Downloading iphone photos onto a mac

[Farmer Pug]

I am looking to download photos off my iphone and put them onto my mac

I normally connect the phone to the mac via a usb cable and use photos to import them and prefer not to use icloud.

The photos have been organised into various albums on the iphone itself, is it possible to import the photos and maintain this album structure when they are brought over to the mac? Ie save the hassle of having to organise them back into albums when on the mac?

 

[Slydude]

Are you importing the pictures into the Mac using the Photos app? I think it preserves the organization.

 

[MacInWin]

Sly, I don't think that preserves the folders. I think you need to use iCloud to sync devices to preserve the folders. Not sure of that, but I seem to recall having to do that at some point in the dim and distant past.

 

[Slydude]

I wasn't sure Photos would preserve the structure but, off the top of my head, I couldn't think of anything else that might.

 

[MacInWin]

The times I have imported directly from iPhone to Photos the structure got lost and the images were just imported but not the folders. But using iCloud to sync did keep the folders on the iPhone. I'm working from some pretty old brain cells on that, but I do seem to remember being frustrated by losing the folders at first.

 

[Rod]

Yes I concur, if you use iCloud you can usually preserve the folder structure but if you just sync with the Photos app it will just add them to All Photos.

 

[IWT]

I also agree. Direct import to the Mac via USB, either directly to Photos app or via Image Capture > Photos app, does not preserve the Folders/Albums.

Using iCloud is not infallible, but usually manages to preserve the settings/structure.

Ian

 

[ferrarr]

I think Image Capture also offers the ability to save folder structure?

 

[IWT]

I think Image Capture also offers the ability to save folder structure?

You could be right, Bob, but I've never got it to work. Then again, it may be that I've missed some option to do that.

Ian

 

[Farmer Pug]

I upgraded the icloud storage to the 2Tb option, seems like it should be a good backup incase the mac ever quits.

Problems though, if i open icloud in safari i can now see the iphones pictures since July have went on ok, i cant see any of the photos that are from the mac from earlier than that date which would be the main reason for going for 2Tb, and i cant see the icloud photos when im in the photos program on the mac.

 

[ferrarr]

I upgraded the icloud storage to the 2Tb option, seems like it should be a good backup incase the mac ever quits.

Problems though, if i open icloud in safari i can now see the iphones pictures since July have went on ok, i cant see any of the photos that are from the mac from earlier than that date which would be the main reason for going for 2Tb, and i cant see the icloud photos when im in the photos program on the mac.

Did you enable iCloud Photos in Photos Preferences on the Mac?

 

[pm-r]

You could be right, Bob, but I've never got it to work. Then again, it may be that I've missed some option to do that.

Ian

Isn't it supposed to be a feature of iMazing.app when moving photos from an iDevice to a Mac, to keep the folder structure and order etc???


- Patrick
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[IWT]

Good point, Patrick. Answer is - I don't know. I'll investigate.

Ian