4 ways to share photos from your Android with your PC

This is how you can exchange photos with Android

There are several ways to transfer photos from your Android to a Windows PC or Mac. However, with Windows it is soon easier than with a Mac, which is more responsive to iOS and Apple products.

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1. Via bluetooth

Bluetooth can be found on any smartphone anyway, but it is also increasingly supported on your desktop or laptop. The feature has also become faster over the years, which makes it easier to transfer photos. If you work on a Windows computer, open the start menu and search for ‘bluetooth’ for the bluetooth settings.

You will now see several options. Choose ‘Receive file’. A new screen opens that says ‘Waiting for a connection’. Turn bluetooth on your Android, go to the Gallery app and select the photos you want to transfer. Then choose ‘Share’ and select the bluetooth option. You can now choose which device you want to share the files with. Now you have to wait until the message “Save the received file” appears on your desktop. Just choose for completion and everything is arranged.

On a Mac this actually works the same. Select ‘Bluetooth on’ and then ‘Browse device’. Now you can choose the photos you want to copy to your Mac. Keep in mind that transferring files via bluetooth works a lot slower than via USB or Wi-Fi.

2. Via usb (Windows)

Another obvious way is to connect your Android to your desktop via the USB cable. That is of course simple: connect the cable to your phone on one side, and your laptop or computer on the other. Then swipe the notification bar of your Android down, tap the message “USB for …” and select “Transfer files (MTP).”

The window ‘File transfer’ is then opened on your computer. In addition, your mobile device is shown in the overview of ‘Devices and stations’ in Explorer. Here you can move, copy, paste and delete files just like with a normal USB stick.

3. Via usb (Mac)

Transferring files to the Mac from your Android is slightly more challenging via usb. To make this successful, you first need to install Android File Transfer on your Mac. This is a program from Google to enable file transfer via a USB connection from Android to the Mac. You only have to perform the installation once. Then the app is automatically opened every time you connect your Android.

Then connect your Android with the usb cable. On your device, swipe down the notification bar and select the message “USB for …” and then “Transfer files”. An Android File Transfer window opens where you can select, move and delete files to your heart’s content.

Sharing your Android photos with your Mac is more challenging

4. Through the cloud

Not everyone is happy with Android File Transfer or likes to mess with cables and bluetooth. It is also possible to exchange files with your PC or Mac via Wi-Fi. The advantage of this exchange method is that you can carry the photos anywhere with you and open them. Whether this is on iOS, Android, Windows, desktop or Mac. You can choose standard apps like Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud, but there are also services developed specifically for sharing photos and videos such as Google Photos or AirDroid .

The first requires only one app on your Android and the use of the online cloud environment on your Mac or desktop. A nice extra is that Google Photos also offers possibilities for cleaning up your phone or making nice collages and videos of a special event.

Finally, there are apps like AirDroid. Actually, they are not specifically for sharing photos, but with such an app you can control much more of your Android from your computer. So it is possible to send text messages or WhatsAppen and you can make screenshots of your Android on your desktop.