The fastest way to transfer large photos and videos from iPhone to Mac without AirDrop is to connect your iPhone with a cable and use Apple’s built-in Image Capture app on your Mac. This works especially well for large video files that can be slow or unreliable with AirDrop.
How to transfer files from iPhone to Mac with Image Capture
Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB or USB-C cable. Unlock your iPhone and tap Trust if your phone asks you to trust the computer.
Then:
- Open Image Capture on your Mac.
- Select your iPhone in the left sidebar.
- Wait for your photos and videos to load.
- Select the files you want to transfer.
- Choose where you want to save them on your Mac.
- Click Download.
You can also click Download All if you want to copy everything. Image Capture is already built into macOS, so you do not need to install another app.
Is Image Capture faster than AirDrop?
YES. AirDrop is very convenient for a few photos or short clips, but large 4K videos can take longer and sometimes fail (a lot of the times!).
A cable connection is usually more reliable when you are moving several large files at once. This is why I often prefer Image Capture when I am transferring video footage from my iPhone to my Mac.
Can Image Capture transfer large iPhone videos?
Yes. You can use Image Capture to move large video files directly from your iPhone to your Mac.
That makes it useful if you film:
- 4K videos
- long TikToks or Reels
- YouTube footage
- slow-motion clips
- client footage
- large batches of photos
You do not need to upload the files to iCloud first. If you want some iPhone filming tips, read this blog.
Where is Image Capture on Mac?
Image Capture comes with macOS. You can find it by opening Spotlight and typing:
Image Capture
Or go to:
Applications → Image Capture
No download is needed.
Why I prefer this for large files
For small files, AirDrop is fine. But if I have several large iPhone videos to move, I would rather plug the phone in and use Image Capture. It is simple, fast and usually much more reliable than waiting for AirDrop to behave.
Watch my tutorial
If you want to see the whole process on screen, watch my YouTube tutorial:
It takes only a few minutes once you know where Image Capture is.
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