Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => iPhone and Mobile Photography => Topic started by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 10:55:39 am

Title: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 10:55:39 am
What's the best way to transfer photos and videos taken by iPhones into a Windows desktop and Android cellphone?

What's the best way to load Android cellphone pictures and videos into an iPhone?
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Peter McLennan on September 17, 2021, 12:36:17 pm
I don't know what the "best" way is. 

One way I use for large files is to email myself a link to a file on a storage site like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 12:58:51 pm
Thanks Peter. Do either of those apps require payments?
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Peter McLennan on September 17, 2021, 01:43:07 pm
Thanks Peter. Do either of those apps require payments?

Both are free. 

2GB storage limit on Dropbox. 15GB, I think on Google Drive
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 02:49:03 pm
Select your question in total. Enter into Google. Answers await.
I've done the work for you in case the above isn't clear.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=What%27s+the+best+way+to+transfer+photos+and+videos+taken+by+iPhones+into+a+Windows+desktop+and+Android+cellphone%3F&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I've attached a screen capture of the top results.
The work now is up to you. You do some research and maybe some testing, then tell US what was 'best for you'. 
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: David Eckels on September 17, 2021, 03:19:00 pm
Andrew might have covered it in his post, Alan, but I just plug my USB charging cord into my phone and the other end into a USB port on my computer. Bob's yer Uncle! Windows recognizes the phone as a USB drive and you just navigate to the right folder and transfer files the way you would from an other portable drive. No cost.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 04:41:45 pm
Select your question in total. Enter into Google. Answers await.
I've done the work for you in case the above isn't clear.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=What%27s+the+best+way+to+transfer+photos+and+videos+taken+by+iPhones+into+a+Windows+desktop+and+Android+cellphone%3F&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I've attached a screen capture of the top results.
The work now is up to you. You do some research and maybe some testing, then tell US what was 'best for you'. 
Thanks for your research.  I was hoping to get forum member's ideas and opinions of the best methods they've tried.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Arlen on September 17, 2021, 04:44:06 pm
Plenty of choices, as noted. Connecting your iPhone to your computer via USB and copying files over to a drive there is easy, and especially useful if you want most or all your phone image files to end up there. Or, another way, which I use most often, is to keep the Google Photos app on my iPhone. Whenever I'm connected to wifi, I open the app and it will automatically upload everything I've shot to Google Photos in the cloud, where you can examine them in a web browser. I then select any that I want to work on (usually just a small proportion) and download those to my computer. A Google account provides 5 GB of storage space for free, and much more for a small fee. You could probably do the same thing with other types of cloud storage, such as Dropbox.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 04:44:13 pm
Andrew might have covered it in his post, Alan, but I just plug my USB charging cord into my phone and the other end into a USB port on my computer. Bob's yer Uncle! Windows recognizes the phone as a USB drive and you just navigate to the right folder and transfer files the way you would from an other portable drive. No cost.
I tried that with an iPhone Lightning cabled to my Windows desktop but could not see or find the iPhone.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 04:46:56 pm
Plenty of choices, as noted. Connecting your iPhone to your computer via USB and copying files over to a drive there is easy, and especially useful if you want most or all your phone image files to end up there. Or, another way, which I use most often, is to keep the Google Photos app on my iPhone. Whenever I'm connected to wifi, I open the app and it will automatically upload everything I've shot to Google Photos in the cloud, where you can examine them in a web browser. I then select any that I want to work on (usually just a small proportion) and download those to my computer. A Google account provides 5 GB for free, and much more for a small fee. You could probably do the same thing with other types of cloud storage, such as Dropbox.
Arlen, My problem came up when my cousin who has an iPhone visited.  I couldn't figure how to see it from my Windows desktop using a Lightning cable.  What am I doing wrong?
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Arlen on September 17, 2021, 04:48:11 pm
I tried that with an iPhone Lightning cabled to my Windows desktop but could not see or find the iPhone.

Did you check for a message on your iphone when you connected it to the computer? You have to respond to a security query before the iphone will let anything be transferred to the computer.
edit:  Or even allow anything on the phone to be visible on the computer.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 04:50:59 pm
Thanks for your research.  I was hoping to get forum member's ideas and opinions of the best methods they've tried.
The best... subjective. Best would be to get a Mac and an iPhone to automatically do all this for you.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 04:55:13 pm
I couldn't figure how to see it from my Windows desktop using a Lightning cable.  What am I doing wrong?
What you did wrong is not use (again) the Google Machine which answers the question with the very first hit!
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/import-photos-and-videos-from-an-iphone-to-pc-2e4e4db4-4c3d-041c-b88f-3ee4358dd95e
What you're doing wrong is not asking the question correctly!
So on top of fact checking, it's a bigger job just answering questions you should be able to find on your own.  :'(
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 05:06:29 pm
Did you check for a message on your iphone when you connected it to the computer? You have to respond to a security query before the iphone will let anything be transferred to the computer.
edit:  Or even allow anything on the phone to be visible on the computer.
No.  I didn't see a security query.  But my cousin did unlock her iPhone.  I'll have to try that with my wife's phone. 

In the meanwhile I downloaded the videos to hightail.com.  My cousin has access to that app at work.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 05:10:10 pm
There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.” -Warren Buffett
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 05:10:28 pm
What you did wrong is not use (again) the Google Machine which answers the question with the very first hit!
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/import-photos-and-videos-from-an-iphone-to-pc-2e4e4db4-4c3d-041c-b88f-3ee4358dd95e
What you're doing wrong is not asking the question correctly!
So on top of fact checking, it's a bigger job just answering questions you should be able to find on your own.  :'(
I'll have to try that.  Thanks.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 05:11:21 pm
I'll have to try that.
Promise?  ;)
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: nirpat89 on September 17, 2021, 06:34:55 pm
You can use Photos app of Windows.  It will download and sync your iPhone.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 07:31:38 pm
You can use Photos app of Windows.  It will download and sync your iPhone.
Can I select which photos I can transfer?  Will it transfer video using the photo app or do I switch to the video app? 
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 07:36:50 pm
Can I select which photos I can transfer?  Will it transfer video using the photo app or do I switch to the video app?
Are you serious?
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 08:01:06 pm
Are you serious?

His answer was it will "sync the iPhone".  In the past, my experience with Apple was iTunes synced everything in the music or photo album.  I was concerned that would happen. So I asked whether you can select just the files you wanted to be synced. If you don't have the answer, maybe Mr. Patel does.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 08:19:09 pm
His answer was it will "sync the iPhone". 
Yes, what about syncing photo's is mysterious to you?
You asked: Can I select which photos I can transfer? Are you really unable to find such a simple (and obvious) answer? After promising that you'd try to do some work and research this horribly difficult topic?
Quote
In the past, my experience with Apple was iTunes synced everything in the music or photo album.
Because you don't know how to use iTunes. Can you select music to transfer? Yes.
Quote
I was concerned that would happen.
I'm concerned this is all way too difficult for you to do.
Quote
If you don't have the answer, maybe Mr. Patel does.
I can. Mr Patel can. Can you figure out how ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Did you try 'the Google machine'?
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on September 17, 2021, 08:58:31 pm
Yes, what about syncing photo's is mysterious to you?
You asked: Can I select which photos I can transfer? Are you really unable to find such a simple (and obvious) answer? After promising that you'd try to do some work and research this horribly difficult topic? Because you don't know how to use iTunes. Can you select music to transfer? Yes. I'm concerned this is all way too difficult for you to do. I can. Mr Patel can. Can you figure out how ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Did you try 'the Google machine'?

Thanks for being so helpful.  I don;t know what I'd do without you. 
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on September 17, 2021, 09:20:43 pm
Thanks for being so helpful.  I don;t know what I'd do without you.
You'd post even more mistakes like....Punctuation....  :'(
Oh and consider googling Play Lists.

This topic is a LOT less difficult than opining about the US Government (https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=136697.msg1224287#msg1224287) or the design of submarines (https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=136697.msg1224241#msg1224241). Or even the basics of print resolution (https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=136760.msg1194660#msg1194660).
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: LeonardMartin on October 14, 2021, 06:45:35 am
Install iTunes on your windows device and then connect your iPhone to the devices via the charger. Synchronize all the data, and then you will be able to transfer all the data from your iPhone to your windows device and vice versa. Lately, I ran into an obstacle when a friend of mine asked me to send him a screen recording from my phone. I know how to do it, and I decided to search on the internet. After some time, I was able to find a website that had all the info I needed This guide (https://backlightblog.com/screen-capture-iphone) helped me out, and eventually, I was able to screen record my phone. If you have a similar issue then you should definitely check this guide.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: kers on October 14, 2021, 08:13:10 am
I am on a mac and also have always some trouble downloading my photos; at some point I did somethong wrong ( disconnected at the wrong time) and lost all my iphone photos;
aargh!
Would never have happened if it was just seen a a regular hard drive with a photos map... and never happened to me before in 15 years of digital photography...

Really hate iTunes and Apple at these moments...
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on October 14, 2021, 09:37:50 am
Install iTunes on your windows device and then connect your iPhone to the devices via the charger. Synchronize all the data, and then you will be able to transfer all the data from your iPhone to your windows device and vice versa. Lately, I ran into an obstacle when a friend of mine asked me to send him a screen recording from my phone. I know how to do it, and I decided to search on the internet. After some time, I was able to find a website that had all the info I needed This guide (https://backlightblog.com/screen-capture-iphone) helped me out, and eventually, I was able to screen record my phone. If you have a similar issue then you should definitely check this guide.
I am on a mac and also have always some trouble downloading my photos; at some point I did somethong wrong ( disconnected at the wrong time) and lost all my iphone photos;
aargh!
Would never have happened if it was just seen a a regular hard drive with a photos map... and never happened to me before in 15 years of digital photography...

Really hate iTunes and Apple at these moments...

Thanks for the advice about iTunes.  This is the situation.  I use an Android (Samsung) cellphone and Windows desktop.  My wife uses iPhone and mac desktop.  When she takes pictures and I want a couple, I just want to connect her iPhone to my desktop and simply transfer selected photos.  Can't do it or I'm not doing it right.

I once had iTunes on my Windows desktop.  But it was too much trouble.  It kept trying to take control of my photos and music on my desktop.  So I uninstalled it.  So I can't use it to transfer photos from her iPhone.  I don't know why Apple just doesn't let you see the iPhone as another data device like a memory card connected to a USB port,  so you can simply select files to transfer?  That's how I do with my Samsung cellphone operating on Android.  A simple task.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on October 14, 2021, 09:41:35 am
Just thought of another possibility.  Is there a way to use Lightroom (owned licensed V.6.) or Adobe Elements to transfer pictures from the iPhone? I wouldn't want to transfer all of them, only selected ones.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: digitaldog on October 14, 2021, 10:19:56 am
Just thought of another possibility.  Is there a way to use Lightroom (owned licensed V.6.) or Adobe Elements to transfer pictures from the iPhone? I wouldn't want to transfer all of them, only selected ones.
As you were told and didn't yet investigate or understood: YES!
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: fike on January 15, 2022, 07:46:41 am
I’ll try to give you a couple of ideas of how I like to solve this problem. I’ve tried to find more user-friendly ways to do this than plugging in and downloading. In general, it can be annoying when you are trying to move between IOS and Windows because Apple wants to keep you in their iCloud. I have also found the iTunes program to be getting very difficult to work with. I think they update it every month. To avoid iTunes, there are some third-party programs that enable you to see into iPhone folders from a PC.

The first thing I did was use an app called PhotoSync. It uses geofencing to auto-magically upload your most recent photos onto a networked drive like a NAS. For me this was my drobo or asustor. I used this until it got flaky and I would notice it hadn’t uploaded for a few weeks and needed to be restarted on my phone. I would have kept using it, but didn’t feel like troubleshooting the problems.

Then I moved to a similar app called DroboPix. As you can tell, this is specific to the drobo platform. I think most of the NAS providers have similar programs. Of course these don’t help you if you aren’t running a NAS. (Of course everyone should be running a NAS ;-) )

Also, if you have a NAS or are familiar with networking your PC, you can use the FileBrowser app to select and move images directly. It isn’t the most user friendly, but it does work.

These days I have started using OneDrive, but I have discovered that it can be used smarter. By configuring OneDrive correctly, I can actually send photos directly from my phone into a photo folder on my PC. What I do is go into my album, select the photo or photos, and then send-to OneDrive(just like I would if I were texting it). From there I can select any OneDrive mapped folder to drop the images. I like this best of all the choices I have used so far because I can curate the pics I move over. On my mobile device I take a lot of junk photos (like shots of the SKU of a lightbulb I need from the hardware store.) I don’t really want to upload those. I would imagine you could do the same thing with Dropbox or google docs. I think the key for me was to map the folders so that I can drop the photo directly into the correct folder on my computer. As you might imagine, it doesn’t go there immediately. It is going into the cloud so that it will be actually downloaded the next time I turn my PC back on.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on January 15, 2022, 09:12:20 am
Marc Thanks for that.  It seems like too much for my needs.  What I have to do once in a while, is transfer some pictures from my wife's iPhone into my Dell desktop that's running Windows 10. (I use Android cellphone).  iTunes sometimes popped up on my machine.  That become a pain so I deleted that app in my desktop. 

So now all I want to do is plug in her phone, check off the pictures I want, and copy them to the desktop.  Nothing fancy,  Not on a scheduled basis. Just once in a while. 

Which do you think is the simplest way?  I have Lightroom 6 perpetual licensed, PS Elements 2021, Ifranview, and of course, the provided standard Windows10  programs. Thanks.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: fike on January 15, 2022, 01:38:09 pm
The most elegant method I have found is through Microsoft OneDrive.

1. You install it on your PC and it becomes a folder in your windows explorer.

2. You install the OneDrive app on your mobile device.

3. From the app on the mobile device, you send it to the OneDrive. Seconds later you can look in your OneDrive folder on the PC, and the files will be there. One caveat is that your PC needs to be on the internet for it to work, and you need a onedrive account. They have a free introductory account for anyone who keeps windows or office on their computer.

I have configured my OneDrive so that I can drop images directly from my phone onto my PC desktop. Works in seconds. No muss. No fuss. No cables! ...and no freakin' iTunes!
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on January 15, 2022, 03:26:47 pm
The most elegant method I have found is through Microsoft OneDrive.

1. You install it on your PC and it becomes a folder in your windows explorer.

2. You install the OneDrive app on your mobile device.

3. From the app on the mobile device, you send it to the OneDrive. Seconds later you can look in your OneDrive folder on the PC, and the files will be there. One caveat is that your PC needs to be on the internet for it to work, and you need a onedrive account. They have a free introductory account for anyone who keeps windows or office on their computer.

I have configured my OneDrive so that I can drop images directly from my phone onto my PC desktop. Works in seconds. No muss. No fuss. No cables! ...and no freakin' iTunes!
Thanks for the info.  I'll check into it. 

Is there a way like plugging the iphone into the computer using a Lightning cable to USB jack.  Then finding the photo folder in the iphone and copying the pictures you want to the Windows desktop.  Why do they make the process so complicated to do something so simple?  It seems in their effort to get you into the cloud or sell you Apple equipment or itunes, they just refuse to let their customers do it for themselves.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: fike on January 15, 2022, 03:32:48 pm
Thanks for the info.  I'll check into it. 

Is there a way like plugging the iphone into the computer using a Lightning cable to USB jack.  Then finding the photo folder in the iphone and copying the pictures you want to the Windows desktop.  ...

ifunbox

https://www.i-funbox.com/en/index.html
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on January 15, 2022, 04:02:46 pm
ifunbox

https://www.i-funbox.com/en/index.html
Is that app for the iPhone or my desktop.  rRmember I'm operating a Windows desktop, not Apple, and can't load Apple apps into my desktop. 
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: fike on January 16, 2022, 09:12:08 am
it's only on your windows pc.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: Alan Klein on January 16, 2022, 09:33:09 am
OK Thanks.
Title: Re: Transfer iPhone pictures and videos into Windows computers and vice versa
Post by: LesPalenik on March 25, 2022, 12:02:40 am
Thanks for the info.  I'll check into it. 

Is there a way like plugging the iphone into the computer using a Lightning cable to USB jack.  Then finding the photo folder in the iphone and copying the pictures you want to the Windows desktop.  Why do they make the process so complicated to do something so simple?  It seems in their effort to get you into the cloud or sell you Apple equipment or itunes, they just refuse to let their customers do it for themselves.

Alan,

It's all extremely simple. You need to connect iPhone or Android phone through USB cable to your PC, start File Browser and you'll see your phone in that program.
Navigate to your picture folder, select the pictures you want to transfer and move them with your mouse to another instance of the File Browser on your PC (or to your desktop).
 
I have connected both iPhone and Android (Samsung) simultaneously to the PC and can see pictures from both phones on my PC. No special app needed.