How To Transfer Files From Cell Phone To Computer

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Go on your telephone files condom by storing them on a computer with this in-depth guide

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This wikiHow teaches you how to move files and information from your iPhone or Android phone onto your Windows or Mac computer. Data that you tin send from your phone to your computer might include photos, videos, notes, contact lists, so on. You lot tin use a USB cable to transfer most files and data for both iPhones and Androids, or you can use Bluetooth to transfer iPhone files to a Mac or Android files to a Windows computer.

1
Brand sure that you lot have iTunes. You tin can easily back up all of your iPhone's data to your computer through the free iTunes program.
- If y'all don't take iTunes on your calculator, download and install it before proceeding.
ii

Attach your iPhone to your reckoner. Plug the USB end of the iPhone'southward charger cable into one of your computer's USB slots, so plug the other end of the charger into your iPhone.

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3

Open up iTunes. It'south a multicolored musical note icon on a white background.
4

Click the iPhone icon. This iPhone-shaped icon is in the upper-left side of the window.
v

Cheque the "This Computer" box. It'south in the "Backups" section of your iPhone's page. Doing so ensures that your phone'south data will be backed up to your computer, non iCloud.
half-dozen
Click Support At present . This grey button is on the right side of the "Backups" section. Your iPhone will begin backing upwardly to your calculator.
- You lot can view the progress of the fill-in by watching the progress bar at the superlative of the iTunes window.
7

Wait for the backup to end. In one case your backup completes, a chinkle volition amuse, and y'all volition be able to disconnect your iPhone from your calculator.

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ane

Attach your Android to your computer. Plug the USB end of your Android charger cable into one of your computer'southward USB ports, and so plug the charger cease into your Android.
2

Tap the "USB" notification on your Android. When prompted, ostend that you want to apply the USB connection to transfer files by tapping the pertinent notification on your Android. At this point, y'all can switch over to your computer.
iii

Open up Showtime . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
4

Open File Explorer . Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Starting time window.
5

Click This PC . It's on the left side of the File Explorer, though you may have to scroll upwardly or down the left-hand pane to run into it.
6

Double-click your Android. In the "Devices and drives" section of the This PC binder, double-click your Android'due south name. This will open the Android's folder.
7
Detect a file that you want to transfer. About Androids crave you to open a storage binder (eastward.thou., "Internal") before you lot can view other information that'due south stored on the Android, just you may have to open up additional folders too.
- For Androids with removable storage, you lot'll usually find the bulk of your files in the "SD" or "Removable" folder rather than the "Internal" folder.
8

Select the file or folder. Click the file or folder that y'all desire to motion onto your reckoner. If you lot want to select multiple private files, hold down Ctrl while clicking each 1.
9

Copy the file or folder. Press Ctrl+C to copy your selected file(south) or folder(southward).
x

Go to the place where you want to relieve the copied item(southward). In the File Explorer's left-paw sidebar, click a folder on your computer (e.1000., "Documents") in which you lot want to place the copied item(south).
11
Paste the file or folder. Press Ctrl+5 to practise so. The copied item(s) will appear in the selected folder, though it may have a while for the files to terminate copying depending on their overall size.
- Y'all can as well perform this process in the opposite by copying a file or folder from your computer and so pasting it into a binder in your Android'south internal storage.

one
Download and install the Android File Transfer program. This program is free to download and employ, and it'southward necessary if you lot desire to browse your Android's files from your Mac. To download Android File Transfer:^[1]
- Become to https://world wide web.android.com/filetransfer/
- Click DOWNLOAD At present
- Double-click the Android File Transfer DMG file.
- Verify the software if prompted.
- Click and elevate the Android File Transfer icon onto the Applications folder.
two
Adhere your Android to your computer. Plug the USB end of your Android charger cable into ane of your calculator'due south USB ports, then plug the charger stop into your Android.
- If your Mac uses USB-C ports instead of USB 3.0 ports, y'all'll need a USB 3.0 to USB-C adapter in order to plug in your Android.
3

Tap the "USB" notification on your Android. When prompted, confirm that you want to apply the USB connexion to transfer files by tapping the pertinent notification on your Android. At this bespeak, you can switch over to your computer.
4

Open Android File Transfer. If Android File Transfer doesn't open automatically, click Spotlight

in the tiptop-right corner of your Mac's screen, type android file transfer into the Spotlight search bar, and double-click the Android File Transfer app icon.
5
Notice a file that yous want to transfer. About Androids require you to open a storage binder (e.g., "Internal") earlier yous can view other information that'due south stored on the Android, only you may have to open up additional folders besides.
- For Androids with removable storage, you'll usually observe the bulk of your files in the "SD" or "Removable" folder rather than the "Internal" folder.
6

Select the file or folder. Click the file or folder that you desire to move onto your computer. If you want to select multiple individual files, hold down ⌘ Control while clicking each 1.
seven

Copy the file or folder. Press ⌘ Command+C to copy your selected file(s) or folder(south).
8

Become to the place where you want to save the copied detail(south). In the Finder's left-hand side, click a folder on your computer (east.m., "Desktop") in which you lot desire to place the copied item(s).
nine
Paste the file or folder. Press ⌘ Command+V to exercise so. The copied item(s) will appear in the selected folder, though it may take a while for the files to cease copying depending on their overall size.
- You tin can also perform this process in the contrary by copying a file or folder from your computer and and so pasting information technology into a folder in your Android's internal storage.

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i
Enable your iPhone's Bluetooth. Open Settings

, tap Bluetooth, and tap the white "Bluetooth" switch

. Information technology will turn light-green

.
- If the switch is greenish, Bluetooth is already enabled.
2
Enable your Mac'south Bluetooth. Click the Apple menu

, click System Preferences..., click Bluetooth, and click Plough Bluetooth On on the left side of the window.
- If Bluetooth is already active, this button volition instead say Turn Bluetooth Off. If and so, don't click the push.
3

Look for your iPhone's proper noun. You should see it appear in the "Devices" department of the Bluetooth window after a moment.
iv

Click Pair . It should be to the right of your iPhone's name. Doing and so will prompt your Mac and your iPhone to connect to one another.
five

Open a file that you want to share. On your iPhone, open a photo, video, or note that you desire to add to your Mac.
6

Tap "Share" . You'll ordinarily come across this in 1 of the corners of the screen. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen.
vii
Tap your Mac's name. It should be at the pinnacle of the menu. Doing and then will transfer the file to your Mac's "AirDrop" folder, which you can observe past opening the Finder and looking at the left-hand sidebar there.
- You may have to wait for a few seconds before the Mac's name appears.
- You can identify files from your Mac on your iPhone past opening the AirDrop folder, waiting for your iPhone's proper name to appear, and then clicking and dragging a file onto your iPhone's name.

1
Turn on your Android's Bluetooth. Swipe down from the top of the screen, long-printing the Bluetooth

icon, and tap the white switch

to the right of the "Bluetooth" heading. The switch will change color

which signifies that your Bluetooth is now active.
- If this switch is blue or green, your Android's Bluetooth is already active.
- On a Samsung Galaxy, the switch is to the right of an "OFF" heading, and it volition turn blueish or green when tapped.
2
Turn on your Windows computer's Bluetooth. Open Get-go

, open Settings

, click Devices, click the Bluetooth & other devices tab on the left side, and click the white "Off" switch

below the "Bluetooth" heading. It will slide to the right.
- If this switch has "On" written next to it, your computer's Bluetooth is already enabled.
three

Click Add Bluetooth or other device . This option is at the top of the folio. A menu will appear.
4

Click Bluetooth . It's in the menu. Doing then will prompt your computer to begin searching for your Android.
v
Click your Android's name. It should appear in the menu.
- If you don't see your Android's name, look for your computer's name in the Android's Bluetooth menu and, if you see it, tap it. Your Android'southward name should appear in the Windows Bluetooth menu after doing so.
6

Click Pair . It's beneath the Android's name in the menu.
vii

Click Yes on the code prompt. If the code displayed on your figurer matches the code displayed on your Android, click Yes hither. If not, click No, then try to pair the Android with your computer again.
8

Click the Bluetooth icon. It's a bluish icon that should be in the bottom-correct corner of your computer's screen, though you may offset have to click the ^ icon here to meet the Bluetooth icon.
ix

Click Receive a File . It'due south in the pop-up menu. Doing so will open a new window.
10
Find a file that you want to share from your Android. This might exist a photo or a video, for instance.
- If you accept a File Explorer app (e.g., ES File Explorer) installed on your Android, you can browse your Android's internal files (e.k., downloaded app APIs).
xi

Select the file. Tap and agree the file to exercise then. If it'south a photo or video, you can instead tap it to open up it.
12

Tap the menu button. In near cases, this will be a ⋮ or a ⋯ icon, though some Samsung Galaxy phones will have a MORE icon. A drop-down menu should appear.
thirteen

Tap the "Share" selection. This selection volition vary in appearance and proper noun depending on your Android.
14

Select the "Bluetooth" selection. Again, this option'south appearance will vary from Android to Android.
fifteen

Select your reckoner's name. Tap your computer in the menu that appears.
xvi

Click the confirmation bulletin on your calculator. If prompted to accept or turn down the file transfer on your reckoner, click Aye.
17
Follow whatever on-screen prompts. Once you verify that you lot want to accept the file on your calculator and you lot betoken a download location, the file should commence transferring to your calculator.
- Yous tin can also send files to your Android by clicking Transport a File in the Bluetooth popular-up menu, dragging files to transfer into the transfer window, following the on-screen prompts, and so tapping Have (or similar) on your Android when prompted.

1
Synchronize your Contacts information to iCloud. To do so:
- Open up Settings
- Tap your Apple tree ID proper noun card at the top of the page.
- Tap iCloud
- Tap the white switch adjacent to "Contacts". If the switch is green, you don't have to tap information technology.
2
Open up the iCloud website. Go to https://www.icloud.com/ in your web browser. This will open your iCloud dashboard if you lot're logged in.
- If you aren't logged in, enter your Apple ID email address and password to log in.
3

Click Contacts . It'south a silhouette of a person. Doing so opens a list of your contacts.
4

Click a contact. Select any contact in the middle column.
five

Select all contacts. Press Ctrl+A (or ⌘ Command+A on Mac) to select all contacts.
6

Click ⚙️ . It's in the bottom-left side of the page. A pop-up menu volition announced.
7

Click Export vCard… . You lot'll see information technology in the pop-upwards menu. Your contacts' vCard file volition download onto your estimator.

1
Support your Android's data . Before you can download things like contact information, you need to dorsum upwardly your Android's information to Google Drive.
- Brand sure you practice this over an Internet connection rather than a cellular data connectedness.
2
Open up Google Drive. Get to https://drive.google.com/ in your browser. This will open your Google Bulldoze business relationship if you lot're logged in.
- If you aren't logged into your Google Drive account, enter your email address and countersign to go on.
- This must exist the business relationship to which you backed up your Android. If it isn't, click your initial in the tiptop-right side of the Drive page, click Sign out, so sign back in with the correct account.
3

Click the Backups tab. It's in the lower-left side of the Google Drive page.
4

Select your backup. Click the backup file that y'all want to download onto your computer.
5

Click ⋮ . It's in the upper-correct side of the folio. A driblet-down carte du jour will appear.
half-dozen

Click Download . Yous'll see this option in the drib-down bill of fare. Doing then prompts your Android backup to download.

Add together New Question

Question

Can my neighbor connect my phone to their laptop without my noesis?

It depends on what type of phone you accept. For example, if you have an iPhone, your neighbour might be able to connect to your phone, simply you volition exist notified; a blue bar will appear at the tiptop of your telephone'southward screen.
Question

Is in that location a free app for information transferring?

Plug the charger into your phone, and the other end into the USB port on your computer.
Question

How can I transfer information from a PC to mobile phone?

You lot tin can exercise it through an app called Portal. Afterward you have downloaded that to your phone, keep your PC's browser and type in portal.pushbullet.com. Using your telephone, scan the QR code and so follow the prompts.

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If your phone is having trouble connecting to your figurer, try using a different USB port.
Another way to transfer information between your phone and your computer is by using cloud storage (e.yard., iCloud or Google Drive). You can upload a file to cloud storage using your telephone, open the cloud storage website on your reckoner, and then download the file from there.

Cheers for submitting a tip for review!

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Some types of data are incompatible with sure platforms (e.g., some Apple tree data won't be viewable on Android).
Y'all cannot use an iPhone to transfer files to a Windows 10 computer over Bluetooth.

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Article Summary X

* To transfer files from an iPhone, connect the iPhone to the figurer with a USB cablevision, open iTunes, select the iPhone, check "This computer," and then click Back Up Now.

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