How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

Here are three different ways to transfer Photos from iPhone to an External Hard Drive connected to your MacBook, iMac or Mac Mini.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

As you continue taking Photos and Videos on iPhone, its storage space will eventually reach its upper limit and you won’t be able to shoot any more Photos.

If you have a paid iCloud Storage Account, you can upload Photos from iPhone to iCloud and Free up Storage Space by removing photos from your device.

The other option is to transfer Photos from iPhone to an External Hard Drive using Photos App, Preview App or the Image Capture Utility as available on your Mac.

1. Import Photos from iPhone to External Hard Drive Using Preview App

A simple way to transfer Photos from iPhone to Hard Drive is by using the Preview App as available on your Mac.

1. Connect both iPhone and the External Hard Drive to Mac.

2. Open the Preview App on your Mac using the LauchPad.

3. Click on the File tab in top-menu bar and select Import from your iPhone option.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

4. If you see a pop-up reading “Photos cannot be imported…”, click on OK to close the pop-up.

5. On the next screen, you can either select Photos manually or select the Edit option in top-menu bar and click on Select All to select All Photos.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

Tip: Press Command + I to unselect All Photos.

6. Once the Photos are selected, click on the Import option.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

7. On the next screen, select your External Hard Drive and click on Choose Destination.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

Wait for selected Photos to be transferred from iPhone to External Hard Drive.

2. Download Photos from iPhone to External Hard Drive Using Image Capture

Another way to transfer Photos from iPhone to External Hard Drive is by using Image Capture Utility as available on your Mac.

1. Connect External Hard Drive and iPhone to Mac.

2. If prompted, unlock iPhone by entering its Lock Screen Passcode.

3.  Open Image Capture utility on your Mac (using LaunchPad or from Applications Folder).

4. Select your iPhone under “Devices” section > click on the Down Arrow next to “Import To” and select Other in the drop-down menu.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

5. On the next screen, select your External Hard Drive and click on Choose.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

6. On the next screen, select Photos and click on Download option to transfer Photos from iPhone to External Hard Drive.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

The selected Photos will be available in a Folder Named after your iPhone in the External Hard Drive.

3. Transfer Photos from iPhone to External Drive Using Photos App

The Photos App is the preferred way to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac. After transferring Photos to Mac, you can drag them to External Hard Drive.

1. Connect External Hard Drive and iPhone to Mac.

2. If prompted, enter Passcode to unlock iPhone.

3.  Open Photos App on your Mac > select your iPhone under “Devices” section and click on the Down Arrow next to Import To.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

Note: You can launch Photos App from the LaunchPad or open Photos App from Applications Folder.

4. On the pop-up, click on New Album > type a Name for the New Photo Album and click on Create.

5. On the next screen, select Photos manually and click on Import Selected or click on Import All option to transfer all iPhone Photos to New Photo Album on your Mac.

How to copy photos from iphone to external hard drive

6. Wait for Photos to be transferred from iPhone to New Photo Album on your Mac (Desktop).

Once the Photos are transferred to Mac, you can simply drag the entire folder containing imported photos to your External Hard Drive.

  • How to Transfer Photos From iPhone to PC
  • How to Transfer Photos from iCloud to External Hard Drive

How do I copy all my photos to an external hard drive?

How to Move Your Photos Library Files.
Step 1: Connect Your External Storage Device. Connect your external drive to your machine. ... .
Step 2: Navigate to Your Pictures Folder. ... .
Step 3: Drag Photos Library to the External Drive. ... .
Step 4: Open Your Copy of Photos Library. ... .
Step 5: Set Your Photo Library Preferences..

Can I connect my iPhone to an external hard drive?

You can use the Files app and other supported apps to access files stored on external devices, such as USB drives and SD cards, connected to your iPhone.

Can I put photos from my phone onto an external hard drive?

One of the good things about Android smartphones is that they all support USB OTG. What this means is that you can directly transfer photos from your Android smartphone to an external hard disk. For this, you will have to connect the hard disk to your smartphone which requires a USB OTG adapter.