How to transfer iPhone photos to external hard drive with Windows 11?

Transferring iPhone photos (large batches of) from iPhone to an external hard drive can be done quickly and efficiently by following the steps below. The fastest method typically involves using a computer as an intermediary, leveraging high-speed connections and optimized software.

How to transfer iPhone photos to external hard drive from Windows 11

1. Use the original Lightning to USB cable (or USB-C if supported) to connect your iPhone to the Mac.

2. Unlock your iPhone and, if prompted, tap "Trust This Computer."

3. Press the Windows key, type "Photos," and open the Photos app.

4. In the Photos app, click on "Import" > "From a USB device." The app will scan for new photos. Select the photos you want to import and choose a temporary folder (like the Pictures library).

5. Use a high-speed USB connection (USB 3.0 or USB-C) to connect your external hard drive. Ensure the drive is formatted in a compatible format like NTFS (for Windows) or exFAT (for cross-platform).

6. Navigate to the folder where you imported the photos (e.g., Pictures). Select the photos or folders you wish to transfer. Drag and drop them into the external hard drive via File Explorer for faster transfer.

Additional Tips for Faster Photo Transfer:

1.Use High-Speed Cables and Ports: Ensure you’re using the fastest available USB cables and ports (USB 3.0 or USB-C) to maximize transfer speeds.

2. Optimize Your Computer’s Performance: Close unnecessary applications to allocate more system resources to the transfer process.

3. Consider Using External SSDs: Solid State Drives (SSDs) offer faster read/write speeds compared to traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), speeding up the transfer process.