How do I transfer photos from my smartphone to my PC?

Any photos that you've taken on your Samsung smartphone can be transferred to your PC for storage, editing and sharing. This can be done using a USB cable or via Bluetooth.

  • If you are uploading your photos to your PC in order to transfer them to a new device, Samsung's Smart Switch app can copy all of your data, including photos, from your old device to a new one
  • The Samsung Flow feature allows your device to securely log into your computer and transfer your data using Near Field Communication (NFC)

1 Connect your smartphone to your computer using a Samsung USB cable. If you use a USB-C to USB-C cable you may need a different cable or an adapter, depending on the PC you are connecting to

Please note: Make sure the USB cable you are using supports MTP or PTP connections.

2 If asked to Allow access to phone data? tap Allow to accept

Please note: This option may not appear depending on your device and if it has been connected to the PC in the past.

Allow selected in popup
3 Once connected, swipe down from the top of the screen to access your notifications
4 Tap on the notification from the Android System that says USB for file transfer
USB for file transfer selected
5 Tap Tap for other USB options
Tap for other USB options selected
6 Tap to select Transferring files / Android Auto
Transferring files / Android Auto selected in USB settings
7 Now that your smartphone has a transfer connection it will appear on your PC as an available drive

To find your device on your PC, open your File Explorer then open the This PC folder.

Please note: Your smartphone may appear as a popup window on your PC automatically. This usually happens when the smartphone and PC have been connected before.

8 Double click on your device to open the folder
Device selected in Windows
9 Double click on the folder called Internal storage or similar. If you want to transfer photos from an SD card, select the SD card here
Internal storage selected on PC
10 You will be able to see all the files you have stored on your phone. Your photos can be found in the DCIM folder
DCIM folder selected on PC

Please note: If you save your photos to an SD card, they will be under DCIM in the SD card folder instead 

11 Select the photos that you wish to transfer and either drag and drop them or copy and paste them into a folder that is saved on your PC
How do I transfer photos from my smartphone to my PC?

Please note: The following steps may vary depending on your computer manufacturer and style. 

1 Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Quick settings panel
Swiping down from top of screen to reveal Quick Settings panel
2 Make sure Bluetooth is turned on. If the icon is greyed out, tap it to turn it on
Bluetooth symbol selected in Quick settings panel
3 On your PC open settings
4 Select Bluetooth & devices. Make sure Bluetooth is switched to On. Click on Add device
Bluetooth & devices selected in PC
5 On your phone, your computer should appear as an available device to pair. On your PC, your phone should appear in the available devices

Please note: If either of your devices does not appear on the corresponding device's Bluetooth options, you may need to choose pair new device before proceeding with the next steps.

6 Click Add device then select Bluetooth
Bluetooth selected in Add device popup
7 Choose your device from the list of available devices, then follow the instructions onscreen to pair your device
8 Click on Send or receive files via Bluetooth
9 Choose Receive files if you are moving files from your phone to your PC
Receive files via Bluetooth selected
10 On your phone, open the Gallery app
Gallery app icon
11 In the Gallery app, tap and hold on the image you want to transfer. To transfer more than one photo, tap on the other photos you want to select
Images selected in Gallery app
12 Tap Share
Share selected in Gallery app
13 Tap Bluetooth
Bluetooth selected in Gallery app
14 Select your computer
Computer selected in Bluetooth device list
15 Your computer will automatically begin downloading the image files
Images being transferred to PC
16 Choose where you want to save your files in your computer and click OK and Finish

If you're having issues transferring photos onto your computer, try some of these fixes to troubleshoot.

Check your USB cable and USB port

Some third-party cables do not allow for data transfer and only provide charging capabilities. Try using a different cable and try a different USB port on your laptop or PC.

Check your antivirus software

Your antivirus software is designed to protect your computer from malicious malware, however it can also prevent your phone or tablet from being able to export photos to your computer. Check your software to make sure this isn't causing you problems. 

Connect as a media device

When you first connect your device to your PC it may pop up a notification indicating that your phone or tablet is charging. Tap on this to change the settings to "Connected as media device" so that data can be transferred. 

For further support, please visit Samsung Support.

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