Move Photos from Mac to iPhone Using with Mobile Transfer. The last method to be discussed involves the use of 3rd-party software——DataKit Transfer to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone. FoneTrans can be used to easily move media files (photos, videos, music, contacts, etc) from your Mac to your iPhone.

Applies To: iPhone XS/XS Max/XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 6/6s, MacBook, iMac

Syncing photos from iPhone to Mac can be easily done either with the built-in Apps/features on the iOS devices or with a third-party program like EaseUS MobiMover. Here in this article, five methods are detailed on how to sync photos from iPhone to Mac, with the help of MobiMover, AirDrop, iCloud, Photos App, and Image Capture. Whether you want to copy photos from iPhone to Mac wirelessly over Wi-Fi, import photos from iPhone to Mac with Photos App using a USB cable, or sync photos from iPhone to mac automatically, you can find the method in the paragraphs below.

Tip 1: Sync photos from iPhone to Mac without iTunes using EaseUS MobiMover

Do you want to sync photos from iPhone to Mac all at once or selectively without iTunes? If so, you are recommended to use the versatile tool for iOS data transfer, EaseUS MobiMover, to get things done. As an iOS data transfer tool, MobiMover enables you to share data between two iOS devices (iPhone/iPad in iOS 8 or later) or between an iOS device and a computer (Mac or PC).

Photos: Camera Roll, Photo Library, Photo Stream, Photo Videos

Videos: Movies, TV shows, Music Videos

Audios: Music, Ringtones, Voice Memos, Audiobooks, Playlists

Others: Contacts, Notes, Messages, Voice Mails, Books, and Safari Bookmarks

As you can see from the list above, syncing photos from iPhone to Mac is just one of the many things MobiMover can do for you. If you need, you can transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone when you get a new device or back up all your iPhone content to computer to avoid data loss. Now, follow the steps below to have a try.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to Mac with a USB cable. Run EaseUS MobiMover, choose 'Phone to Mac' and click the 'Next' button to continue.

Step 2. Check the category/categories you want to copy from your iPhone to Mac. As you can see, you can copy other supported files together with photos from your iPhone to Mac all at once. After that, don't forget to customize the storage path for the exported photos unless you want to save them on your desktop.

Step 3. Now, click the 'Transfer' button to start transferring photos or other files from your iPhone to Mac without iTunes. Exporting files from iPhone to Mac with MobiMover is the right way for backup to avoid unexpected data loss.

Tip 2: Copy photos from iPhone to Mac with Photos App

Photos App on Mac helps to import photos from iPhone to Mac without iTunes. But you can just sync photos in Camera Roll from your iPhone to Mac using Photos. Thus, if you want to copy all photos in Camera Roll, Photo Library, and Photo Stream from your iPhone to Mac at once, using EaseUS MobiMover is the best choice for you.

Step 1: Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your Mac to avoid problems like iPhone photos not showing up on Mac.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable, unlock your iPhone and tap Trust on your iPhone to continue.

Photos From Mac To Iphone

Step 3: Run PhotosApp if it doesn't open automatically.

Step 4: Go to the Import screen in Photos, click the photos you want to sync from iPhone to Mac and click Imported Selected or click Import All New Photos to sync all new photos from iPhone to Mac with Photos.

Tip 3: Sync photos from iPhone to Mac automatically with iCloud

'How do I automatically sync photos from iphone to mac?' is a question asked by many iOS users. The answer to this question is to use Apple's built-in service - iCloud Photo to do it. With the help of the iCloud Photo Library, you can automatically move photos from almost any device to almost any location easily. When you want to sync photos from iPhone to Mac automatically or wirelessly, using iCloud can meet your needs.

Step 1: Make sure you have the latest version of iOS on your iPhone and the latest version on macOS on your Mac.

Step 2: Sign in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on your iPhone and Mac.

Step 3: Connect your iPhone and Mac to a stable Wi-Fi network.

Step 4: Turn on the iCloud Photo Library on your Mac and iPhone.

• On your iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and then turn on the iCloud Photo Library.
• On your Mac, go to System Preferences > iCloud > Options next to Photos and then toggle on the iCloud Photo Library.

Tip 4: Sync photos from iPhone to Mac wirelessly using AirDrop

If you don't have the problem 'AirDrop not working' on your devices, you can sync photos from iPhone to Mac wirelessly using AirDrop. Here are the steps to use AirDrop to send photos from iPhone to Mac.

Step 1: Turn on AirDrop on your Mac.

• Go to Finder > Go > AirDrop and switch on Bluetooth and WiFi to turn on AirDrop on your Mac.
• Set the option Allow to be discovered by as Everyone or Contacts Only.

Step 2: Turn on AirDrop on iPhone.

• Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen to open Control Center.
• Tap on AirDrop and set your iPhone to be discovered by Contacts Only or Everyone.

Step 3: Transfer photos from iPhone to Mac.

• Open Photos App on your iPhone.
• Select the photos you want to sync from your iPhone to Mac.
• Click the Share button and click the name of your Mac in the AirDrop section to sync photos from iPhone to Mac wirelessly.

Tip 5: Import photos from iPhone to Mac via Image Capture

Image Capture is Apple's built-in OS X application that enables iOS users to move and delete photos between iOS devices. Here we will show you the steps to use Image Capture on Mac to sync photos from iPhone.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to Mac with a USB cable > Launch Image Capture on your Mac.

Step 2. Select the device you want to sync > Set the output folder for these synced photos > Click on 'Import' or 'Import All' to import photos from iPhone to Mac.

The Bottom Line

Though there are five or even more methods for you to sync photos from iPhone to Mac, most of them have limitations, such as only supports syncing Camera Roll photos. If you want to sync all pictures stored in other albums, you may need to use EaseUS MobiMover to help you. As we mentioned earlier, EaseUS MobiMover can transfer and manage almost all iPhone data like videos, contacts, movies, etc. Why not download it and give it a try?

Get 7 ways to transfer photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to your Mac computer in this article!

AnyTrans – Full-way iPhone Photos Transfer Tool

AnyTrans is a good choice for transferring pictures and videos from iPhone to computer (Mac &PC). 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 XR. At this moment, moving all pictures and videos to computer for backup and then delete them is a good option to free up the iPhone storage space. How can I transfer photos from iPhone to MacBook pro? 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!

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.

Option 1: How to Import All Photos from iPhone to Mac at Once

If you want to copy all the photos on your iPhone, like Camera Roll photos, Photo Stream photos, iTunes synced photos, iCloud sharing photos, and album photos, or some other specific albums to Mac, here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Download AnyTrans on your Mac > Run it > Connect your iPhone to Mac via USB cable > Click on Device Manager mode, and then choose the Content to PC option.

Go to Device Manager and Click Content to PC Button

Step 2: Uncheck the Select All box > Click the photos you need to transfer > Click on the Next button to start transferring the selected photos to your Mac.

Step 3: After the process completes, you can click the View Files button to check the transferred photos on your Mac.

Photos Transfer Completed

Option 2: How to Upload Multiple or Selected Photos from iPhone to Mac

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.

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

Select Photos and Send to PC

Bonus Part. How to 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.

Import Photos from iPhone to Mac with Photos/iPhoto

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 computer 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. Click the Import tab and select the photos you want to transfer to Mac.
4. You can click Import XX Selected or Import All New Items to transfer photos to Mac.

For Mac OS X Yosemite earlier, you can use the iPhoto feature on Mac to move Camera Roll photos from iPhone to Mac.

1. Connect your iPhone to Mac with a USB cable and then launch iPhoto on your Mac if it doesn’t open automatically.
2. Select your iPhone photos and click Import to import photos.
3. You can import all the iPhone photos or import some of them by picking up some photos and clicking Import Selected. You can add an Event Name for the imported photos before or after importing.

How to Import Photos from iPhone to Mac with iPhoto

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.

To get more info please read on How to Transfer iPhone Photos to Flash Drive with or without Computer >

How to AirDrop Photos from iPhone to Mac

How do I AirDrop from iPhone to Mac? 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 the Settings app > General > AirDrop. Select either “Contacts Only” or “Everyone,” depending on who you want to be able to send the photos to.

Here is how to transfer iPhone photos to Mac with AirDrop:

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.

Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac via AirDrop

How to 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.

How to 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. Select your iPhone from the device list if it is not selected > Set the output folder for your iPhone photos.
3. Click Import or Import all to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac.

Sync Photos from iPhone to Mac with Image Capture

How to 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. Here are steps on how to transfer iPhone photos to computer via Photos (windows 10/8):

1. Connect your iPhone with your computer with the USB cable.
2. The Photos app should automatically launch. If it doesn’t, launch it from the Windows Start menu.
3. Click the Import icon in the upper right corner of the Photos app.
4. Click on From a USB device and it will start searching for photos on your iPhone.
5. After that, choose photos to import to your computer.

Transfer iPhone Photos with Windows Photos

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.

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

How To Sync Iphone To Computer

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 7 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?

Free Download * 100% Clean & Safe

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