The ability to import files to your computer can come in handy in many situations. For example, when you want to create a local backup of your photos and videos in case the device breaks. The drive is running out of space, and you need to offload the files to make more room. You capped out the cloud storage service and need to access your pictures for editing and more. Regardless of the reason, Windows 11 includes many ways to import files from your phone or external storage devices using the Photos app, File Explorer, and OneDrive. This guide will teach you the different ways to import your personal pictures from external storage to your computer.

Import images from Photos app on Windows 11 Import photos from File Explorer on Windows 11 Import photos from OneDrive on Windows 11

Import images from Photos app on Windows 11

To import your pictures through the Photos app on Windows 11, connect your phone, camera, or storage device and use these steps: Once you complete the steps, the photos will import to the destination folder specified. However, the process will only copy the files. The original images will remain in the source storage.

You will need to connect your phone to your computer to complete the transfer. On Android, connect your phone with a USB cable to your computer, open the phone Settings > Connected devices > USB, and select the File Transfer option under the “Use USB for” section.

Import photos from File Explorer on Windows 11

To import your photos through File Explorer, use these steps: After you complete the steps, the selected images will be imported into the computer.

Import all pictures at once

Alternatively, if you have a phone or camera, you can transfer all the photos with the File Explorer import option with these steps: Once you complete the steps, every image on your phone will transfer to your computer.

Import photos from OneDrive on Windows 11

The easiest way to import photos from your mobile device (Android phone, iPhone, or iPad) is to upload the files to OneDrive and then access the contents from File Explorer. If you only use iCloud, you can also install the iCloud client for Windows 11 for a similar experience. To import photos from a mobile device to Windows 11 using OneDrive, follow these steps: Once you complete the steps, the selected images will upload to the cloud, and they will become available in the OneDrive folder as long as you are signed in with the same Microsoft account.

Transfer pictures automatically

OneDrive also includes an option to keep your pictures and videos synchronized automatically across devices, so you don’t have to import anything all the time. After you complete the steps, photos you take with your phone will upload to OneDrive and sync automatically to your Windows 11 device.

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