Ways to Transfer Files Between iPhone and Mac

Ways to Transfer Files Between iPhone and Mac

Jeffrey Mendel
February 28, 2023

When you're in Apple's ecosystem, everything works quite nicely. Using iMessage on your iPhone and picking up where you left off on your Mac is a neat and helpful feature. But you might also wonder how it works with file sharing between an iPhone and a Mac. 

Well, everything is quite easy and straightforward if you need to copy photos from iPhone to Mac. So here are some of the ideas to get you started. Pick any option that works best for you and transfer files between Apple devices easily.

AirDrop

AirDrop is a convenient way to instantly transmit files between an iPhone and a Mac with no delays or issues. You can exchange files with a few clicks or taps once you've activated AirDrop on your Apple devices.

Sending Files From an iPhone to a Mac:

  1. Open the file you wish to share and tap the Share icon, which is a square with an arrow pointing up;
  2. If you see the Mac or AirDrop icon, tap it;
  3. Select your Mac from the following menu to initiate the file transfer.

Sending Files From the Mac to the iPhone:

  1. Right-click the file you wish to share and select “Share;”
  2. In the resulting menu, hover over “Share” and select “AirDrop.”
  3. To deliver the file, choose the recipient iPhone from the list;
  4. Click the “Done” button.

iCloud Storage

To utilize iCloud Drive, you must first install it on your iPhone or Mac. Once done, you can move further and start transferring files with no limitations:

Sending Files From an iPhone to a Mac:

  1. Open the file you wish to share and tap the Share icon, which is a square with an arrow pointing up;
  2. Scroll down and press the “Save to Files” button;
  3. In the new menu that opens, choose “iCloud Drive from the Locations” section. When sharing a file, the “Browse” menu displays, so you can freely choose “iCloud Drive;”
  4. In the top right corner, tap “Save;”
  5. On your Mac, navigate to iCloud Drive; your file should be there.

Sending Files From the Mac to the iPhone:

  1. Copy the file you wish to share into the iCloud Drive folder;
  2. Launch the Files app on your iPhone;
  3. In the bottom right corner of the screen, tap “Browse,” which is the file icon. Select the “Browse” option;
  4. From the list of possible options, choose “iCloud Drive.” Select by tapping the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner of the screen;
  5. Tap “Select” in the menu that displays after tapping the three-dot icon;
  6. Tap on the file to be transferred;
  7. In the bottom left corner, tap the “Share” button (the square icon with an arrow pointing up);
  8. Choose how you wish to transfer the file: “Save Image” if it is a picture, “Save the Movie” if it is a video, or pick another option if it is a different file type.

Google Docs

Google Drive is one of several cloud storage alternatives that you can use to move files between your iPhone and Mac, and it offers 15GB of free storage to all Google users. After you've set up Google Drive, you may upload files from your computer or mobile device. Then, on your Mac or iPhone, you may download a file or folder from Google Drive.

Email is a tried-and-true method for transmitting data across machines. Here's how to send files across devices using email.

Sending Files From the iPhone to the Mac:

  1. Open the file you wish to share and tap the “Share” icon, which is a square with an arrow pointing up;
  2. Choose either the default iOS email app (Mail) or another email app. Then, complete the email items and send them to yourself. The iPhone mail interface for composing an email. Using the Mail app or another email program on your iPhone, you may send an email with an attachment to yourself;
  3. Open your email application on your Mac and check the email you just sent to yourself with the file(s) attached. 

Sending Files From the Mac to the iPhone:

  1. Launch your email client, create a new email, attach the file, and send it to yourself;
  2. Open your favorite email program on your iPhone and view that email message;
  3. You now can view and save attached assets right to your cell phone.

Is It Safe to Transfer Files Between Your iPhone and Mac?

Yes, transferring your data is 100% secure! Some people believe that by connecting your phone to your computer and vice versa, you may frequently transfer viruses with data. While this was true in the past and is still true for some devices, Apple's operating system makes it exceedingly difficult for malware to propagate in this manner.

Because all programs operate in their own virtual area, viruses cannot assemble the system required to attack your smartphone. So you may be confident that you can simply move data across your devices using any of the methods listed above. It is absolutely secure, and there is minimal possibility that your data will be affected as well. As you can see, each of these strategies is unique and may be used in different situations. This is why knowing different ways of transferring files between iPhone and Mac is essential. You never know when one of these methods may come in helpful.

Author Bio:

Jeffrey is a tech enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for all Apple devices. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he has always been surrounded by technology and fascinated by how it can improve people's lives. In their spare time, Jeffrey enjoys tinkering with new gadgets, exploring the latest apps and software, and reading about the latest trends in the tech industry. So he knows just everything about how to copy photos from iPhone to Mac.

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