Alternative to iCloud for backing up iPhone photos

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Level 1

4 points

Alternative to iCloud for backing up iPhone photos

Is there an easy way to backup Photos from iPhone other than wiping out your precious memories or paying a pretty penny for iCloud backup??

I thought people were joking up until now. I was not a heavy iPhone photos user until recently. For some reason, I always managed within the phone's allotted storage. But now due to changes in my llfestyle, I am taking a lot more photos and used up 200GB of space!! I am trying to find options to simply backup my photos to an external drive from my phone (that I paid a LOT OF MONEY for already) in addition to the monthly 200GB storage and don't want to keep using iCloud.

I am embarrassed to say that I consider myself a "techie" having worked in IT for over 20 years - and yet, I still can't figure out how to back up the photos from the phone to MacBook Air. I tried a couple times and ended up using "Import" multiple times - simply worsening the situation and duplicating the photos on the phone (!!)

For a company that has created such advanced interactive user features with slide screen etc I think this is not a "flaw" in apple products but a "feature" for them to make money with iCloud storage. Even though I recently bought the iPhone 15 Pro (and been an apple customer for almost 14 years) - if they ransom my memories against iCloud usage I feel I will have to switch sides to Android.

Apologies for the long post and question, but if someone has a solution please help.

Everything in Apple is "fast" and interactive" but moving a few GB worth of files? It seems takes hours? or days? WHY, Apple? We a quarter way in, into the 21st century - the world has moved on from GB to Petrabytes - why is Apple worst than Microsoft and Google combined in this feature?? It's like it's stuck with dial up speed when we have optic fiber elsewhere.

Frustrated

Yours truly

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Jan 1, 2025 6:49 PM

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Answer 1

Limnos

Level 10

420,379 points

Jan 1, 2025 7:14 PM in response to cherig26

This support article tells you how to transfer photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC:

Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC - Apple Support

I let my photos back up to my 5 GB free iCloud but I then download them promptly form iCloud to my computer. I sign into iCloud with a web browser and then transfer them to a location that Photos can't see.

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Answer 2

cherig26 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 1, 2025 8:57 PM in response to Limnos

Thank you @limnos. The download from iCloud was something I should've tried. Now that my iCloud storage is full, Apple has locked off my web browser access so I can no longer get to the web view. (I still see files via my iCloud storage on the phone though). I will keep trying if there is a way.

The instructions link you shared was what I tried before - and ended up importing twice into the same album on the iPhone (i.e. I am guessing what happened - since the Import view on MacBook Air is so poorly designed, one is never sure what the "To" and "From" folders are. - Apple is unique is not providing folder structure to transfer files and using "pre-programmed" import settings to move files (for eg. I do not see "delete from original option' under my Import view, and I am guessing import is actually into a 'virtual' album location rather than a physical folder directly accessible on my phone? And not seeing delete option under Import also might mean I have to select each picture individually to delete from iPhone - one wonders why a simple "Select All" option on Photos app is not provided - someone spent a lot of time to make this difficult for users.)

anyways, I am trying the import option one last time, currently after 45 mins, it has moved 300 or so pictures (~1500 MB), 7700 more to go....). There is a picture count discrepancy on iCloud vs Import view (15K vs 8000) and might be dup issue - a problem I will solve later.

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