How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To External Hard Drive: Guide

If you are an iPhone owner, you need to learn how to transfer photos from your iPhone to an external hard drive, as it may come in handy when you want to free space in your device. 

IPhone users know how quickly their devices can fill up with photos and videos. And while they can easily upload them to the cloud, sometimes they just want a physical backup of their treasured memories. 

That’s where external hard drives come in handy. However, transferring photos from your iPhone to an external hard drive can seem daunting, especially if you’re not tech-savvy. But as you will find out, the process is quite simple once you know how to do it. 

How To Transfer Photos From iPhone To External Hard Drive

Option 1: Without a computer

With the latest iOS 8 update, Apple has introduced a much-awaited feature supporting portable external hard drives. 

This means users can now directly transfer and store their data on an external hard drive without hassle. 

Moreover, with the help of a lightning cable, you can quickly and effortlessly import your photos from your iPhone to an external hard drive. To transfer photos from iPhone to an external hard, follow the following steps;

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone to the external hard drive using a lightning cable.
• Step 2: Open the Files app on your iPhone to confirm the connection.
• Step 3: Tap the “Browse” tab in the Files app.
• Step 4: Navigate to the Photos app and select the pictures you want to transfer.
• Step 5: Tap the “Share” option after selecting the pictures.
• Step 6: This action will initiate the transfer process, moving the selected pictures to the Files app.
• Step 7: Within the Files app, locate and select your external hard drive as the destination to save the pictures.

Option 2: Using Windows Photos App

For Windows 8 and Windows 10 users, there is a pre-installed application called Photos on your computer. This app serves enables you to import photos from folders or USB devices to your PC

Follow the following procedure to transfer photos from iPhone to an external drive using the Windows Photo app:

• Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to your computer. Next, unlock your iPhone and establish a connection between your device and the PC running either Windows 10 or Windows 8. 
• Step 2: When prompted on your iPhone to grant permission, click “Allow” to trust the computer.
• Step 3: Open the “Photos” app on your PC. Then, click “Import” followed by “From a USB device” within the Photos app. This will allow the app to detect and display the items on your iPhone.
• Step 4: Select the specific photos you want to transfer.
• Step 5: Click “Import setting” and select “Change the import destination.” Choose your external hard drive location as the desired storage path for the imported photos. Finally, click “Done” to confirm your selection.
• Step 6: To start the transfer process, click “Import Selected.” This action will start the transfer of photos from your iPhone to the external hard drive.

Option 3: Using iCloud

By enabling iCloud Photos on both your iPhone and computer, you can effortlessly transfer your iPhone photos to the computer and download them to the external hard drive. To upload photos from your iPhone to an external hard drive using iCloud, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Activate iCloud Photos on your iPhone.

• On your iPhone, go to “Settings” > [your name] > “iCloud” > “Photos.”
• Enable “iCloud Photos” to sync your iPhone photos with iCloud.
• Step 2: Enable iCloud Photos on your computer.

• Download and install iCloud for Windows on your computer.
• Sign in with the same Apple ID used on your iPhone.
• Open iCloud settings and click on “Photos.”
• Check the “iCloud Photo Library” boxes and “Download new photos and videos to my PC.”
• Customize the location for downloading new photos and videos to your external hard drive.
• Click “Done” and then “Apply” to save the changes.
• Step 3: Allow the syncing process to transfer the photos from your iPhone to iCloud. After the syncing, your iPhone photos will be successfully transferred to the external hard drive.

Option 4: Via File Explorer

File Explorer, which is built-in with Windows 10, and Windows Explorer, available in Windows 8/7, offer a convenient solution for Windows users to manage their files. 

This file management tool lets you directly transfer photos to an external hard drive without installing additional software. However, you can only transfer photos in the DCIM folder by date. Follow the following steps.

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone and the external hard drive to your Windows PC using a USB cable.
• Step 2: Grant permission on your iPhone when prompted to allow the transfer.
• Step 3: Access your iPhone’s Camera Roll photos by navigating through “This PC” > “Apple iPhone” > “Internal Storage” > “DCIM” > “100APPLE”.
• Step 4: Select the desired photos from your iPhone and copy them.
• Step 5: Paste the copied photos into the storage location of the external hard drive.

Option 5: Using Mac – Image capture

If you are using a Mac, you can easily import photos from your iPhone to an external hard drive using the Image Capture app. 

This application provides a quick and convenient way to transfer media files from your iPhone and other digital sources like cameras. Here is how to do it:

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone and the external hard drive to your Mac using a USB cable. Ensure that the system properly recognizes them.
• Step 2: Launch the Image Capture application on your Mac. From the list of Devices, select your iPhone.
• Step 3: In the Import To dialogue box, choose your external hard drive as the destination to save the pictures.
• Step 4: Depending on your preference, you can click “Import” to select specific photos or “Import All” to transfer all the images from your iPhone to the external hard drive.

Option 6: Using Mac – Photos

On Mac OS X 10.10.3 or later, you can use an app called Photos, which replaces iPhoto in previous versions. 

The application lets you transfer photos from your iPhone to an external hard drive connected to your Mac. Here is the procedure to follow:

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone and the external hard drive to your Mac.
• Step 2: Launch the Photos app on your Mac.
• Step 3: In the “Devices” section of the Photos app, select your iOS device.
• Step 4: Choose the storage path where you want to save the imported photos.
• Step 5: Click the “Import to” option and select the external drive as the destination.
• Step 6: To import photos from your iPhone to the external drive, click on either “Import All New Photos” or manually select the specific photos you want to transfer to the Mac, then click “Import [number] Selected.”

The Best Way To Organize Photos On External Drive

Organizing photos on an external drive is crucial in ensuring they are easily accessible and safeguarded from loss. 

These methods can help you efficiently manage your photo collection and make it easier to find specific photos when needed.

1. Using the folder system – This involves creating folders for different categories of photos, such as family, travel, and work. 
2. Using metadata – Metadata refers to the information about your photos, such as the date they were taken, the location, and even the camera settings. Most photo management software allows you to add or edit metadata information, making searching for specific photos based on these details easy. You can also use metadata to categorize your photos based on specific criteria, such as location or event.
3. Using folders and subfolders – This method allows you to create a hierarchical structure for your photos, making it easy to find specific photos even if you have thousands of them. You can start with broad categories such as year or type of event and then create subfolders for each category. Within each folder, you can create subfolders to categorize your photos further. For instance, you can have subfolders for birthdays, weddings, and holidays under the family folder.
4. Naming your photos – Although it may seem straightforward, anyone who has attempted to label hundreds of photos understands the challenges involved. Assigning a unique name to each picture is not easy. However, there is a simple solution, adding a number after specifying the event’s name or date.

Conclusion

Knowing how to transfer photos from iPhone to an external hard drive is exciting and, at the same time, helpful.

Transferring photos from an iPhone to an external hard drive can seem daunting, but it is quite simple. 

Following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily transfer your precious memories from your iPhone to an external hard drive for safekeeping.