5 Fast Methods to Transfer Photos Between Android and iPhone

This article explains how to transfer pictures from Android to iPhone using a variety of different approaches. While there may be additional ways to move your photos, these are the quickest and simplest methods.

How to Transfer Using Google Photos

The nice thing about using Google Photos is that you can easily share pictures on both devices using the mobile app and signing in with the same Google account.

If you automatically save photos and screenshots to Google Photos on your Android phone, you can simply open the Google Photos app on your iPhone to view the pictures on the Photos tab.

If not, you can upload them to the Google Photos app from Files on Android with these steps:

1. Open the Files app and select Images.

2. Tap to select one or more photos.

3. Choose the Share button at the top and pick Photos in the share sheet.
   

4. Select your Google account (if you have more than one) and tap Upload.

5. Open the Google Photos app on your iPhone to see the pictures.

   To download a photo on iPhone, tap More (three dots) on the top right and pick Download.

How to Move Photos from Android to iPhone Using iCloud

To send the pictures from your Android device directly to the Photos app on your iPhone, you can use iCloud Photos. While it doesn't currently have a dedicated app for Android, you can visit iCloud Photos in your mobile browser to upload on your Android.

1. Open your preferred Android web browser and visit the iCloud Photos website.

2. Sign in with your Apple ID and follow the prompts for the security verification process.

3. Tap the Upload button on the top right.

4. Navigate to the photos you want to transfer, select them, and tap Add.

5. After a moment, you’ll see the pictures appear in iCloud Photos.

   Open the Photos app on your iPhone to access the pictures, which you can find quickly in the Recents album.

How to Move Pictures Use a Cloud Storage Service

With Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or a similar cloud storage service, you can easily upload your photos from Android and access them on your iPhone. This option also lets you view the pictures with your computer or another device via the web.

You can access your storage service using the web browser on your Android phone and iPhone or use the mobile app on each device.

As an example, here’s how to share photos using the Google Drive app.

1. Open Google Drive on Android and tap New on the bottom right.

2. Select Upload.

3. Choose an option at the top for the location of your pictures such as Media picker or Photos.

4. Tap to select one or more pictures and pick Add at the bottom.
   

5. After your photos appear, open the Google Drive mobile app on your iPhone.

6. You should then see your pictures on the Home tab or by opening the menu on the left and selecting Recent.

   To download a photo on iPhone, tap More (three dots) to the right and pick Download.
   

Use Email

To transfer just a couple of photos, you can also send them in an email. This method is a good way to go because you don't need the same mobile app or service on each device; all you need is an email address.

Share From Photos or Files

The first way to send your photos in an email is to share them from their current location on your Android device.

1. Open Photos or Files and tap to select the pictures.
   

2. Select the Share button at the top and pick your email app at the bottom.

3. When the picture appears in a Compose window, enter the email address, subject line, and message.

4. Choose Send when you finish.

5. Open and save the photos per your iPhone’s email app.

Attach to an Email Message

Depending on the Android app you use for sending and receiving emails, this next process may differ. Because Gmail is popular on Android, we’ll use it as our example.

1. Open Gmail and tap Compose at the bottom.

2. Enter the email address, subject line, and message.

3. Tap the Attachment button (paper clip) at the top.

4. Choose Insert photo.

5. Tap to select your picture and continue this process to insert additional photos.

6. Choose Send to send the email.

7. Open and save the pictures per the email app on your iPhone.

Use a Third-Party Transfer App

One more method worth considering for moving photos is a dedicated file-transfer app. This is ideal if you plan to share many photos often along with transferring other data from Android like files or videos.

You’ll find many transfer apps available for both devices including Send Anywhere, SHAREit, and Xender. As an example, we'll show you how to move photos from Android to iPhone with Send Anywhere.

1. Open Send Anywhere on Android and choose Send at the bottom.

2. Go to the Photos tab at the top and select one or more pictures.

3. Tap Send at the bottom.

4. Open Send Anywhere on your iPhone and select your connected device via the Android app. Alternatively, you can enter the key you see in the Android app or scan the QR code with your iPhone.

5. Confirm the transfer if prompted.

6. Go to the History tab in the iPhone app and tap Receive for the photo.

   You’ll see the transferred pictures automatically appear in the Recents album of the iPhone Photos app.