David Nield is a freelance contributor at Popular Science, producing how to guides and explainers for the DIY section on everything from improving your smartphone photos to boosting the security of your laptop. He doesn't get much spare time, but when he does he spends it watching obscure movies and taking long walks in the countryside. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. DIY Tech Hacks. Moving your pics and vids from your Android device to a computer isn't a problem. David Nield David Nield is a freelance contributor at Popular Science, producing how to guides and explainers for the DIY section on everything from improving your smartphone photos to boosting the security of your laptop.

Tech Hacks. Microsoft's OneDrive is built right into Windows and is one way to transfer photos and other files to your Windows PC from an Android device. If you don't already have it, download and install the OneDrive application from the Play Store. Select the photos you want to upload to your OneDrive cloud storage. Files are automatically uploaded as you select them. If this method is too slow or manual, you can also select the Photos tab and turn on Camera upload to automatically back up all photos you take to your OneDrive. On your Windows PC, open OneDrive. Copy and paste the photos you want to store on your computer hard drive from OneDrive to their new location.

Similar to Windows, macOS lets you quickly transfer photos from Android using a USB connection. You need the correct cable for your devices and the Android File Transfer app. Download and install the Android File Transfer app. Connect a compatible USB cable to your Android phone and macOS device. This may be Micro-USB to USB-A, USB-C to USB-A, or USB-C to USB-C, depending on your particular smartphone and Mac's available ports. Unlock your device if requested and select File Transfer from the list of connection options. If you aren't given that option, open up your phone's notifications menu by swiping from the top. Scroll down to Silent notifications and select Android System —Charging this device via USB.

Then select File Transfer from the list of options. Open the Android File Transfer application. You should see it on the Launchpad. Find your Android device in the main Window. Drag and drop, or copy and paste any photos you want to save to your Mac. A Bluetooth connection can let you send photos to your Mac device wirelessly. Here's how to do it. Best Internal Hard Drives. Gifts Your Techy Friends Actually Want. Best VPN Services for Netflix. Best VoIP Services. Best SD Cards. Best Google Pixel 7 Cases. Best Google Pixel 7 Pro Cases. Best Handheld Gaming PCs. Best Apple AirPods Accessories. Best NAS Hard Drives. Reader Favorites Best Linux Laptops. Best Wi-Fi Routers. Awesome PC Accessories. Best Wireless Earbuds. Best Smartwatches. Best Meta Quest 2 Accessories. Best Home Theater Systems. More from How-To Geek Browse All Buying Guides. Browse All News Articles. Latest Geek News Get Ready for More eReaders With Color E Ink. Uber Has Suffered a Data Breach, Once Again. Google Delays Change to Chrome Extensions.

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Jump to a Section. This article explains how to transfer photos from an iOS or Android smartphone to a PC or Mac. It covers every combination of computer and mobile device as well as email transfers and AirDrop. You don't need special software. You can transfer photos from your Android phone to a PC using the cord that came with the phone. Unlock your phone with your password or fingerprint. Connect the Android phone to the computer using a micro-USB or USB-C to USB cord. Ideally, this is the same cord that came with your phone. Swipe down from the top of the screen on the Android device. At the bottom of the notification list, select Android System USB charging this device. A new modal window opens, listing the options for how the device can handle the USB connection. Choose Transfer files. A notification appears on Windows letting you know that the system is setting up the device. When you see the notification from Windows letting you know that the device is ready, open Windows Explorer to access your files.

When Windows Explorer opens up, select This PC from the left menu pane. Choose your device under Devices and drives. Choose the Android device's internal storage. The root of the Android device's SD card user storage appears in Windows Explorer. You can access photos on the device in DCIM and any downloaded pictures and screenshots under Pictures. Copy and paste any of these files onto your Windows PC. Depending on the age of your Apple computer, the first thing you'll need is a cord that converts from micro-USB to whichever input your computer accepts. This cord can range from a regular USB port to Thunderbolt to the latest USB-C models. For USB-C devices, use your existing cord and purchase a cheap adapter that is compatible with USB. Cheaper connections can negatively impact connections. Amazon generally has what you need. If you have trouble finding the right hardware, consider purchasing a proprietary adapter from Apple. When you have the right cord, transferring photos from your Android phone to a Mac or other Apple computer requires only a few steps:.

Download Android File Transfer and follow the installation instructions. You can also use Samsung Smart Switch. Connect your Android device to your computer. You'll see your phone's files and can drag files to Finder or the desktop on your Mac computer. You can also transfer photos from your Android to a computer using Bluetooth or OneDrive. iOS devices tend to work well with each other. Here's how to transfer photos from an iPhone to a Mac computer. Connect the iPhone to the computer with the cord it came with. If you have a newer Apple computer, you might need an adapter. Unlock the phone. If a prompt appears, tap Trust to confirm the device you've connected to is safe. The Photos app should open automatically. If not, open it by clicking the Photos icon in the Dock, Finder window, or Launchpad. Under the Import to menu, choose whether to move photos to your general Photos library or a new folder in it. Optionally, select the Delete items after import check box to remove the photos from your phone after transferring to Photos.

To import every photo on your phone that isn't already in your Photos library, click Import All New Items. To only import certain images, click them click and drag to choose multiples , and then click Import Selected. Photos will bring in the images. You can find them later on the Imports tab under the date you imported them. Once connected, open a Finder window at any time and click iPhone or whatever you named your device to access its photos and other files. Moving pictures from an iPhone to a PC isn't too difficult, but there are a couple of additional steps. One computer must have the latest version of iTunes installed. Connect the iPhone with a USB cable, using an adapter if needed. A prompt may appear asking if you trust the connected computer. If it does, tap Trust. In Windows 10 , open the Photos app. Select the Start button the one that looks like a Windows OS logo and choose Photos. Windows will check your phone for new items.

The Import items window will open. Use the Select menu to quickly highlight all items or the ones since your last import. To only import certain images, keep the Select menu set to None and click the selection boxes next to the photos you want to transfer. Click the Import button to start the transfer. There is one additional wireless option for Apple users. You can use Airdrop to transfer images between devices. From here, you can turn Airdrop on and off and control who can see your device. On the iPhone, open the Photos app and select the All Photos album. Tap Select. Choose the photos you want to share. Tap and drag to select multiple photos quickly. Select the Share icon. Tap the name of your Mac on the top row of the Share menu. Your iPhone will transmit the photos after a few seconds. Photos you transfer to your Mac will appear in your Mac's Downloads folder.

You can use the email app of your choice on your phone to send pictures to your computer. This eliminates the need for wires and adapters. However, this method only works when transferring one or two photos. Your email has a size limit for attachments, which photos can quickly exceed. On Gmail, you can attach as many pictures as you want. Gmail automatically creates a Google Drive folder with all your photos if the size gets too big. Open the email app of your choice. Add your email address as the recipient. For the subject line, use something related to what you're sending so that you know what email to look out for. Select the paperclip icon to attach a photo. Find the photo in your gallery and confirm it's the one you want to send. Send the email. You don't need to add text in the body of the email.

On your computer, go to your email and find the email you sent yourself. Hover the mouse cursor over the photo and select Download or the download icon typically looks like an arrow pointing down , then select where you want to save the photo on the computer. This is the same whether you use a Mac or a PC. There are other options available if you prefer to avoid cords and don't want to email photos. If you transfer photos from Android to Mac, consider downloading the AirDroid app. You'll need an AirDroid account, and both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network and have AirDroid installed.

For iPhone to Mac transfers, the method is simple to turn on iCloud. This stores your photos in the cloud, and devices connected to your Apple account can access those photos. If you transfer photos from an iOS or Android phone to a PC, you need Windows 10 to go wireless. Download and set up the Microsoft Phone Companion app and follow the instructions. If you use a music app like Spotify or iTunes, you can download songs you've paid for on your computer from the website. For iOS users, import your downloaded music to iTunes to sync your iPhone and Mac libraries. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day. By James Kerley. James Kerley. James Kerley is an award-winning freelance technology writer, consultant, the former Editorial Manager for Yahoo!

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe. Download and Install Older Versions of macOS Can I Use iCloud Drive for Time Machine Backups? Unlock your phone with your password or fingerprint. Best Wi-Fi Routers. Connect your Android device to your computer. By David Nield Published Dec 8, AM.

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