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How to transfer photos, videos from your external hard drive, Apple devices

If you own Apple products, sharing your files between devices is easier than ever. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how to share your media.

We recently received a great question from "Frank" of Fresh Meadows, New York, about transferring photos and videos.

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"First, I must tell you I love your newsletter. Need some help, I am trying to transfer photos and videos from my external hard drive to my iPad or my cloud. Is this possible?
Thank You – Frank"

The short answer is yes, it is possible to transfer photos and videos from your external hard drive to your iPad or your iCloud, but the methods may vary depending on the type and format of your external hard drive and the size and number of your files. Let's summarize some of the options and then get into how to use them.

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Using an external hard drive: You can transfer photos and videos from an external hard drive to an iPhone, iPad or iCloud by using a camera adapter.

Using Airdrop: If you want to transfer files quickly between Apple devices, you can use Airdrop.

Using iCloud: If you want to share files between devices, the most efficient way is to turn on your iCloud and sync your album.

Syncing Photo Album: Once the photo album is synced with your iCloud, your phone and iPad should also display those photos if you are syncing all your devices with the iCloud and have opted to share those photos between devices.

Storage Considerations: Not all people want to share photos via iCloud between devices because it can occupy more space on their devices, but it is a good option to keep everything accessible. You may want to make sure you have the option for storing files on your devices at a lower size and keep the original-sized images in the cloud: Settings > select your name in the first row > iCloudPhotosOptimize iPhone Storage.

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If your external hard drive has a Lightning or USB-C connector

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If your external hard drive is wireless or has a WiFi feature

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The above is not the only way for you to transfer files between Apple devices. There are multiple other ways that you can move your photos and videos around. The quickest way to transfer files between Apple devices is by using AirDrop.

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First, make sure AirDrop is turned on for your Mac and iPhone/iPad.

Second, make sure that both your Mac and your iPhone support AirDrop and have WiFi and Bluetooth turned on.

Make sure that your Mac and your iPhone are within 30 feet of each other and that there are no physical obstructions or interferences between them.

How to move photos and videos from a Mac to an iPhone or iPad:

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Then, you can follow these steps to start transferring:

How to transfer photos and videos from Mac to iPhone or iPad using AirDrop

Note that the process above may vary slightly depending on the version of macOS or iOS being used.

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Look at the steps above to make sure that AirDrop is turned on for your iPhone/iPad and your Mac. Then follow these steps:

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Pro Tip: Always double-check device settings and AirDrop preferences to ensure a smooth transfer.

Once the photo album is synced with your iCloud, your phone and iPad should also display those photos if you are syncing all your devices with your iCloud and have opted to share those photos between devices.

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Transferring photos and videos from an external hard drive to an iPad or iCloud is indeed possible, with various methods depending on the type of external hard drive.

Options include using the Files or Photos app, connecting via adapters, utilizing wireless or WiFi features, or using AirDrop for seamless transfer between Apple devices. It's important to double-check device settings and preferences to ensure a smooth transfer process.

What about transferring photos is the most difficult for you? Have you ever run into any issues when trying to do this? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact/.

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