How to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone in 5 Ways

Photo transfer between two devices is needed in many situations. You may want to enrich the photo library on the target device, make a backup of your precious pictures somewhere else, or sheerly share images between two of your devices.

That's why many of you want to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone, copy photos from PC to iPhone, import photos from Mac to iPhone, and more. Since the ways for the former two situations are detailed already, here I'd like to show you how to get photos from Mac to iPhone.

Part 1. 4 Methods to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone Without iCloud

Although iCloud does help you sync photos from your Mac to your iPhone, you may not want to use it for many reasons. For example, it doesn't allow you to selectively move only wanted photos.

Then "how to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone without iCloud?," you may ask. Asides from iCloud, there are many other ways to move photos (and videos) from Mac to your iPhone without iCloud, including using professional iOS data transfer software, iTunes, AirDrop, and Google Photos.

Even if you prefer to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone without iTunes, you can still find other alternative ways. (Of course, you can apply the very same ways to transfer photos from Mac to iPad.)

Method 1. Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone Without iCloud or iTunes

The commonest solution to import photos from Mac (or PC) to iPhone without iCloud or iTunes is to use an iPhone data transfer tool like Qiling MobiMover. With Qiling MobiMover (no ads and plugins) installed on your computer, you can easily:

Transfer files from computer to iPhone/iPad and vice versa
Transfer data from one iPhone/iPad to another
Manage iOS content by deleting, editing, and adding items

What's more, Qiling MobiMover also works as a WhatsApp manager, with which you can back up WhatsApp to your computer or transfer WhatsApp messages to a new iPhone.

To transfer photos from Mac to iPhone:

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. Launch Qiling MobiMover on your computer > Connect your iPhone to your Mac > Select the "Mac to Phone" option on the main interface > Click the "Select Files" to continue.

Step 2. With MobiMover, you can choose to transfer photos as well as many other popular files from Mac to your iPhone and iPad. Then, click the "Open" button to load the files.

Step 3. MobiMover will show the files you've selected on the screen. If you've missed an item, you can click "Add Contents" to import more files. Next, click the "Transfer" button to start the transfer process.

You can also copy other types of content, including videos, music, ringtones, voice memos, books, and more, from Mac to your iPhone/iPad or get files from Windows PC to your devices using Qiling MobiMover. If you need to transfer data to or from your iDevice often, software like Qiling MobiMover is an essential tool for you. Don't hesitate to give it a try.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Method 2. How to Import Photos from Mac to iPhone Using iTunes/Finder

If you are sure you want to remove the existing music, movies, TV shows, books, and tones from your device and sync it with iTunes. You will learn how to do it in this part. It's worth noting that starting from macOS Catalina, iTunes is replaced by Finder, and all functions of iTunes will be delivered to Finder. So, you can use iTunes in macOS Mojave and earlier versions or Finder in macOS Catalina and later.

To import photos from Mac to iPhone with iTunes:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer.

Step 2. After iTunes runs automatically, click the device icon and choose "Photos."

Step 3. Check "Sync Photos" and select the pictures you will copy from the option "Copy photos from."

Step 4. Click "Apply" to start syncing photos from your Mac to your iPhone via iTunes.

Transfer photos from Mac to iPhone using iTunes

To sync photos from Mac to iPhone via Finder

Step 1. Open Finder and connect your iPhone to the computer.

Step 2. Unlock your mobile device and trust the Mac.

Step 3. In Finder, choose your iPhone and select the category you want to share.

Step 4. Check the "Sync [category]" option and select the specific items you want to share.

Step 5. Click "Apply" to start transferring files from Mac to your device.

Step 6. When it's done, go to the Photos app on your iPhone to check the items.

Sync photos from Mac to iPhone via Finder

Method 3. Import Photos from Mac to iPhone via AirDrop

AirDrop is another wireless option to move photos from Mac to iPhone. With AirDrop enabled, you can share photos, videos, contacts, and other content between two iOS devices. (You can check the official guide from Apple to learn what AirDrop is on Mac and how to AirDrop on Mac.) To use AirDrop, here are some preparations you need to do.

Ensure your WiFi and Bluetooth are enabled on both your iPhone and Mac.
Make sure any Personal Hotspots have been turned off.
Ensure your AirDrop settings should be set to Contacts Only or Everyone instead of Receiving Off.
Place your iPhone and Mac within 9 meters (30 feet) of each other.

To import photos from Mac to iPhone via AirDrop:

Step 1. Turn on AirDrop on your Mac. Learn how to fix the AirDrop not working issue in case of need.

Go to "Finder" > "Go" > "AirDrop" and switch on "Bluetooth" and "WiFi" to turn on AirDrop on your Mac.
Set the option "Allow to be discovered by" as "Everyone" or "Contacts Only."

Step 2. Turn on AirDrop on your iPhone.

Swipe up from the top/bottom of your device screen to open "Control Center."
Tap on AirDrop and set your iPhone to be discovered by "Contacts Only" or "Everyone."

Step 3. Once the Mac and the iPhone are connected. You can send photos from Mac to iPhone using AirDrop freely. There are two ways to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone without iTunes using AirDrop.

Drag the photos you want to send from Mac to iPhone to the recipient's image and click "Send."
Or you can click the "Share" button in an App, choose "AirDrop," choose the recipient and then click "Done."

Step 4. Check the transferred items in the Photos app on your iOS device.

How to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone via AirDrop

Method 4. Move Photos from Mac to iPhone with Google Photos

Using AirDrop is not the only solution to transfer photos from your Mac to your iPhone wirelessly. Cloud-based photo-sharing services like Google Photos allow you to share photos across your devices. To use cloud storage services to sync files across your devices, you need to make sure:

You are using the same account on both your Mac and iOS devices.
There is enough iCloud storage space for you to store the files.

Ensure the requirements are met and follow the steps below to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone.

Step 1. Upload photos from Mac to Google Photos.

If you have installed Google Photos for Mac, upload photos from the app directly.
If not, go to Google Photos, sign in, and click the "Upload" button to send photos from Mac.

Step 2. Download and install the Google Photos app on your iPhone.

Step 3. Sign in with the account you used to upload the photos.

Step 4. Then, all photos imported from your Mac will be displayed. You can select and download your wanted pictures to your iPhone.

How to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone with Google Photos

These four proven ways to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone without iTunes. Among them, using Qiling MobiMover and iTunes allow you to share photos from Mac to iPhone via a USB cable, while the other two help you to send photos wirelessly. If you prefer to import pictures from Mac to iPhone without iCloud, apply one of them to get things done within minutes.

Part 2. Sync Photos from Mac to iPhone with iCloud

By enabling the iCloud Photos on the Mac, your photos will be automatically uploaded to your iCloud account and eventually sync with other iOS devices using the same Apple ID. To use iCloud, you'll need to:

Make sure there is enough iCloud storage available.
Install the Photos app on your Mac (macOS Yosemite and later) if you don't.
Create a folder to house the photos you wish to export on your Mac.

If you've prepared well, you can follow the steps below to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone. Note that iCloud offers two options for users to manage files, one is via the iCloud Control Panel, and another is via the iCloud website. You can apply the one you prefer.

Option 1. Use the iCloud Photos app

Step 1. On your iPhone, go to the "Settings" app and choose [your name] > "iCloud" > "Photos".

Step 2. Enable "iCloud Photos." (Turn on "iCloud Photo Library" in earlier iOS versions.)

Step 3. On your Mac, go to the Apple menu and choose "System Preferences."

Step 4. Choose "iCloud" and sign in.

Step 5. Click "Options" next to "Photos" and switch on "iCloud Photos." Click "Done."

Step 6. After the syncing process, you can go to the Photos app on your iPhone to check the images.

How to transfer photos from Mac to iPhone wirelessly using iCloud

Option 2. Use the iCloud Website

Step 1. Likewise, make sure your iCloud Photos have been enabled on your iPhone.

Step 2. Open icloud.com on a new web browser and sign in to your Apple ID.

Step 3. From the iCloud page, choose "Photos."

Step 4. Click "Upload" (It looks like a cloud) at the top of this page.

Step 5. Choose the images from the folder on your Mac that you want to upload.

Step 6. Click "Choose."

Step 7. Then, all of your photos will be uploaded to iCloud Photos.

Upload Pictures from Mac to iPhone

Part 3. Bonus Tip on How to Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone

Learning about tips on how to transfer photos from a PC to an iPhone is important if you're planning to switch your Mac to a PC one day. As shown in our previous guide, you have six options to transfer photos from a PC to an iPhone, which is to use an iPhone data transfer tool, iTunes, iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox, and OneDrive. The steps are much like the steps we introduced above, so we won't detail them here. For more details, you can navigate to our previous guide on how to transfer photos from a PC to an iPhone.

The Bottom Line

Now you know how to put photos on iPhone from Mac using different ways. If you also need to add other types of content to your iPhone or iPad from a Mac, refer to the guide on how to transfer files from Mac to iPhone/iPad to learn more details.