How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly

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How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
To keep your videos safe in case something happens to your iPhone, you can transfer them to your Mac in a few different ways. lechatnoir/Getty Images
  • You can transfer videos from your iPhone to your Mac computer using AirDrop or iCloud.
  • When you transfer videos with AirDrop, both devices need to be within a few feet to connect.
  • You can also sync photos with iCloud so all new iPhone photos automatically transfer to your Mac.
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If you're an Apple user, you have two ways to wirelessly transfer videos and photos from your iPhone to your Mac: through AirDrop, or through iCloud.

Here's how to transfer videos from your iPhone to your Mac both ways.

Quick tip: You can also transfer photos from your iPhone to your Mac or PC with a hard-wired connection.

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How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac with AirDrop

AirDrop lets you easily send all sorts of files from your iPhone to your Mac computer. But, you'll need to have your phone and your computer within a few feet of each other - AirDrop works only for short-range transmission.

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.

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2. To view all your videos on your iPhone, tap Albums at the bottom of the screen, scroll down to the Media Types section, and choose Videos.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
On the "Albums" tab, select "Videos." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. Tap Select in the upper-right corner of the videos screen. You can tap each individual video you want to import, choose Select All in the top-left corner, or swipe your finger across the photos to select multiple at once. A blue check will appear on each video you select.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
To choose photos, first tap "Select" in the top-right corner. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. Tap the Share icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
After selecting your video(s), tap the "Share" button at the bottom. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

5. In the Share pop-up menu, tap the AirDrop icon, which looks like a blue bullseye.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
Select "AirDrop." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

6. On the AirDrop page, find and select your Mac computer. If you don't see your computer after a few seconds, make sure that your Mac has AirDrop activated.

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How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
Select the Mac you want to AirDrop to. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

7. You'll have to accept the transfer on your Mac. The import may take a few seconds. On your iPhone, a blue line will appear around the icon for your Mac. The AirDrop is complete once the blue line gets all the way around the circle.

8. Once the videos have been transferred, a pop-up will let you choose whether you want to save them to your downloads or to the Photos app.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
Accept the video(s) and choose where you want to save them. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac using iCloud

Apple's iCloud lets you sync your videos and photos from your iPhone to your Mac automatically.

1. On your iPhone, open the Settings app and then tap your name at the top to go to your Apple ID page.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
Select your name at the top of the Settings page. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

2. Tap iCloud.

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How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
Go to "iCloud." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. Under Apps Using iCloud, tap Photos.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
On the iCloud page, go to "Photos." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. Turn on iCloud Photos by swiping the button to the right, turning it from grey to green.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
Tap the button next to "iCloud Photos" to turn it green. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

5. Next, open System Preferences on your Mac.

6. Click Apple ID in the top-right corner of System Preferences. On older Macs, click iCloud.

How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
In System Preferences, click "Apple ID." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

7. On the left side of the Apple ID page, click iCloud, then check the box next to Photos to sync them to iCloud. On older Macs, click Options next to Photos and click the button to sync to iCloud.

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How to transfer videos from an iPhone to a Mac wirelessly
On the iCloud page, click the box next to "Photos." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

Note: You automatically start with 5GB of free iCloud storage, but if you like to take a lot of videos, you could eat through that quickly. You can always buy more iCloud storage, if necessary.

How to fix AirDrop connection issues on iPhone, iPad, or MacHow to delete photos from your iCloud account in 2 ways to free up storage spaceHow to access iCloud photos on your Apple devices or through iCloud's websiteHow to upload photos to iCloud and sync your photos across all of your devices
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