# Simplifying Photo Transfers: A Guide to Moving iPhone Pics
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Understanding the Need for Photo Management
Some time ago, I realized it was essential to back up my photos by transferring them to my laptop, which would also free up storage on my phone. However, I was completely clueless about the process. Although I could have asked my husband for help—who could complete the task in mere minutes—I often struggle to remember the necessary steps unless I document them meticulously.
To tackle this, I created a “Tech stuff” note in my phone's Notes app. This serves as my reference point for various tech-related tasks, ensuring I have the information on hand for when my husband isn't available.
How to Transfer Photos from Your iPhone
To begin transferring photos from your iPhone, you'll need a lightning/USB cable (the small white cable that typically comes with your phone). Once connected, navigate to This PC > Apple iPhone > Internal Storage > DCIM to find your photos. They are organized into folders based on year and month, so the folder for May 2023 will be labeled 202305. Unfortunately, the file names are often not descriptive.
To make it easier to manage your photos, switch to Large Icons view to see previews of the images. This will assist you in organizing them into folders that have meaningful names to you.
I’ve enjoyed creating albums on my iPhone for various photo stories I’m developing. However, I was frustrated to find that these albums are not accessible when I try to transfer them to my laptop. This experience made me wish I had regularly backed up my photos in a more organized manner, which would have simplified the process of locating specific images.
While these IT tasks can seem tedious, I found an effective approach that not only helped me locate the photos I needed for my stories but also freed up valuable space on my phone. Here’s a quick guide to finding specific photos using File Explorer on your laptop:
- Open the desired photo on your phone and jot down the date and time it was captured.
- On your laptop, check the Details view of your photo files and sort them by the Created date and time to find your photo.
- Select the file and switch back to Large Icons view to confirm that it’s the correct photo or find one that closely resembles it.
The convenience of smartphones allows us to snap pictures effortlessly, but it can also lead to forgetting about those photos once they’re stored away on our devices. The photo stories I am creating are part of a fun A-Z writing challenge, providing me a wonderful reason to revisit my old photos and share the memories and stories that accompany them.
Check out the series so far below.
Key Message: Keeping your photos organized is essential to ensure that the memories captured with your smartphone do not fade away.
Exploring the A-Z Photography Challenge
A collection of photo stories inspired by the letters of the alphabet.