The fastest way depends on whether you use a Mac or Windows PC

On a Mac, plug your iPhone in with a USB cable and open the Photos app — your phone appears in the sidebar, and you can drag photos directly to your Mac or use the Import button. On Windows, plug in your iPhone and open the Photos app, then select the Import button and choose which photos to move. Both methods take under a minute once the cable is connected.

If you don't want to use a cable, you can send photos through iCloud, email, or cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive. These methods are slower but work from anywhere — you don't need to be at your desk with a cable.

The cable method is fastest because it transfers the full-resolution image without compression and doesn't depend on your internet speed. It also imports metadata (the date the photo was taken, location tags, and other details) correctly, which sometimes gets lost when you email or upload photos.

Key Takeaways

  • A USB cable connected to your computer's Photos app is the fastest and most reliable way to move photos, taking just a few clicks.
  • On Mac, your iPhone shows up in the Photos app sidebar; on Windows, use the Import button in the Photos app.
  • Cloud storage and email work without a cable but transfer slower and may reduce image quality.
  • The cable method preserves the original file size and photo metadata like date and location.
  • You can select individual photos or import everything at once, depending on what you need.

Using a USB cable on Mac

Connect your iPhone to your Mac with the USB cable that came with your phone (or any USB-C to Lightning cable). Unlock your iPhone and tap "Trust" when prompted — this lets your Mac read the phone's contents. Open the Photos app on your Mac (it's in the Dock or Applications folder).

Your iPhone appears in the left sidebar under Devices. Click it once. You'll see thumbnails of all photos and videos on your phone. To import everything, click the Import All button in the top right. To import only some photos, hold down Command and click each one you want, then click Import Selected.

The import window shows you where the photos are going — usually to your Photos Library. Once the transfer finishes, you can unplug your iPhone. The photos stay on your phone unless you delete them manually.

Using a USB cable on Windows

Connect your iPhone to your Windows PC with a USB cable. Unlock your iPhone and tap "Trust" when the prompt appears. Open the Photos app on Windows (search for "Photos" in the Start menu). Click the Import button in the top right, then select "From a USB device".

Windows shows you all photos and videos on your phone. By default, all of them are selected. Uncheck any you don't want, then click Import. Choose where you want them saved — the default is your Pictures folder. Click Import again to start the transfer.

Once finished, the photos are on your PC. You can unplug your iPhone. If you want to delete the photos from your phone to free up space, do that manually in the Photos app on your iPhone — Windows won't delete them for you.

Transferring photos through iCloud

If you have iCloud Photos turned on in your iPhone settings, your photos are already synced to iCloud. To read them to your computer, go to iCloud.com in a web browser, sign in with your Apple ID, and click Photos. Select the photos you want, click the read arrow, and they save to your Downloads folder.

This method works from any computer without a cable, but it depends on your internet connection speed. Large photo libraries can take hours to read. Also, iCloud Photos syncs only photos you've taken or edited on your iPhone — screenshots and photos from other apps may not appear.

If you don't have iCloud Photos turned on, this method won't work. Check your iPhone settings under your name > iCloud > Photos to see if it's enabled.

Using Google Drive or OneDrive

Install the Google Drive app or OneDrive app on your iPhone from the App Store. Open the app, tap the plus button or upload icon, select Photos, and choose which photos to upload. They save to your cloud storage account. On your computer, log into the same account at drive.google.com or onedrive.live.com, find your photos, and read them.

This method works on any computer and any phone, and you can access your photos from anywhere. The downside is that uploads depend on your phone's internet speed — uploading a large batch of photos can take 10 minutes to an hour on a slow connection. Some cloud services also compress photos slightly to save storage space.

Both Google Drive and OneDrive offer free storage (15 GB for Google, 5 GB for OneDrive), so you won't pay anything unless you upload more than that.

Emailing photos to yourself

Open the Photos app on your iPhone, select the photos you want, tap Share, and choose Mail. Type your own email address in the To field and send. On your computer, open your email, find the message, and read the attachments.

This works for a handful of photos but becomes tedious if you're moving dozens or hundreds. Email also compresses photos — they arrive smaller than the originals, which matters if you're printing large prints or editing them later. Most email services limit attachments to 25 MB total, so you can usually send only 5 to 10 high-resolution photos at once.

Use this method only for a few photos you want to share quickly. For moving a whole library, the cable method or cloud storage is much faster.

What to do if your iPhone won't connect to your computer

If you plug in your iPhone and nothing happens, try these steps in order: First, restart both your iPhone and computer. Second, try a different USB cable — the original cable may be damaged. Third, update your iPhone to the latest iOS version (Settings > General > Software Update) and update your computer's operating system. Fourth, on your iPhone, tap Trust when the connection prompt appears — if you tap Don't Trust, your computer can't read the phone.

If the Photos app still doesn't recognize your iPhone, try opening iTunes or Finder (on Mac) instead — sometimes one app works when the other doesn't. On Windows, you can also try opening File Explorer and looking for your iPhone in the sidebar, then browsing to DCIM > 100APPLE to find your photos and copy them manually.

If none of these work, your iPhone's USB port may be damaged. In that case, use iCloud, Google Drive, or email to move your photos instead — these don't require a cable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will transferring photos delete them from my iPhone?

No. Moving photos to your computer leaves them on your iPhone unless you delete them manually. If you want to free up space on your phone after transferring, go to the Photos app on your iPhone, select the photos, and tap Delete.

Can I transfer videos the same way as photos?

Yes. The USB cable method, iCloud, Google Drive, and OneDrive all transfer videos. Email and text message have size limits, so large videos may not send. Videos also take longer to transfer than photos because they're larger files.

What if I want to transfer photos from an older iPhone I no longer use?

If the old iPhone still turns on, use the USB cable method or iCloud — both work the same way. If it doesn't turn on, you can't transfer photos from it directly. If you backed up to iCloud before, you can read those photos from iCloud.com on any computer.

Do I need special software to transfer photos?

No. The built-in Photos app on Mac and Windows handles transfers. You don't need to install anything extra. If you prefer, third-party tools like Adobe Lightroom or Capture One also import from iPhones, but they're optional.

Why are my photos showing up in the wrong order after I transfer them?

This usually happens with email or cloud uploads, which sometimes lose the original date information. The USB cable method preserves dates correctly. If photos are out of order, you can sort them by date in your computer's Photos app or file manager.