in 2018
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2019

The Bottom Line

Although you can get 6 or even more ways to transfer photos from iPhone to your iMac, MacBook Pro/Air, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro, most of them only support exporting Camera Roll photos. If you want to transfer photos stored in other albums, you have to search for other solutions. Just like the table above shows, when it comes to transferring and managing iPhone photos, AnyTrans can be the best choice.

Except for transferring photos, it also can transfer other iOS contents, like Messages, Contacts, Videos, Movies, Notes, ect., and also supports transfer data from one iPhone to another Apple device directly. Why not download AnyTransand try now?

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More iPhone Related Articles You May Like:

Product-related questions? Contact Our Support Team to Get Quick Solution >

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.

Download

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.

Download photos from iphone to mac desktop
  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:

Download From Iphone To Mac Photos
  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 Copy Photos Iphone To Mac

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.

Download Photos From Iphone To Mac Without Itunes

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.

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