How to Transfer Photo Albums from iPhone/iPad to Mac

Applies To: iPhone XS/XS Max/XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 6/6s, iPad in iOS 8 and later

"I have organized my photos on the iphone into several albums. But when I want to import them into Photos on my iMac, the albums disappear. I can import all the photos, but I have to re-organize them into albums again. Is there any way to import them as an album? Thanks!"

-- A Question from the Apple Community

Want to transfer photos from iPhone/iPad to Mac as an album but don't know how? Frankly speaking, there is no direct way to do that other than to transfer photos via iCloud or third-party software and then reorganize them on your Mac. It may sound a bit confusing, but it is actually very easy to operate. All you need to do is to follow the steps below to make it. Before you proceed, it's best for you to learn about what you can gain from each method.

EaseUS MobiMover - allows you to transfer all or a selection of photos from iPhone/iPad/iPod touch to Mac. Besides, it gives you options to organize photos and other iOS data by importing, exporting, and editing.

iCloud - gives you two options - iCloud Photo Library and iCloud Photos Stream. The former gives you only 5GB storage for free and the latter doesn't count against your storage. But the latter only supports transferring the most recent 30 day's photos (up to 1,000 photos). 

Part 1. How to transfer photo albums from iPhone/iPad to Mac with EaseUS MobiMover

As we mentioned earlier, you can use EaseUS MobiMover to transfer any data from iPhone/iPad to Mac with ease. In contrast with iTunes and iCloud, it allows you to select the desired photos or other files to transfer. More importantly, it is easy to use without any special skills required, which makes it easy for beginners. With it installed on your Mac/PC, you can:

• Transfer all photos and videos from Camera Roll, Photo Library, Photo Stream, Photo Videos. Also, it can transfer other files like Video, Audio, Contacts, Notes, Messages, Voice Mails, Books, etc.
• Move files between iOS devices or between a computer and an iOS device.
• Download videos from YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and other video-sharing websites.
• Unlock iOS screen without a passcode.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. Start EaseUS MobiMover and go to "Content Management" > "Pictures" > "Albums."

Step 2. Select the albums you'd like to copy from your iPhone/iPad to Mac. You can select specific items or select all, depending on your needs.

Step 3. Click the "Transfer" button, and MobiMover will start transferring albums from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac automatically. When it has completed, go to the destination to check the files.

If you want to transfer photos in Camera Roll selectively, you can go to Custom > Photos > Camera Roll, choose the photos you want to transfer and click Transfer to Computer.

Part 2. How to transfer a photo album from iPhone/iPad to Mac via iCloud Photos

iCloud offers users two options to sync their photos across devices. One is the iCloud Photo Library, and another is the iCloud Photo Stream. Apart from the regular methods, you can also do it by accessing the iCloud website. Each method has its cons and pros, depending on your needs.

Note: If you have iCloud Photos enabled on your Mac, it will automatically grab your My Photo Stream uploads and upload them appropriately via iCloud.

Option 1. iCloud Photo Library

To organize your photos better on Mac, you can create a new photo library dedicated to storing photos you transferred from your iPhone. And before you start, don't forget to enable iCloud Photos on your iPhone by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and toggle on iCloud Photo Library.

Step 1. Create a new and empty Photos library by pressing "Alt" while launching the Photos app > Click on "Create New" > Give it a name.

Step 2. Import photos from iPhone to the Photos library you create by connecting your iPhone to your Mac via a USB > Import > Import All New Items.

Step 3. Activate iCloud Photo Libary for your new photo library by clicking "Photos" in the menu bar > "Preference" > "General" > "Use as System Linbary" > "iCloud" > Enable "iCloud Photo Libary."

Step 4. Wait for the sync process to be completed. The steps may tale a few days to finish if you have a lot of photos and videos to transfer.

How to transfer photo albums from iPhone to Mac via icloud.com

Once you enable iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone, you can access your photos via iCloud.com. Therefore, you can also download photos to your Mac from icloud.com by following the steps below.

Step 1. On your Mac, open a browser and visit iCloud.com > Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID and password. (The Apple ID and password should be the same as the one you have signed in to iCloud on your iOS device.)

Step 2. Choose Photos, and you can see all your photo albums are listed on the left side > Click the Photo Album you want to transfer and choose the photos. (Use Command key for multiple selections.)

Step 3. Tap the Download selected items button to start to download photos from iCloud to your Mac.

By following the steps above, you can transfer photo albums from your iPhone/iPad to your Mac in an indirect way. What's more, you can also download iCloud photos to PC using similar steps. 

Option 2. iCloud Photo Stream

First of all, you'll need to enable iCloud Photo Stream on your iPhone by visiting the Settings app > [your name] >iCloud > Photos >Toggle on "Upload to My Photo Stream" on.

Step 1. Launch the Photos app on your Mac > Click on "Preference" from the Apple menu.

Step 2. Choose "iCloud" and sign in > Tap "Options" next to Photos > Check the box next to "My Photo Stream" > Click "Done."

The Bottom Line

As you can see, all of the methods above can transfer photos album to Mac. Of these methods, Method 1 is the most recommended since it can not only help you move photos but also help you organize them efficiently. If this guide is helpful to you, don't hesitate to share it with others who need it.