Photos are usually the most common type of files transferred between phones and computers. Keeping a backup of your photos on your computer lets you clear the storage space on your phone, and keep them secure. In case you’re wondering, there are several ways in which you can transfer your favorite photos from iPhones to your computers.
iCloud and iTunes are commonly used by most users for this purpose, but they have some downfalls that may hinder your experience. In this article, you will get an in-depth look at the best ways to transfer photos from PC to iPhone, with detailed steps to get you through the process.
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Transferring Your Photos from PC to iPhone Using Cloud-Based Solutions
Using cloud-based services from Apple and other reputed companies, you can seamlessly access photos on multiple devices with the same account. These methods also negate the need for data transfer cables and make the entire process much more user-friendly and convenient.
Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone: iCloud Method
If you have iCloud installed on your PC, then this cloud storage and sync service should help you to make the photo transfer with ease. You just need to have an iPhone with iOS 8 or later installed for compatibility. Here’s how to manage and transfer your photos from PC to iPhone using the iCloud service:
- Log in using your Apple ID on the webpage or the app.
- Once your dashboard opens up after a successful login, navigate to ‘Photos’. In case you’re logging in through a browser for the first time, you’ll need to complete the first-time setup.
- In the ‘Photos’ subcategory, you’ll find the ‘Upload’ button located on the top right corner of the page.
- Tap on it, and browse for the photos you want to transfer to your iPhone. To select multiple files at once, hold the ‘CTRL’ button, and tap on individual photos.
- When you’re done with choosing the files, tap on the ‘Open’ button in the window to start the upload to the iCloud photo library. You can track the progress of the upload using the progress bar at the bottom.
Make sure that you are using the same Apple ID as the one you use to log in on your iPhone. Once the above steps are completed, you should be able to access your uploaded photos from the ‘Photos’ app on your iPhone.
Recommended: How to Recover Lost Data from Your iPhone (Without Backup)
Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone: Google Photos
In case you don’t want to use iCloud, Google Photos can help you to transfer your photos from your PC to your iPhone, or even access it from any device with an internet connection. Note that you will only be able to view the transferred photos using the ‘Photos’ app by Google. Take a look at the procedure to do the same:
- Install Google Photos from the App store on your iPhone, and make sure you have an existing Google account.
- Once you open the app on your iPhone, log in with your desired Google account to get started.
- On your PC, open your browser and visit Google Photos.
- Login with the same account that you used on your phone.
- On the webpage, tap on ‘Create’, then ‘Album’, to create a convenient folder to upload desired pictures from the PC. You can also just click on ‘Upload’ to begin the process.
- Click on ‘Add Photos’, then ‘Select from computer’.
- Browse and select the photos that you desire to transfer to your iPhone.
- Once the upload is done, you can open the ‘Photos’ app that you downloaded earlier to get access to all the photos uploaded in the previous step.
Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone: AirDrop Method (macOS only)
In case you just want to transfer a few photos from your Mac PC, instead of entire folders, then AirDrop is one of the easiest ways for the process. Before starting with this process, make sure that your Mac PC and iPhone are connected to the same network. Follow the steps listed below to make the transfer in the easiest way possible:
- Select the photos you want to transfer, and tap on the ‘Share’ button located on the top.
- Form the menu of options, select ‘AirDrop’.
- You should notice a pop-up on your phone. Tap on it to confirm the transfer.
- Once completed, tap on ‘Done’ to finish the process.
- You should now be able to access the transferred photos natively on your iPhone.
Transferring Your Photos from PC to iPhone Using Direct Connection
If you don’t want to use the cloud-based methods listed above, then you can definitely use the traditional method to transfer your photos from PC to iPhone. You just need to connect your iPhone to your PC using the data cable. Take a look at the different ways in which you can do so:
Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone: iTunes Method
- Connect your iPhone to your PC and wait for iTunes to open up automatically. If it doesn’t open up, run it manually.
- Locate the ‘Device’ tab, and navigate to ‘Photos’.
- Under ‘Sync Photos’, tap on ‘Copy photos from’
- Select the photos you want to transfer and tap on ‘Apply’ to start the process.
This method won’t work for you if the iPhone you’re using has iCloud enabled on it. To transfer your photos using this method, turn off iCloud sync from the settings app on your phone.
Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone: Windows Explorer Method
You can also use the in-built Explorer file manager of Windows to transfer your files to your iPhones. Take the look at the steps below to do so.
- Connect the iPhone to the target PC using the data cable.
- Open Windows Explorer and navigate to “This PC > *iPhone Name* > “Internal Storage” > “DCIM” > “100APPLE”.
- Once you have located the folder, you should be able to see all the existing images on the iPhone here.
- Copy the images you want to transfer from your PC, and paste them in this folder.
Conclusion
Keeping your photos backed up on a PC is a great idea in case you lose your phone or some damage befalls on your device. The methods listed above should help you to transfer your pictures from a PC to an iPhone easily and keep them secure.
