CopyTrans Studio
iPhone and Samsung have two completely different systems – iPhone is built on iOS by Apple, while Samsung uses the Android operating system. This is why you can’t use AirDrop, Bluetooth or Quick Share.
I will show you different ways to transfer photos from an iPhone to a Samsung that I tested before writing this article. The solutions suit different purposes – some are more useful for switching to a brand-new Samsung, others are great for sharing just a few pictures. Check them all and choose the best one for you.
- Use Smart Switch app to copy only the photo library
Good for transferring the whole photo library wirelessly - Transfer using a PC and USB cable
Suits for transferring the whole Photo Library or a few photos - Send photos via messaging apps
Great for sending a few pictures
Transfer photos from iPhone to Samsung via Smart Switch app
Samsung offers multiple ways to transfer data from iPhone to Samsung via Smart Switch: USB-cable, Wi-Fi, iTunes backup, or iCloud. Below, I’ll show you how to transfer photos via Wi-Fi, as it’s the most convenient solution.
.HEIC photos are transferred as .HEIC. The size stays the same. However, in my case, the date taken was changed to 2 hours earlier due to time zone change.
Live Photos are transferred as Motion Photos, so the animation is preserved.
iPhone .HEVC videos are not compatible with Samsung and cannot be played. You need to convert them on your PC first and then add them to the Samsung (see how to proceed below).
I found many duplicates on Samsung. I guess it can be because the photos were both in the Photo Library and albums on my iPhone.
- Find Smart Switch on Samsung. It should be preinstalled. If not, try to install it from the App Store. If it’s impossible, it means your Samsung model is not compatible with Smart Switch. Please try other methods below.
- Launch the app. Allow access to all the data – you won’t be able to proceed otherwise. You can select the transfer of photos and videos only later.
- Select “Receive on this phone”. Then, click on “iPhone/iPad”.
- At the bottom of the screen, choose “Transfer wirelessly”.
- A QR code will appear. Don’t close the app.
- Install Smart Switch on your iPhone. Go to the App Store and type “Smart Switch”. Press the “Get” button – the app is totally free.
- Launch the app on your iPhone. Allow access to all the data – you won’t be able to proceed otherwise.
- In the “Get Connected” window, select “Transfer wirelessly”. The camera should now be on, and you can scan the QR code on the Samsung screen.
- You can now select data to transfer. You can select the images only and deselect other categories.
- Wait until the progress reaches 100%. The photos will continue loading even after you close Smart Switch. Be patient.
Transfer iPhone photos to Samsung using a PC and USB cable
This is the most secure and sure way to copy photos from one device to another because you can control the whole process.
Androids are easy to manage on Windows PCs, but you need an app that can facilitate the data transfer for an iPhone. I will show you how to use CopyTrans Studio to copy all the iPhone photo library or only selected photos to a PC.
CopyTrans Studio is the best tool because:
Image quality and the date taken are preserved, so the photos will be in the same order;
The interface is user-friendly and familiar to everyone;
All the data stays on your PC only – nothing is sent to a cloud or a server;
You select what to transfer to your Samsung.
Step 1
- Click on the button below to download CopyTrans Studio to your PC. Install it as usual – you can refer to the setup guide if necessary.
- Your PC will restart after the installation! Make sure you saved the link to this article somewhere or pinned it not to lose the page.
- Connect your iPhone to the PC and launch CopyTrans Studio. You will see a window appear. Select “Copy your iPhone photos and videos to PC”.
- CopyTrans Studio is integrated into the Windows Explorer, so you’ll see your iPhone icon in the folder. Double-click on it.
- You can make a full backup to copy the whole photo library in one go.
- I recommend checking the box “Convert photo in HEIC to JPEG”. Otherwise, there’s a possibility the photos will not show on your Samsung.
Another option is to drag and drop the folder “All Photos” to your desktop. However, the originals will be transferred. If the photos are in the .heic format, there’s a possibility your Samsung won’t be able to read them. Here’s how to convert folders with HEIC photos to JPEG on Windows.
To copy only a few selected photos, open any album you like in CopyTrans Studio. You can drag and drop pictures to a folder on your PC.
Please make sure the photos are not in the .heic format. Otherwise, it’s highly possible your Samsung phone won’t read them. You need to convert the .heic photos to .jpeg. You can right click on a photo or a folder to convert it with CopyTrans Studio.
Step 2
Now, let’s transfer photos from your PC to Samsung. In the example below, I transfer photos to a Samsung A53. The procedure should not differ much for your Samsung model.
- Connect the Samsung to the PC. You need to unlock the phone screen and allow access for this computer if asked.
- Open a folder on your PC. You will see your Samsung in the menu on the left – click on it.
- Go to Samsung phone -> Storage -> DCIM -> Camera.
- You can drag and drop the transferred images to this folder.
Can you view the transferred images on your Samsung? If not, they must be in .HEIC. Use CopyTrans Studio to convert them to .jpeg on your PC first, then drag and drop the .jpeg versions to your Samsung anew.
Can you view the transferred videos? If not, it means they are in the Apple .HEVC (MOV) format. You should first convert them to .mp4 online. Simply Google “convert MOV to mp4” and upload your videos to a website from the list. When the conversion is done, download the .mp4 versions to your PC and drag and drop them to the Camera folder as per the instructions above.
How to transfer pictures from iPhone to Samsung via messaging apps?
If you only have a dozen images to transfer, the easiest and most convenient solution would be to use WhatsApp or Telegram. Your iPhone and Samsung should be connected to the same Telegram account. On WhatsApp, you can’t be connected to the same account on 2 devices at the same time. So, you will have to send the files on your iPhone first, then connect to the same account on Samsung to download the files.
On WhatsApp
- Open the conversation with yourself on WhatsApp and touch the + icon.
- Touch the “Document”, then select “Choose photo or video”.
- Select the pictures from the photo library and send them.
On Telegram
- Open the conversation with yourself on Telegram, touch the pin icon.
- Touch the “File”, then select “Select from Gallery”.
- Select the pictures from the photo library and send them.
- Then open the same conversation on Samsung and download the pictures. They will appear in your gallery.
If you see that the name of the photos ends with .HEIC and videos are .MOV, there’s a possibility your Samsung won’t open such files.
You can press the plus/ pin icon and send them normally via WhatsApp or Telegram to yourself. The files will be automatically converted to the compatible formats “jpeg” for photos and “mp4” for videos, but in that case, the quality will be lost. The date taken will be changed to today.
Or, copy the files to your PC first, then convert them and send them to the Samsung. Check the instructions above.
How to transfer pictures from iPhone to Samsung?
FAQ
Can AirDrop send to Samsung?
No. AirDrop can be used to send files between Apple devices only, such as iPhone or iPad. You can use Smart Switch to transfer files via Wi-Fi.
Can you Bluetooth photos from iPhone to Android?
No. You can use Bluetooth to transfer files between two Androids, but not between an Android and an iPhone. iPhone uses Bluetooth to connect to different tools, like earbuds, a loudspeaker etc.
If you’re looking for a wireless way to transfer files, you can use Smart Switch to copy the whole iPhone photo library to Samsung. If you need to copy a few images, you can send them via WhatsApp or Telegram, but the date taken and quality will change. If you have a computer, use CopyTrans Studio to copy iPhone pics to PC via Wi-Fi, then send these pics from the PC to your Samsung using Bluetooth or a cable.
How to send Live Photos from iPhone to Samsung?
The Live Photos will be automatically transformed to Motion Photos if you make the transfer via Smart Switch.
Another way would be to make a Loop of your Live Photo on the iPhone, then send this file to yourself on Telegram or WhatsApp. Note that the date taken will be changed to today. The downloaded image will be in .gif format.
To change a Live Photo to a Loop, open the photo on your iPhone and press the Live Photo icon on top, then select “Loop”. You can now share the photo via Telegram or WhatsApp and download it on your Samsung.
Why won’t my iPhone photos transfer to my Samsung phone?
Make sure your iPhone photos are not in .HEIC. Not all Samsungs support .HEIC.
Open a picture on your iPhone and press the i sign below. If the photo is .HEIC, you need to convert it to .JPEG. Here’s how to convert HEIF to JPEG.
If you are trying to use Bluetooth or AirDrop to send pictures, it won’t work. Bluetooth only works between two Androids and AirDrop only works between two iOS devices (iPhone or iPad).
The most secure and sure way to copy photos is to use CopyTrans Studio on your Windows PC. See the instructions above.
Is the Samsung Smart Switch free?
Yes, it’s a free app offered by Samsung. One can use it to copy data from an iPhone or Android to a Samsung phone.
Conclusion
The easiest way to transfer a few photos from iPhone to Samsung is to send them as files via WhatsApp or Telegram (see the solution).
If you have a brand new Samsung, you can use Smart Switch. It will transfer your whole iPhone photo library to Samsung via Wi-Fi. It’s impossible to select photos and videos to transfer (see the solution). iPhone videos won’t play on Samsung.
If you want to make sure everything can be open, the date and quality are preserved, it’s better to transfer via PC. Use CopyTrans Studio:
to transfer the whole photo library or only a few photos to the PC
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then, to convert iPhone photos to .jpeg, a format that is supported by all Samsung phones (see the solution).