How to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad - 5 Easiest ways
Concerned about your iPhone's storage being overwhelmed by photos? Looking to transfer iPhone photos to iPad to free up some storage space? Here's a guide to help you.
Jasmin Woods Updated on Mar 18, 2024 3:33 PM
In today's digital age, iPhone often serve as our primary devices for capturing precious moments through photos. However, with limited storage space, sometimes you might want to transfer photos from your iPhone to iPad to free up more space for new experiences.
To optimize iPhone storage, transfer photos to iPad wirelessly or using a cable.
Whether you're seeking to free up space on your iPhone or simply want seamless access to your photo library on both devices, transferring photos from iPhone to iPad can be a game-changer.
In this guide, we'll walk you through various hassle-free methods to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad, whether wirelessly or using a cable. Additionally, software like iPhone Data Transfer can help you seamlessly move your photos and videos between your iPhone and iPad/computer, ensuring smooth cross-platform management of your photo library.
If you're ready, take a closer look at how to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad:
How to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad via AirDrop
The simplest way to transfer photos between two Apple devices is using AirDrop, facilitating wireless photo transfer from iPhone to iPad. As a default feature on iOS, AirDrop enables instant sharing of photos, videos, documents, and other files with nearby Apple devices.
To use AirDrop to transfer pictures from iPhone to iPad, ensure that both devices have AirDrop enabled and are within Bluetooth and Wi-Fi range. Here are the steps for wirelessly transferring photos from iPhone to iPad using AirDrop:
Step 1. Turn on AirDrop on both iPhone and iPad.
Access the Control Center on your iPhone and iPad, press firmly the network settings card, then touch and hold the AirDrop button to set it to Everyone.
Step 2. Select the photos you want to transfer from iPhone to iPad.
Open the Photos app on your iPhone, tap Select from the top-right corner to choose which photos you want to transfer to your iPad.
Step 3. Share iPhone photos to iPad.
Tap the Share button and choose AirDrop; from the appearing devices, tap your iPad.
Step 4. Accept AirDrop photos on iPad.
Tap Accept when you see the sharing message on your iPad screen. You can then view the shared pictures on iPad Photos whenever you want. It's also a good way to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud.
How to sync photos from iPhone to iPad with iCloud
iCloud has made it easier to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad automatically over the internet. When you have iCloud Photos enabled, all the photos on your iPhone are synced and kept up to date across all your Apple devices linked to the same Apple ID, including Camera Roll, video recordings, Live Photos, screenshots and other saved pictures.
To wirelessly transfer all photos from iPhone to iPad using iCloud, ensure both devices are signed in with the same Apple ID, have iCloud Photos turned on, and are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
1. On both your iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos.
2. Toggle on Sync this iPhone. Wait for iCloud to upload all photos on the iPhone.
iCloud automatically transfers photos between iPhone and iPad.
3. On your iPad, head to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud and turn on Sync this iPad.
TIP: You may choose Download and Keep Originals to transfer iPhone photos to iPad in full resolution, or select Optimize iPhone Storage to save storage space.
4. It will automatically download iPhone photos to iPad. Every picture in your iPhone Photo Library is now accessible on your iPad.
The photos stored in iCloud also provide the capability to retrieve deleted iPhone photos.
Note: Although iCloud automatically syncs all photos across iPhone and iPad wirelessly, it offers only 5 GB of free cloud storage. If you have a large photo collection, consider upgrading to iCloud + for additional cloud storage capacity or using the next iPhone photo transfer tool.
Transfer photos from iPhone to iPad without iCloud via iPhone Data Transfer
iCloud Photos doesn't offer unlimited free cloud storage space and will only sync the entire photo library, so you may want an alternative solution allowing selective photo transfer from iPhone to iPad. iPhone Data Transfer emerges as a viable option, particularly when dealing with the extensive photo collections.
Its efficient photo transfer capability permits selective transfer of photos between your iPhone and iPad / computer, or vice versa. Additionally, it facilitates one-click transfer to migrate all photos from or to your iPhone/iPad, effectively freeing up storage space on both.
Overall, it serves as a useful tool for transferring photos between iPhone and iPad, as well as aiding in the transfer of music, videos, and other media files. Below are the steps on how to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad without iCloud or iTunes:
Step 1: Open iPhone Data Transfer
Download, install and double-click to open up iPhone Data Transfer on your Mac or PC; then connect both your iPhone and iPad using suitable USB cable.
If asked, enter your passcode and trust this computer, so the software can detect the devices. Make sure to choose the source iPhone from the drop-down menu at the top of the window.
Step 2: Choose iPhone photos to transfer
Navigate to Photos tab on the left sidebar, now you can access and preview all your iPhone photos and videos. Select the pictures you want to transfer to iPad, or simply select Check All.
Step 3: Transfer pictures from iPhone to iPad
After selection, click the Export to Device icon at the top toolbar and choose your iPad from the list. This will transfer all selected photos from your iPhone to iPad in seconds.
Once done, your iPhone photos will be successfully transferred to iPad without using iCloud. Feel free to view them in Photos app on your iPad.
In addition, if you want to move all your iPhone photos to iPad, keep both iDevices connected, and use the one-click transfer mode by clicking Phone to Phone button from its home screen.
Tick the Photos box from the selection menu, and hit Start button to transfer all photos from iPhone to iPad. That's it!
How to sync pictures from iPhone to iPad with iTunes
iTunes is always the go-to software when it comes to syncing photos between computer and mobile phones. Now that iTunes has been replaced in macOS Catalina, you can use Finder to sync your photos, music and other files. No matter which application you use to transfer iPhone pictures to iPad, the process is uncomplicated—if you follow the right steps.
Note:
- Using iTunes to sync photos will erase all photos on your target device—the iPad, and replace them with photos from your iTunes library.
- You can only transfer the photos from iPhone's Camera Roll to iPad.
Step 1: Import the photos on iPhone to your computer
Connect your iPhone to your computer. Tap on Trust and type in the passcode on your iPhone if necessary. Once the computer has been trusted, the Photos app will run on the computer automatically, if not, open it by yourself.
Windows users: click on Import button in the upper-right corner to let all the photos display on the screen of your computer. Check the photos you want to transfer in the Import Item window. Select a folder that you want to save the items to in the upper-left corner. Then hit on Import X of X items to begin the process of importing.
Mac users: click on your iPhone's name from the list of devices. All the pictures from your iPhone will be displayed in front of you. Choose a folder to import your pictures to. Then click Import X Selected or Import All New Photos to import the photos you want.
Step 2: Sync iPhone photos to your iPad
Unplug your iPhone and connect your iPad to your computer. Double-click on the iTunes icon to launch it. Click on the button that looks like a phone in the upper left corner of the main screen and choose your iPad. You can see the information of your iPad. Then click on the Photos button in the list of Settings in the sidebar.
Now we are going to sync iPhone photos to your iPad: check Sync Photos option, followed by clicking on the Apply button.
How to move iPhone photos to iPad by Photo Stream
Apple's Photo Stream also makes things easy when it comes to transferring pictures from iPhone to iPad. This feature allows you to automatically upload your most recent photos so that you can transfer them to iPad. You can open it with a simple swipe, then wait for your recent photos to sync to Photo Stream.
Note:
- Photo Stream can't upload Live Photos.
- Photos are only saved in Photo Stream for 30 days.
Here is how to transfer pictures from iPhone to iPad via Photo Stream:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Enter the homepage of your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
3. Go to iCloud > Photos > My Photo Stream.
4. Tap on the slider next to My Photo Stream to turn it to green.
5. Do the same on your iPad.
FAQs on photo transfer from iPhone to iPad
1. Why can't I move photos from iPhone to iPad?
If you're utilizing AirDrop to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad, ensure that the AirDrop feature is enabled and position both devices within their Wi-Fi and Bluetooth range.
If you're relying on iCloud to sync iPhone photos to your iPad, verify that both your iPhone and iPad are logged in with the same Apple ID and connected to a stable network. Additionally, ensure that your iCloud account has sufficient cloud storage capacity for the photo transfer process.
If you encounter difficulties while attempting to share photos, consider using the iPhone Data Transfer method. This approach allows you to preview and transfer photos between your iPhone and iPad or vice versa, offering convenience and ease of use.
2. How do I transfer photos to iPad from iPhone automatically?
For automatic iPhone photo transfer to iPad, iCloud might be your best option:
- Keep your devices connected to a Wi-Fi network.
- Sign in to the same iCloud account on both your iPhone and iPad.
- Go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Photos.
- Turn on Sync this iPhone / iPad.
iCloud will automatically synchronize all your photos across all of your Apple devices via the internet. If you have a large collection of photo library, consider upgrading to iCloud+ to gain additional cloud storage space.
