How to transfer photos from an Android mobile to a computer: the six best methods

Sooner or later it is normal to want transfer all or some of our photos from an Android mobile to a PC to edit them, like backup, to be able to see them on the big screen or for any other possible reason.

There are infinity of ways to transfer photos from a mobile to a PC, and here we will tell you the six simplest methods so that you can copy photos and videos from your mobile to your PC without complications.

With a cable

Connecting your mobile to a PC using a USB cable is the most basic and universal way to copy photos and files. It is as simple as connecting the USB cable at one end to the mobile and on the other in a USB port that is available on the PC.

When doing so, the mobile will ask you to choose what a connection mode. The most common option is “transfer files”, which will make the mobile appear in the file explorer as one more unit, being able to browse mobile folders and copy what you want, photos included.

Generally, the photos you take with the mobile camera are saved in the DCIM folder of the mobile, so that will be where you should go to be able to select and copy the photos to a folder on your PC, just as you would with any other file.

By Bluetooth

A classic way to transfer files between multiple devices is via Bluetooth. It is not as practical as other modes since the speed is somewhat reduced, but it is a good emergency method in case the others are not available at that time.

To transfer photos via Bluetooth from an Android mobile to a PC, you must first prepare the PC to accept the reception of files via Bluetooth. In Windows, you can easily do this by right-clicking on the Bluetooth icon in the notification area and choosing Receive a file.

With your PC ready to receive, it’s time to send from mobile. To do this, you must use the Android share menu and choose Bluetooth on the destination. If everything has gone well, the name of your PC will appear among the destinations to send via Bluetooth.

With the official application or ‘Your phone’ from Microsoft

Some mobile phone manufacturers have created PC applications with which you can easily access some data stored in the terminal, such as photos, contacts or SMS messages. In practice it is something like the wired connection, but using a specialized application instead of the file explorer.

The applications are different in each case and not all Android mobile brands have one, although among those that do have one, it is quite common that they allow you view and copy photos to PC you have on your mobile. These are some of the applications available:

• Download HiSuite for Huawei mobiles (Mac and Windows)

• Download SideSync for Samsung mobiles (Mac and Windows)

• Download LG PC Suite for LG mobiles (Mac and Windows)

• Download My PC Suite for Xiaomi mobile (Windows)

• Download Xperia Companion for Sony mobiles (Mac and Windows)

• Download ASUS PC Link for ASUS mobiles (Windows)

For mobiles that do not have a similar application, in Windows 10 they can use the application Your telephone, which is a similar but universal system. For use Your Phone you must install the application on your mobile Your Phone Companion and follow a series of simple steps to link both applications.

With AirDroid and the like

In addition to official applications or integrated into the operating system, there are several applications specialized in act as a bridge between the mobile and the PC, as AirDroid or PushBullet, to mention a couple of them. Basically, they work like the previous apps, but in a more universal way.

To use them, you need a previous preset that can be a bit long, since it implies that install the application on the mobile and another on the PC, although in the case of AirDroid you can also access the data from its web version, without having to install anything. The good news is that you only need to set it up the first time.

With Telegram, WhatsApp and the like

A classic way to send photos from mobile to PC is writing to yourself in messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. In WhatsApp the process requires some prior preparation and the use of WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop to be able to access the photos you send to yourself.

Telegram is better prepared for the task, as it is a cloud-based service with unlimited storage and a specific section for Saved messages, which amounts to something like a conversation with yourself where you can send whatever you want, photos included. To access them on the PC, you must use Telegram web or Telegram Desktop.

Uploading them to the cloud

Finally, we cannot forget about cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and the like. All of them have an official application for Android, which you can use to upload photos from mobile and be able to access them from anywhere else, like your PC.

Similarly, Google Photos can make a automatic copy of all your photos, so that as soon as they are synchronized you can access them from your PC thanks to the web version of Google Photos.

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The news

How to transfer photos from an Android mobile to a computer: the six best methods

was originally published in

Xataka Android

by
Ivan Ramirez

.