How to Transfer File Between iPhone and Mac

We often need to share files between our mobile phone and computer. For Apple users, the process to do so is pretty easy, especially if you’re operating within the same ecosystem.

You can transfer files between a Mac and an iPhone, either wired or wireless. For a wired transmission, you’ll need a USB hub to interconnect the two devices. However, if you want to transfer wirelessly, you can AirDrop your files to the desired location. Besides, iCloud allows you to sync your files between multiple Apple devices.

Using iTunes

You can transfer files between your iPhone and Mac through the iTunes app as well. However, this step is dedicated to those users who are operating on macOS Mojave (10.14) or below. That’s because the iTunes application is not available for the latest macOS versions, and the entire file-sharing process can be carried out directly from the Finder.

Step 1: Transfer From iPhone to Mac

1. Plug in the iPhone to your Mac.
2. When prompted, Trust the connected device on your iPhone.
   
3. Open iTunes on your computer.
4. Click the device icon on the top left of the ribbon menu.
   
5. Now, from the sidebar, click on Apps. This will display all the applications and their corresponding files on your iPhone.
6. From the File Sharing section, click on the application whose files you’d like to transfer.
   
7. Select the required files and click on Save to.
   
8. Save the files to the desired location on your Mac.

Step 2: Transfer From Mac to iPhone

1. First, follow the above steps 1-5 to set up a connection between your iPhone and Mac.
2. Now, from the File Sharing section, click on the application whose files you’d like to transfer.
3. Then, click on Add.
   
4. Select the file you’d like to transfer over to your iPhone and Add it.
   
5. Now, on your iPhone, open the related application.
6. Click on Locations.
7. Then, choose to Copy from iTunes.
   

Using Finder

Finder is your Mac’s file explorer. From the finder, you can access all the files on your internal and external disk drives. So, when you plug in your iPhone to the Mac, it’ll show up as a separate storage drive on the Finder window. You can then transfer the required files to and fro between these two devices. 

1. Plug in the iPhone to your Mac.
2. When prompted, Trust the connected device on your iPhone.
   
3. Now, open Finder.
4. Select your iPhone from the sidebar.
5. Go to Files tab.
6. Extend the app whose files you’d like to transfer.
   
7. Drag and drop the required files to a Finder window on your Mac.
8. To transfer files to your iPhone, drag and drop the required file from your Mac to the related application on the Files tab.

Using AirDrop

AirDrop provides you with one of the fastest wireless data transmission speeds. But before you start transferring your files, you must make sure that both your devices are AirDrop discoverable. Then, you pair the two devices and share the files you want.

Make sure that your iPhone and Mac are close to one another, as AirDrop doesn’t provide a long-range data transfer protocol.

Step 1: Transfer From iPhone to Mac

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. From the menu bar, click on Go > AirDrop.
   
3. Now, Turn On Bluetooth.
   
4. Select Allow me to be discovered by either Everyone or Contacts Only. An icon resembling your iOS device will now be visible on the AirDrop menu.
   
5. On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > AirDrop.
6. Choose either Everyone or Contacts Only.
   
7. Now, open the Files app.
8. Locate the file you want to transfer, hold it and choose to Share.
   
9. Select AirDrop.
   
10. Select your Mac from the list of available Devices.
11. The files will now be transferred to your Mac.

Step 2: Transfer From Mac to iPhone

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > AirDrop.
2. Choose either Everyone or Contacts Only.
   
3. Now, open Finder on your Mac.
4. From the menu bar, click on Go > AirDrop.
   
5. Now, Turn On Bluetooth.
   
6. Select Allow me to be discovered by either Everyone or Contacts Only. An icon resembling your iOS device will now be visible on the AirDrop menu.
    
7. Drag and drop the required files over this icon/device name to transfer them to your iPhone.
   

Using iCloud

iCloud is an official cloud storage platform for Apple devices. iCloud is a medium for transferring files between an iPhone and a Mac. That is, if you upload a file to the iCloud server through one device, you can log in to iCloud from another device and access that particular file. But before you do so, you must first enable the iCloud syncing service on both Mac and iPhone.

Enable iCloud on Mac

1. Open Finder.
2. From the menu bar, go to Apple > System Preferences.
   
3. Click on Apple ID.
4. Choose iCloud on the side panel.
   
5. Select the files you wish to sync and upload to the iCloud server.

Enable iCloud on iPhone

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on your profile name.
3. Select iCloud.
   
4. Choose iCloud Drive.
   
5. Toggle on iCloud Drive.

Any files you upload to the iCloud server will automatically show up inside the related application on your Apple device.

If you’re not into iCloud services, you can use any other cloud storage platform to transfer your files. Here too, the core idea remains the same; you upload files to the server from one device and download them from another.

Using File Sharing

The Apple File Sharing feature allows you to transfer your data between your Apple devices through the network. You first have to connect both the iPhone and the Mac to the same Wi-Fi network and then pair the two devices through a dedicated server address.

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. From the menu bar, go to Apple > System Preferences.
   
3. Open Sharing settings.
4. Choose File Sharing from the sidebar.
5. Note your server address.
   
6. Now, on your iPhone, open the Files app.
7. Navigate to Browse.
8. Click on the three dots and select Connect to Server.
   
9. Type in the server address you saw on your Mac
10. Click on Connect.
11. Connect as a Registered User and enter the login Name and Password of your Mac.
    
12. You can now access the files on your Mac from your iPhone.
13. To copy files to and fro between your Apple devices, hold the related file and Copy.
14. Choose the desired location on your Files app.
    • To transfer files to an iPhone, paste them inside the On My iPhone folder.
    • To transfer files to a Mac, paste them inside the Mac server folder.

Using Photos App

The Photos app provides an efficient way to organize your pictures on multiple Apple devices. So, when you plug in your iPhone to your Mac, you can transfer the required photos between them directly from the Photos app.

1. Plug in the iPhone to your Mac.
2. When prompted, Trust the connected device on your iPhone.
   
3. Open the Photos app on your Mac.
4. Select your iPhone from the sidebar.
5. Here, you’ll see all the pictures inside your iPhone.
6. To copy the required image, hold it and select Import Selected.
   
7. Import the image to your Mac.

Using Image Capture

The Image Capture application comes pre-installed on your Mac. This application makes it easier for you to transfer photos between your iPhone and Mac. However, since it does not support wireless transmission, you’ll have to connect the iPhone to your Mac physically.

1. Plug in the iPhone to your Mac.
2. When prompted, Trust the connected device on your iPhone.
   
3. Now, on your Mac, press Command + Space to open Spotlight.
   
4. Go to Image Capture.
5. Select your iPhone from the list of Devices.
   
6. You’ll now see all the images present on your iPhone.
7. To copy an image to your Mac, drag it from the Image Capture window and drop it to the desired location on your Mac Finder.
8. To copy an image to your iPhone, drag and drop the required picture from the Finder to the Image Capture window.

Mail Your Files 

Emails provide you with an option to share files through the internet. That is, from one device, you can attach the required files as a part of your email and send them to yourself. Then, log in to your email from the second device and download the required files accordingly.

However, most email platforms do not allow you to attach large files, and hence, you have to limit what you send through email.