How to Transfer Photos from Phone to Computer

Get the Google Drive app. You can also use other options like DropBox or Box. Either option works, the steps are pretty much the same. However, before proceeding with this method, you need to make sure that your smartphone is compatible with the Google Drive app, and then download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store. ^[2]

Allow the app to access the photo. Once the download is complete, you must allow the app to access your photo library by going to “Settings” and selecting “Privacy” under the “Photos” heading. Then just turn Google Drive to the “On” position.

Select “Add”. Then you click “Upload” and select the photo. For iPhone users, click “Done” and you’re done. ^[3]

Wait a moment for the photo to upload. This process may take several minutes depending on the file size.

Access photos by signing in to Google Drive. You can do this on any internet-connected device by logging into your Gmail Account and selecting the square icon in the upper right corner.

Take out the memory card. If your phone is not compatible when connected via a USB cable, it is likely using a memory card. Refer to the user manual to learn how to safely remove the memory card.

Insert the memory card into the computer. Wait a moment for the computer to read the memory card. Then the copying process is similar to the USB cable method. However, if the computer does not have a memory card slot, you can buy a memory card reader at any computer store for a relatively inexpensive price.

Select “Import”. You will be asked if you want to import all your files and images to your computer, or choose from photos stored on your phone. The process on Windows and Mac devices is relatively similar.

Select photo. Copying may take several minutes depending on the number of images.

Enjoy your moment. These photos are usually located in the Photos app on a Windows computer or iPhoto on a Mac computer, unless you choose to save them somewhere else specifically.

Send yourself an email that includes a photo to yourself. One of the simplest ways to transfer photos to your computer is to attach them in a smartphone email and send it to yourself. Although the process is quite easy, this method only works when you are uploading one or two photos, if you send a large photo album there is a possibility of errors.

Attach photos. Create an email on your phone and attach the file you want to send.

Email yourself. You can send this email to the same email address you’re sending from, or to any other email account you control. After the email is sent, go to your computer’s inbox. Here you will be able to download photos.

Turn on Bluetooth. Nearly every smartphone released from 2007 onwards has Bluetooth, all you need to do is turn on this feature. Go to the Settings app and swipe the Bluetooth switch to the “On” or “Enabled” position. If you’re not sure if your device has bluetooth, it’s a good idea to go through the user manual. ^[4]

Select the Bluetooth icon on the computer. The option is usually in the upper-right corner on Mac computers, or the lower-right corner on Windows computers. Bluetooth is a long-established connection standard, so almost any Bluetooth enabled device can connect to each other.

Connect to the phone. Your mobile phone will show up in the list of available devices on the Bluetooth File Transfer window. If not, you need to double check that you have Bluetooth turned on. If you are still having connection problems, try bringing your phone close to the computer to make sure the two devices can detect each other. If it still doesn’t fix it, you need to check for an update or other issues on your device.

Select “Send File” on your computer. The option is in the drop-down menu that appears when you select your phone.

Select photo. After selecting the device, find the photo you want to copy and select “Next”. Your photos will be copied to your computer, which may take a few minutes.