How to Transfer Files from iPhone or iPad to Mac

Transferring documents between your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and your Mac or PC is straightforward when you use Apple’s built-in file-sharing workflow.

To transfer files, your iOS app must support file sharing (for example: Pages, Numbers, GoodReader, and similar apps).

Open the file transfer interface

1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer.
2. Open iTunes (or Finder on newer macOS versions) if it does not open automatically.
3. Select your device, then open the Applications section (or Files section in Finder).
4. Scroll to the file-sharing area to view apps that can send or receive documents.

Transfer files from iOS to your computer

1. Select the app that contains the document.
2. In the files pane, drag the file from the device to your desktop or preferred folder.

Transfer files from your computer to iOS

1. Select the app in the file-sharing area.
2. Click Add, choose your file, and click Open.
3. You can also drag and drop files directly into the app’s files pane.

Once added, the document will appear inside that app on your iPhone or iPad.