How to transfer all photos from one phone to another

• You can transfer photos from an old iPhone to a new iPhone using an iCloud backup.
• You can also transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone using AirDrop, iCloud Photos, Messages, and Mail.
• The easiest way to share your photos with other iPhone users is to use the Shared Albums feature.

For many people, an iPhone is really more of a camera than it is a phone at all. Later generation iPhone cameras, like those on the new iPhone 14 models, take amazing pictures. And with how many pictures we take, it only makes sense that we'd want to keep those pictures for as long as we can.

Luckily, you never have to delete your iPhone photos, even after you get a new iPhone. It's easy to transfer your photos from one iPhone to another, and you don't even need a computer to do it.

This also comes in handy if you have photos that you'd like to share with someone else who owns an iPhone.

How to transfer photos from your old iPhone to a new iPhone using iCloud

1. On the iPhone where all your photos are currently stored, open the Settings app.

2. Tap your name at the top of the Settings screen to open your Apple ID profile.

3. Tap iCloud. 

4. On this next page, you'll see a reading of how much iCloud storage space you're using, and a list of apps that are storing data in iCloud. Tap Photos, which should be at the top of the apps list.

5. Make sure that the toggle next to iCloud Photos is enabled.

Once you've enabled iCloud Photo backups, all of your photos will be saved to your Apple ID account.

Now, to transfer photos to your new phone:

1. Turn on your new iPhone and go through the basic setup instructions until you reach the Apps & Data page.

2. On this page, select Restore from iCloud Backup.

3. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID information.

4. Input the passcode you get from Apple – it will be sent to your other linked Apple devices, or it can be texted to you if you choose.

5. You'll need to agree to the Terms and Conditions to continue.

6. You'll be presented with a list of all your backups. Choose the iCloud backup that contains all the photos you want (usually the most recent one).

7. It may take a few minutes, but all of your photos, videos, and other backed up content will be transferred to your new iPhone.

How to transfer photos from your iPhone to a friend's iPhone

If you're just trying to send photos to someone else's iPhone, you can use one of five methods: 

Using AirDrop

First, make sure the AirDrop feature is enabled on both iPhones. 

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.

2. Go to the photo you wish to share, and then tap the upload icon – the little square with the arrow pointing up out of it – in the bottom left corner of the screen. 

If you want to send several images at once, tap the circles on the bottom right corner of the other pictures to select them.

3. Tap AirDrop – the icon that looks like concentric blue circles with a white triangle poking up from the bottom. 

4. Tap the person's name once it appears in the AirDrop space.

5. Once they accept the AirDrop offer, the photo(s) will transfer.

Using iCloud

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.

2. Go to the photo you wish to share, and then tap the upload icon. To select more photos, tap the circles in the bottom right corner of each image.

3. Tap Copy iCloud Link.

4. A window will pop up saying Preparing iCloud Link.

5. Once that window closes, you can open an email or text, paste the link (tap and hold the screen until a bar with the Paste option appears), and then send it.

Using iMessage or SMS

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.

2. Go to the photo you wish to share, and then tap the upload icon. To select more photos, tap the circles in the bottom right corner of each image.

3. Tap Messages – the green icon with a text bubble inside of it – to open the messaging app.

4. Send the picture via text to the iPhone(s) or any other phone(s) of your choosing.

Using email

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.

2. Go to the photo you wish to share, and then tap the upload icon. To select more photos, tap the circles in the bottom right corner of each image

3. Tap Mail – the blue icon with a closed letter inside of it – to open the email app

4. Send the picture via email to the email address(es) of your choosing.

By creating a shared album

If you regularly share pictures on your iPhone with the same people, take a minute to create a shared album. Any time you move a photo or video into it, the others sharing the album will have instant access.

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone. 

2. Tap Albums in the bottom menu.

3. Tap the plus sign in the top left corner of the screen to create a new album.

4. Tap New Shared Album.

5. In the pop-up, name the album, and then tap Next.

6. Enter all of the contacts you want to share the album with, and then tap Create.

Going forward, any image you move into this album will be accessible to everyone who accepted your invite to join it.

Steven John

Freelance Writer

Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com.

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