Easy ways to transfer your photos from laptop to iPhone

Save backups of your iPhone photos on a laptop and would like to move some important pics back on your phone? These 4 quick solutions can help you out!

iPhone devices always take great photos these days. And we usually save our important iPhone photos on a laptop for a backup considering that computer is a more secure place with a larger storage. But what to do when we need those pictures back on our iPhone?

Actually, transferring photos from laptop to iPhone could be very easy only if you've picked a right way. However, with quite a few apps available in data transfer, it is easy to get confused in selecting which one to import the photos on your laptop. So in this article, we will discuss the best 4 apps among which will transfer your photos from laptop to iPhone painlessly.

Four solutions on how to add photos from Windows or macOS laptop to iPhone.

Sync pictures from laptop to iPhone with iTunes or Finder

Aside from being an excellent way for iPhone users to enjoy music, movies and more, the latest version of iTunes also helps you sync the content on your laptop with your iPhone. It definitely builds a strong connection between your laptop and iOS devices. You can import your videos, photos or other files from laptop to iPhone.

Note: For Windows PC and Mac running macOS 10.14 and the earlier, you can import photos with iTunes. For Mac running macOS 10.15 and the later, you can go for Finder.

Sync photos from laptop to iPhone with iTunes:

1. Run iTunes on your laptop and connect your iPhone via a USB cable.

2. Click on the phone icon showing 'Device'. If you can't find the phone icon at the option bar, you will have to toggle off the iCloud Photos on your iPhone and re-connect it.

3. Select the 'Photos' option from the left menu.

4. Now tick the box showing 'Sync Photos'. And select the photos that you want to copy to your iPhone by clicking on the option 'Copy Photos From'. You can pick either photos or picture folders as you wish.

5. Click on the 'Apply' option at the bottom of the window, which will start syncing the selected photos to your iPhone immediately.

Click 'Apply' button to sync your photos or picture folders from laptop to iPhone with iTunes.

After waiting for a while, your precious photos will be copied to your iPhone from the laptop. You can now visit the Photos Library on your iPhone and check the items that you have synced.

Import photos or picture folders using Finder:

1. Connect your iPhone and run Finder on your laptop.

2. Select your iOS device from the left sidebar.

3. Click 'Photos' from the option bar at the top. (Make sure you've turned off iCloud Photos on your iPhone, or you won't be able to see the photo syncing options on your Mac.)

4. Click 'Sync Photos to your device from' button. Then select photos or picture folders from the option menu it offers you. You can choose either 'All photos and albums' or just pick the 'Selected albums' as you want.

5. Click 'Apply' button to start the syncing process if everything gets ready.

Import photos or picture folders from macOS laptop to your iPhone using the built-in feature Finder.

Make sure the syncing process is totally finished before disconnecting your iPhone. Once done, you can check the synced pics without efforts in the Photo Library on your iPhone.

Move photos from your laptop to iPhone via iPhone Data Transfer

The second method on the list is one of the best and most reliable transfer apps of the time: iPhone Data Transfer, which is a light software that enables you to import all your desired pictures from your laptop to iPhone directly and quickly. Moreover, it also offers you the options to manage your iPhone Photo Library or delete certain contents before you start the transferring process.

With this cross-platform tool, your media files of any type like photos, music, videos, contacts and much more can be easily transferred from your laptop to the target device or vice versa. Once it's installed on your computer, you can share your photos and other files without the help of the Internet or your mobile data.

Step 1: Launch iPhone Data Transfer and get your iPhone connected.

A suitable USB cable is required for ensuring that your iPhone is well-connected. Once done, enter your iPhone screen passcode, letting your iPhone trust the laptop you're using.

The phone icon at the home page means your iOS device got connected successfully.

Step 2: Access your iPhone photos by clicking 'Photos' from the left menu.

Click 'Photos' from left sidebar, then all the photos on your iPhone will display at the window. You can delete the unwanted ones and manage your albums before the transfer.

View the Camera Roll and Photo Library on your iPhone.

Step 3: Click '+' button and select your desired photos from your laptop.

Hit the '+' button at the top option bar. It will lead you to a sub-window, letting you select the pictures you want from your laptop. You can choose 'Add Files' to select multiple images or 'Add Folder' option for entire picture folders.

Add photos or picture folders from your laptop to iPhone by clicking the 'Add' icon.

Remember not to unplug your iPhone before the transferring process is completed. Instead of iTunes, consider using this reliable and user-friendly software to manage and transfer your photos from laptop to iPhone efficiently.

Put photos to your iPhone from laptop using iCloud

Other than transferring photos with a wired connection, you also have the options to sync your photos from laptop to iPhone wirelessly. As a cloud storage service from Apple, iCloud helps you backup your data and also update it automatically across all the devices that you're using the same Apple account.

Before you start:

Firstly, enabled 'iCloud Photos' on your iPhone: Access 'Setting' > Your iPhone's name > 'iCloud' > 'Photos' > toggle on 'iCloud Photos'.

Enable 'iCloud Photos' to sync your photos automatically.

Next, ensure the required iCloud storage. iCloud offers 5 GB free cloud storage for each Apple account. If you have photos more than 5 GB, you may want to upgrade to a paid service 'iCloud +'.

Then, on your laptop, make a folder and drag and drop your desired photos to it, which makes it easier for your following transfer.

Add photos from your laptop to your iPhone:

1. On your laptop, open a browser and go to iCloud.

2. Sign in with your Apple account and choose 'Photos'.

3. Click 'Photos' from the left side. You can view all your iPhone photos from here.

4. Click the upload button at the top option bar. And choose your desired pictures from the folder you just created on your laptop.

Upload selected pictures from your laptop and sync them to your iPhone through iCloud Photos.

5. On your iPhone, access your Photo Library and you can easily find the synced images.

Share photos by AirDrop

If you're using a macOS laptop, then another quick method for you to share photos is to use the build-in feature, AirDrop. Actually, it could be your top option if you only have a few pics to share. To get your photos from your macOS laptop to iPhone successfully, make sure that your Apple devices are both within Bluetooth and WiFi range while using AirDrop.

Now, follow the preparations before the process starts:

Set the AirDrop on your iPhone to receive files from 'Everyone'. Make sure both of your iPhone and macOS laptop are within 30 feet of each other and do as the following:

• Open 'Photos' on your Mac.
• Select the pictures you want to keep copies to your iPhone Photos.
• Click the 'Share' button and choose 'AirDrop' option.
• Choose the target iPhone when a window shows up telling you about the nearby AirDrop users.

Once done, the selected pics will be sent to your iPhone in a second. You can check the imported photos in the Photos app of your iPhone. If you can't see the other AirDrop user on your Mac, try to turn off the 'Personal Hotspot' first and do the photo transfer again.

Make photo transfer easier for you

At times, you may want to move some of your precious pictures from your laptop to your iPhone. And in this post, we have discussed 4 fast and efficient methods that you can follow to import your photos from laptop to iPhone by selecting specific photos or picking the whole picture folders. Each of the method mentioned in the list has its offerings. Feel free to choose your favorite one and give it a try!