Do you have a lot of pictures stored on your iPod that you want to transfer to your computer? Backing up your pictures to a computer allows you to delete copies from your iPod, freeing up valuable storage space. Whether you have the original iPod with click wheel, or you have a brand new iPod touch, moving your pictures only takes a few minutes.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Using an Original iPod
Step 1. Turn on iPod in Disk Mode
In order for your iPad to connect to your computer and access its files, your iPod must be in Disk Mode. You can do this using iTunes, or you can put the iPod in Disk Mode manually.
- To put an iPod into Disk Mode using iTunes, plug your iPod into your computer, open iTunes, then select that iPod from the Devices menu. In the Summary window, check "Enable disk use" in the Options section.
- To put your iPod into Disk Mode manually, press and hold the Menu and Select buttons for at least six seconds. Keep holding the button until the Apple logo appears. Once the logo appears, release the Menu and Select buttons, then press and hold the Select and Play buttons. Hold down the button until the Disk Mode screen appears.
- See this guide for more details on how to put an iPod into Disk Mode.
Step 2. Open iPod on your computer
If you turned on Disk Mode manually, connect the iPod to your computer. If you're using a Mac, the iPod will appear on the desktop like a USB drive. If you are using Windows, the iPod will appear in the list of other drives in the Computer/My Computer/This PC window.
If you are using Windows, you can quickly access Computer/My Computer/This PC by pressing Win+Pause
Step 3. Locate the photo you want to copy
Usually, these photos can be found in the Photos folder, but because the iPod can be used like a USB drive, they can be placed anywhere. Browse the folders to find the image you want.
Step 4. Transfer images from iPod to computer
You can select the images you want to copy to your computer and then copy them by selecting Edit → Copy, right-click and choose Copy, or by pressing Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac).
- Choose a location to save the images you want to move and paste the images you copied. You can do it by clicking Edit → Paste, right-clicking an empty space and selecting Paste, or by pressing Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac).
- If you don't want to save the image on your iPod, you can choose Cut instead of Copy, which will delete the original file once it's copied to the new location. You can cut by pressing Ctrl+X (Windows) or Cmd+X (Mac). Then you can embed it in the same way as described above.
- You can move the files to your iPod if you want too now.
Step 5. Wait for the transfer to complete
If you transfer multiple images, it may take a while for the transfer to complete. The progress bar will tell you the estimated time remaining.
Step 6. Take out your iPod
Once the transfer is complete, you'll need to eject the iPod before you unplug it from your computer. This will help prevent data corruption.
- On a Mac, right-click your iPod on the Desktop and select Eject. Now you can unplug your iPod from the computer.
- On Windows, click the "Safely remove hardware" button in the System Tray, then select your iPod. Now you can unplug your iPod.
Method 2 of 2: Using iPod Touch
Windows
Step 1. Connect iPod Touch to your computer
If this is your first time connecting your iPod to your computer, you will have to wait a few minutes while Windows installs the necessary drivers.
Step 2. Start the wizard to import the files
If the Autoplay window appears, select "Import pictures and videos". If the Autoplay window doesn't appear, go to Computer/My Computer/This PC, then right-click iPod Touch, and select Import pictures and videos.
Step 3. Select the image you want to move
Windows will scan the iPod Touch for each image. Then a window will appear showing the number of images found and several options. To select the images you want, make sure you select "review, organize, and group items to import" and click Next.
- The images will be sorted by the date they were taken. By default, all images will be selected. You can uncheck the box next to each image you don't want to keep, or uncheck the "Select all" box at the top of the list to deselect all images.
- You can change how images are grouped by sliding the scale in the lower right corner.
Step 4. Arrange the photos you want to save
You can add tags to the images you move by clicking the "Add tags" button, to make it easier for you to find them. You can also name each group of images by clicking the "Enter a name" button with the folder icon.
Step 5. Specify your import options
Click the "More options" link in the lower-left corner of the window. This allows you to determine the folder where your new image will be saved, and how you will name the file. Click OK when finished.
Check "Delete files from device after importing" if you want to free up storage space on your iPod after the files are moved
Step 6. Transfer the files
Click Import to start the import process. When the process is complete, you will be taken to the "Imported Pictures and Videos" library. Your pictures can also be found in the folder you have defined, which is the "Pictures" folder by default.
Mac OS X
Step 1. Connect iPod Touch to your computer
When you connect your iPod, the iPhoto program opens automatically. If iPhoto doesn't start automatically, open the program from the "Applications" folder.
Step 2. Select the photos you want to import
You can import all the photos that are on the iPod by clicking "Import # Photos". If you only want to import specific photos, click each photo you want to move to select it. Click the "Import Selected Photos" button to copy the selected images.
If iPhoto doesn't display the contents of your iPod, make sure that your iPod is selected from the "Devices" section of the left frame
Step 3. Choose to delete or save the imported image
After selecting your import options, you'll be asked if you want to keep the photos you imported on your iPod, or delete them to save storage space. If you plan to re-import the photos to another computer, save them on the iPod.
