Best way to transfer photos from iOS to a PC?
October 31, 2014 9:41 AM Subscribe
I'm trying to help my parents transfer their photos from their iPhones & iPads to their PC, which runs Windows 8. I want the photos to be transferred and then deleted from their devices (each device has a few thousand photos, so manual deletion is not a realistic option). If this is your setup, what's the best solution you have found?
I've been using the built in Windows photo library software but we can change to something else if it's a better option. Note: they don't want to pay for cloud storage.
I've been using the built in Windows photo library software but we can change to something else if it's a better option. Note: they don't want to pay for cloud storage.
Is there a reason you're not interested in using the current setup?
posted by humboldt32 at 9:51 AM on October 31, 2014
posted by humboldt32 at 9:51 AM on October 31, 2014
My android phone can be connected to my PC via USB and it looks like external storage, just like a thumb drive. If I open the directory DCIM there's another directory which contains all the pictures in the phone.
I can mark them all, and right-click-drag them to my PC HD and choose "move", and it copies them to my PC and then deletes them off the phone.
I would bet you can do something similar with an iPhone. You might have to hunt around for the directory everything is stored in, however.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:53 AM on October 31, 2014
I can mark them all, and right-click-drag them to my PC HD and choose "move", and it copies them to my PC and then deletes them off the phone.
I would bet you can do something similar with an iPhone. You might have to hunt around for the directory everything is stored in, however.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:53 AM on October 31, 2014
Cut and paste from Windows Explorer is how I do it. Plug the device in and it shows up like a drive. Open it in explorer, open the only folder that is there "DCIM". There will be folders in there with random strings for names. Inside each one is up to 1000 photos. Cut and paste into a folder on the PC and they will be removed from the phone.
Do you want to do this once, a few times a year, or every time they plug the device in?
posted by soelo at 9:53 AM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Do you want to do this once, a few times a year, or every time they plug the device in?
posted by soelo at 9:53 AM on October 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Is there a reason you're not interested in using the current setup?
The current setup doesn't delete the photos.
Do you want to do this once, a few times a year, or every time they plug the device in?
Maybe once a quarter? So with your method, they'd have to use the traditional desktop, not the tiles?
posted by acidic at 10:31 AM on October 31, 2014
The current setup doesn't delete the photos.
Do you want to do this once, a few times a year, or every time they plug the device in?
Maybe once a quarter? So with your method, they'd have to use the traditional desktop, not the tiles?
posted by acidic at 10:31 AM on October 31, 2014
Yes, if there is no good version of Windows Explorer available in the tiles. Microsoft has a file manager called Files that might work in the same way.
posted by soelo at 10:38 AM on October 31, 2014
posted by soelo at 10:38 AM on October 31, 2014
I do this with Dropbox. Every time I open the app on my phone it automatically backs up my photos to the cloud (to which my desktop is connected). I can delete the photos manually afterward
I believe Google Drive has a similar feature
I use the free Dropbox and Google Drive accounts
posted by I am the Walrus at 11:21 AM on October 31, 2014
I believe Google Drive has a similar feature
I use the free Dropbox and Google Drive accounts
posted by I am the Walrus at 11:21 AM on October 31, 2014
Response by poster: I can delete the photos manually afterward
Yes but, you have to do that one at a time right? Every time they come home from vacation they have thousands of photos and they don't have time to delete those one by one.
posted by acidic at 12:11 PM on October 31, 2014
Yes but, you have to do that one at a time right? Every time they come home from vacation they have thousands of photos and they don't have time to delete those one by one.
posted by acidic at 12:11 PM on October 31, 2014
I open my iphone just like a thumb drive on my PC and then open the photo files and simply select all, then cut (cntrl X) and paste (Cntrl V) onto my PC. Voila! Easy peasy!
posted by thegoldfish at 3:54 PM on October 31, 2014
posted by thegoldfish at 3:54 PM on October 31, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by devnull at 9:43 AM on October 31, 2014