If you need to send photos from your phone to a computer, you can use email, Google Photos, or even a direct cable connection. However, you may find it faster and more convenient to transfer them wirelessly from phone to PC.

Microsoft once offered an app called Photos Companion, which allowed iPhone and Android users to transfer their photos to their computer. Windows 10 PC, but it was discontinued. Instead, Android users can use Microsoft's Your Phone program. iPhone users will need to find third-party options to complete this task.

Your phone

To start using Your Phone, first open Settings > Phone and click Add Phone button in Windows 10.

The Your Phone desktop app opens and asks you to choose your phone type. Choose Android and click Continue. Your Phone will ask you to confirm your Microsoft account. Click Continue.

Now install the Your Phone Companion app on your Android phone. Open the app and link your phone to your PC by logging into your Microsoft account or scanning the QR code. Scanning the code is faster, so press the button Is there a QR code on your PC? and tap Continue to next screen.

Back in the Your Phone desktop app, check the box for Yes, I've finished installing the Your Phone companion. Click the Open QR Code button.

A QR code appears on your desktop. Use your smartphone camera to scan the QR code.

In the mobile app, tap Continue, then grant permissions for Your Phone to access your contacts, phone calls, media, and messages. Tap Continue.

Choose to allow the app to run in the background for now. You can always change this later. Tap Allow to allow your phone to connect to your Windows PC. On the next screen, tap Done. The next screen confirms that your phone and PC are linked.

On your PC, tap the Let's Go button. You should then see your linked phone listed in the Your Phone app.

In the Your Phone app, click Settings > General and turn on the switch under Allow this app to show photos from my phone if it's not already turned on.

Your last 25 photos and screenshots should automatically appear on the main app screen. If not, click the entry for photos, then select the app icon. See photos button. Click on a photo to open it. For more settings, right-click an image to open a context menu with options to copy, share, or save the photo to your computer.

Now let's see some third-party photo transfer apps for iPhone, iPad, and in some cases, Android devices.

Recommended by our editors

Photo transfer app

Photo Transfer (iOS, Android) lets you transfer photos from your iPhone or Android device to your computer over Wi-Fi. If you're using the free version of the mobile app, you can transfer up to 10 pictures at a time. For $6.99, the paid version offers more features, like no transfer limit and full resolution transfers.

Install the app on your phone and use the dedicated webpage feature to transfer photos to your computer. Open the app on your phone and click the send button. There are several options available for sending photos, but try the one that allows you to send photos over Wi-Fi. If you're using a Windows PC, tap the Windows icon. The next screen tells you that you can run the Photo Transfer application on your computer or use your web browser.

If you plan to use the software regularly, I suggest installing the free desktop app. Windows or Mac on your computer, as it is easier to use than the web page. Open the app on your computer, click the Discover Devices button, then select your phone. You can select Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to perform the transfer.

On your phone, allow the connection. Your phone's photo albums and libraries should appear in the app on your computer. You can now browse your photos. Right-click on a specific photo to download it to your computer, delete it from your phone, or download and delete it. You can also select multiple photos to upload or delete at once.

PhotoSync

PhotoSync (iOS, Android) also uses mobile and desktop apps. You can transfer photos to Windows or Mac computer, desktop or laptop. network-attached storage device or online storage site such as OneDrive or Dropbox. The basic app is free but limits your photos to low quality JPG images. For a one-time purchase of $13.99 or a subscription of 99 cents per month or $2.99 ​​per year, you will get higher quality image transfers and other bonus features.

Download the app to your phone then install the free image transfer software. PhotoSync Companion for your Windows PC or Mac. Launch the mobile app, and it automatically displays your camera list. Select the photos you want to transfer. Tap the red transfer circle in the upper right corner. You can now choose to transfer all photos in your library or only selected images.

Choose the destination, such as your computer, another phone or tablet, or a storage site. If you select your computer, make sure the companion app is running on your Windows PC or Mac. In the mobile app, tap your computer's name. Your photos are then transferred, and PhotoSync creates a subfolder under your Pictures folder. This folder then opens automatically to allow you to view the transferred photos.

Photo transfer via WiFi

The free WiFi Photo Transfer app (iOS only) generates a local web page on your network from which you can view and download photos from your phone. Launch the app on your phone and enter the URL displayed on the screen into your computer's browser.

The page shows all of your phone's photo libraries, with your most recent photos at the top. Click the Recents link to see all of your latest photos. Click the Download .zip button. Select one or more photos and click the Download Selected Photos button. The photos are downloaded in a single zip file which you can then unzip on your PC.