Will transferring photos delete them from my phone?

No. Copying photos to a computer only makes a second copy. Your originals stay safely on the phone until you decide to delete them yourself.

Do I need special software to do this?

No. Windows and Mac can both import photos from a phone with a simple USB cable and the tools that come built into the computer. You do not need iTunes, a Samsung app, or any extra downloads.

What if I have years of photos and I am worried about losing them?

This is exactly the kind of job we handle during a home visit. We can back up every photo on your phone to your computer and also to the cloud, so nothing is ever lost, and we explain it all as we go.

Help Guides

How do I transfer photos from my phone to my computer?

This should be simple and it usually is, but the exact steps depend on what phone and what computer you have. Find your combination below.

Quick Answer

The simplest way is to plug your phone into your computer with its charging cable. When the phone asks "Allow access?" or "Trust this computer?", tap Yes. The computer will then treat the phone like a memory stick and let you copy the photos across. The exact steps depend on your phone and computer brand.

Worried about losing photos you cannot replace? We will not. We do this during home visits across Durham Region all the time. Give us a call.

Pick your combination

Find the card below that matches your phone and your computer. Each one covers exactly what to do for that combination, without the fluff.

iPhone to Windows PC
Plug your iPhone into the PC with its charging cable. Unlock the phone and tap "Trust this computer" when it asks. On Windows, open the Photos app (search for "Photos" in the Start menu), click Import at the top right, and choose "From a connected device". Windows shows the photos on your phone and lets you pick which ones to copy. You can also just open File Explorer, find the phone under "This PC", and copy and paste photos the same way you would from a USB stick.
iPhone to Mac
Plug your iPhone into the Mac with its charging cable. Tap "Trust" on the phone if asked. Open the Photos app on the Mac. Your iPhone should appear in the sidebar on the left under "Devices". Click it, tick the photos you want, and click "Import Selected" (or "Import All New Items" to grab anything you have not copied before). AirDrop also works well over Wi-Fi if you prefer not to use a cable.
Android to Windows PC
Plug the phone in with its USB cable. On the phone, swipe down from the top and tap the "Charging this device via USB" notification. Change it from "Charging only" to "File transfer" or "Transfer files". The phone will then appear in File Explorer on your PC like a memory stick. Open it, navigate to DCIM, Camera, and copy the photos to wherever you want them. The Photos app on Windows will also offer to import them for you.
Android to Mac
This one is a little more involved. Macs do not read Android phones out of the box. You need a free Google app called Android File Transfer, which you download once and keep on the Mac. Once installed, plug the phone in, set it to "File transfer" on the phone, and Android File Transfer opens automatically so you can drag the photos across. If you would rather avoid downloading software, using Google Photos in a web browser is often simpler.
Using the cloud instead of a cable
If you already back up your photos to iCloud (iPhone) or Google Photos (Android), they are already "in the cloud" and you can view them on any computer just by signing in to icloud.com or photos.google.com. From there you can download any photo you want. Our guide to the cloud explains how this works in clear terms.
Transferring a lot at once
If you have thousands of photos built up over years, a one-off transfer can take an hour or more and it is easy to get halfway and give up. This is something we handle as part of a visit. We back up everything properly, double check nothing is missing, and also set up automatic backups so you never have to do it again. Our photo backup guide covers the ongoing side.

Want us to handle it?

We transfer phone photos to computers and to the cloud during visits across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa. Nothing rushed, nothing lost.

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What to do after the transfer

Do not delete anything from the phone until you have actually opened a few of the transferred photos on the computer to make sure they worked. Transfers can occasionally miss a batch, and checking takes thirty seconds. Once you are sure they are safely on the computer, you can then decide whether to delete them from the phone to free up space. Our phone storage guide walks through that.

When to call us instead

Call us if you have photos going back years that you really do not want to lose, if the phone will not connect to the computer no matter what you try, or if you would just rather have someone show you once so you can do it yourself next time. That last one is what our tech tutoring visits are for, and it is a popular one.

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We safely move your photos from phone to computer and set up proper backups during a visit. Honest pricing, no lectures.

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FAQ

Common questions about moving photos

Will transferring photos delete them from my phone?: No. Copying photos to a computer only makes a second copy. Your originals stay safely on the phone until you decide to delete them yourself.
Do I need special software to do this?: No. Windows and Mac can both import photos from a phone with a simple USB cable and the tools that come built into the computer. You do not need iTunes, a Samsung app, or any extra downloads.
What if I have years of photos and I am worried about losing them?: This is exactly the kind of job we handle during a home visit. We can back up every photo on your phone to your computer and also to the cloud, so nothing is ever lost, and we explain it all as we go.