What’s the Best Way to Transfer Pictures From My Smartphone to a Computer?

Make sure that both the computer and phone are unlocked. Google instructs Android users to tap the Charging this device via USB notification on the phone, then choose File Transfer under Use USB for.

A file transfer window should appear on the computer. Inside this window, locate the photos you want to move and drag them to a designated computer drive.

Worth noting: Since phones and flavors of Android differ, if you’re running into a problem, try changing your phone’s USB settings to Transfer Files or Transfer Photos.

On a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, you can also initiate a transfer by launching the Photos app.

Select Import from within the app. All devices connected to the computer should be listed, including, of course, your phone.

Click the phone’s name from the list and wait for the photos and videos to load, which could take a bit of time depending on the size of your stash. From there, select which items you want to download from your phone and choose a destination folder for the files. When satisfied, select Confirm.

2. Memory card is an option for older devices

Fewer computers and mobile phones can accommodate SD memory cards, short for secure digital, or micro-SD memory cards nowadays, but you’ll still find them on some machines.

If you have a card loaded with photos, insert it into the slot on the computer, which likely requires an adapter to fit the smaller micro-SD card into the larger SD slot. You can also attach a USB card reader to the computer.

It too should be listed as an Import option in the Photos app.

3. Use Google Photos or another cloud service

You can easily store photos online through Google Photos, then log in to the account from your PC.

Open the Photos app on your Android phone and tap your profile picture in the upper right-hand corner of the display. The assumption is that you have a Google account.

Select Photos Settings | Backup so you can see how much space the photos on your phone are taking up. You have the option here to save the photos at a slightly reduced quality, which would let you store more of them.

Back on your PC, log in to the Google Photos website with your account credentials. You should see all the photos from your Android phone on the PC.

Select each photo you want to download to the computer by clicking the check mark at the top left corner of the image’s thumbnail when you hover over it. To select multiple pictures, select the check mark on the initial image in the group, press down the Shift key, then click the check mark on the last picture you want to save. All images between the two check marks will be selected.

Tap the three vertical dots ⋮ in the upper right corner of the Google Photos browser window and click Download.

One major downside: You may have to pay. Google used to offer unlimited high-quality photo backups in Google Photos for free, but the largesse ended in June 2021. The free limit now is 15 GB, but that must be shared across Google Drive and Gmail.

Google’s standard 200 GB plan costs $29.99 a year, with more capacity options available at higher prices.

You can look at other cloud storage options as well, including Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive and, for the Apple community, iCloud; all have free or tiered subscription pricing.

You’ll see more devices with USB-C cables, left, and ports because of European Union standards. Older iPhones use Lightning connectors, center, and older Android phones use micro-USB cables, right.

Photo by Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/picture alliance via Getty Images

Bonus tip: Not all USB cables are created equal

I’m not referring, for example, to USB-A versus USB-C. Those are obviously different.

But when comparing cables that otherwise look the same, you may have to dig deeper. Not all these cables can transfer files or do so at data speeds you’ll find acceptable.

The cables packaged with your smartphone and computer should do what you expect them to, as should cables from reputable brands. As for cheap cables you might pick up at a convenience store or the mall? They’re cheap for a reason and can’t be counted on.