Make Mac BetterGuides
iPhone photos to your Mac, without AirDrop
AirDrop sometimes doesn’t see the Mac, asks you to change settings or doesn’t exist at all (on a PC or an older Mac). These are the alternatives that keep the original quality.
Step by step
With a cable and the Photos app
Connect the iPhone, unlock it, tap “Trust” and import from the Photos app or Image Capture on the Mac. Reliable, but you need the right cable.
With iCloud Photos
Turn on iCloud Photos on the iPhone and the Mac. They sync on their own, but it needs space in iCloud and an internet connection, and it can take a while.
With a QR code over Wi‑Fi
On your computer open makemacbetter.com/en/transfer, press “Start free transfer” and scan the QR with the iPhone camera. Pick the photos and they arrive in original quality.
Without limits, with Make Mac Better
The Transfer module in the app does the same with no limits, from any phone, and saves straight into the folder you choose on your Mac.
Why doesn’t AirDrop find my Mac?
Common causes: Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth off, AirDrop set to “Contacts only”, or the Mac being asleep. A QR code over Wi‑Fi avoids all of that.
Do photos lose quality?
No. With a cable, iCloud (original setting) or Transfer the file arrives as it is. Transfer also checks every file with SHA‑256.
Reviewed October 2026. Prices and features of other apps can change; check their websites.