This wikiHow teaches you how to copy photos from your Android phone or tablet to your computer. You can do this on both Windows and Mac computers, either via Google Photos or a USB cable. If you're using a USB cable on a Mac, you'll need to use the Android File Transfer program.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Google Photos
Step 1. Open the Google Photos app on the Android device
The app icon looks like a red, yellow, green, and blue four-pointed star. After that, the photos of the device currently stored in Google Photos will be displayed.
If you're not logged into your Google Photos account, first enter your email address and password when prompted
Step 2. Touch the button
It's in the upper-left corner of the screen. After that, a pop-out menu will be displayed.
Step 3. Touch Settings
It's at the bottom of the pop-out menu.
Step 4. Select Back up & sync
It's at the top of the menu Settings ”.
Step 5. Make sure the switch is in the "On" position
Otherwise, touch the switch to enable the creation of backup photo files. This is done to ensure that the photos on the device are uploaded to Google Photos.
Step 6. Open Google Photos website via computer
Visit https://photos.google.com/. After that, a page containing photos from your Android device (after uploading a copy of the file to Google Photos) will appear.
As with Android devices, you may need to sign in to your Google account using your email address and password if this is your first time opening Google Photos via a website
Step 7. Select the photos you want to download
Click the checkmark in the upper-left corner of each photo you want to select, or click a single photo if you only want to download one photo.
You can also click the check mark next to the month name or album name that is displayed
Step 8. Click the button
It's in the top-right corner of the Google Photos page. After that, a drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 9. Click Download
It's at the top of the drop-down menu. Once clicked, the photos that have been selected will be downloaded to the computer.
Once the download is complete, you can delete the photos from your Android device
Method 2 of 3: For Windows
Step 1. Connect Android device to computer
Use the device's charging cable to connect the device to one of the computer's USB ports.
If the device prompts you to specify a connection type, select “ Media devices (MTP) ” is displayed on the screen before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2. Open the “Start” menu
Click the Windows logo in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step 3. Open File Explorer
Click the folder icon in the lower-left corner of the “Start” window. After that the File Explorer program will be opened.
Step 4. Click the Android device name
You need to click on it in the sidebar which is on the left side of the File Explorer window. You may need to scroll through the screen on the left side of the File Explorer window to find the device name.
You can also click the option “ This PC ” in the left sidebar of the screen, then double-click the Android device name under the "Devices & drives" section in the middle of the program window.
Step 5. Double-click the "Internal storage" or "SD card" folder
The folder you need to open will depend on where the photos you want to send are stored, as well as the type of storage available on your device.
Step 6. Double click the " DCIM " folder
After that, another folder will open.
Step 7. Double click the “Camera” folder
This folder is a folder for storing photos on the device. After that, a list of photos on the device will be displayed.
You may need to open another folder before proceeding to the next step, depending on whether or not the desired photos are in that album or folder
Step 8. Select the desired photo
Click and drag the mouse on the desired photo onto the computer to select it. You can also click and hold the Ctrl key while clicking individual photos to select them.
Step 9. Click the Home tab
It's a tab in the upper-left corner of the File Explorer window. After that, the toolbar will be displayed under the tab “ Home ”.
Step 10. Click Copy
This option is indicated by the two-sheet icon in the "Clipboard" section of the toolbar. Home " After that, the photos that have been selected will be copied.
You can also click the option “ Cut ” marked by a scissor icon to remove the photos from the Android device once they have been sent to the computer.
Step 11. Select the destination folder
Click the folder on the left side of the File Explorer window. This folder is a storage folder for photos that have been previously copied.
Step 12. Click the Home tab again, then select Paste.
Choice " Paste ” is indicated by an icon that resembles a clipboard, and is right next to the “icon Copy " After that, the copied photos will be sent to the selected folder.
If you previously selected “ Cut ", and not " Copy ”, the photos will disappear from the Android device.
Method 3 of 3: For Mac
Step 1. Connect Android device to Mac computer
Use the device's charging cable to connect it to one of the computer's USB ports.
- If your Mac computer doesn't have a USB port, you'll need to purchase a USB-C or USB-3.0 adapter.
- If the device asks you to select a connection type, touch the option “ Media devices (MTP) ” is displayed on the screen before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2. Open a browser on a Mac computer
Since Android devices don't automatically sync with Mac computers, you'll need to download an official program to help them connect and sync with Mac computers.
Step 3. Go to the Android File Transfer page
Visit https://www.android.com/filetransfer/. After that, the program download page will be displayed.
Step 4. Click DOWNLOAD NOW
It's a green button in the middle of the page. After that, the Android File Transfer installation file will start downloading.
You may need to confirm the download or choose a location to save the file, depending on your browser settings
Step 5. Install the Android File Transfer program
On macOS Sierra or later, you will need to double-click the DMG file, verify the file in the “System Preferences” window, and click and drag the Android File Transfer icon onto the blue “Applications “shortcut.
On earlier versions of MacOS (before Sierra), all you had to do was click and drag the Android File Transfer icon onto the blue " Applications " shortcut
Step 6. Open the Android File Transfer program
If Android File Transfer doesn't open automatically, click the shuttle launchpad icon, then click the Android File Transfer icon which resembles the green Android mascot.
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You can also click “Spotlight”
Macspotlight in the upper-right corner of the screen, type android file transfer, and click the Android File Transfer program icon.
Step 7. Double-click the "Internal storage" or "SD card" folder
The folder you need to open will depend on where the photos you want to send are stored, as well as the type of storage available on your device.
Step 8. Double click the “DCIM” folder
After that, another folder will open.
Step 9. Double click the “Camera” folder
This folder is a folder for storing photos on the device. After that, a list of photos on the device will be displayed.
You may need to open another folder before proceeding to the next step, depending on whether or not the photos you want are in the album or folder
Step 10. Select the photos you want to copy from your device
Click and drag the mouse to select the photos you want to send to your computer. You can also press and hold the Command key while clicking photos to select them individually.
Step 11. Click the Edit button
The contents of this menu are in the upper-left corner of the computer screen. After that, a drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 12. Click Copy
It's at the top of the menu " Edit " After that, the photos that have been selected will be copied.
If you want to delete photo files from your device while transferring them to your computer, click “ Cut ”.
Step 13. Open Finder
Click the application icon with the blue face that appears in your computer's Dock. After that, a new window will open.
Step 14. Choose a location to save photos
Click a folder (eg All My Files ”) in the left side of the Finder window to select it as the location where the copied photos will be saved.
Step 15. Click Edit, then click Paste Items.
After that, the photos will be copied from the Android device and sent to the Mac computer.
