How to Add Photos to Camera Roll on an iPhone

This wikiHow teaches you how to copy photos from another device to your iPhone's Camera Roll.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Using AirDrop for iOS

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    Enable AirDrop Receiving on the receiving iPhone. This method will help you copy photos from another iOS device (iPad, iPod, or another iPhone) to your iPhone’s Camera Roll. As long as you are within 30 feet or so from the other device, you can do this with AirDrop. On the receiving iPhone:
    • Swipe up from the bottom of the home screen.
    • Tap the AirDrop button, then select Contacts Only (if the owner of the other phone is listed in your Contacts) or Everyone.
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    Open Photos on the other iOS device. This is the device where the photos are located. It’s the icon with a rainbow flower on the device’s home screen.
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    Select photos to send.
    • In the album that contains the photos, tap Select, then tap the photo you want to send.[1]
    • To select more than one photo, tap each photo you want to send.
    • Tap Select All to choose all photos in the album.
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    Tap Share on the sending device. It’s the square with an arrow at the bottom left corner of the screen. Now you’ll see the names of nearby devices with AirDrop receiving enabled, including the receiving iPhone.
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    Select the receiving iPhone. A message will appear on the receiving iPhone asking to accept or decline the AirDrop.
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    Tap Accept on the receiving iPhone. The photos from the sending device will copy to the receiving phone’s Camera Roll.
    • To disable AirDrop after receiving the photos, swipe up on the home screen, tap the AirDrop button, then tap Receiving Off.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using AirDrop for macOS

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    1
    Enable AirDrop Receiving on your iPhone. As long as your Mac and your iPhone are within 30 feet of one another, you can use AirDrop to copy files from your Mac to your iPhone’s Camera Roll. Start by enabling AirDrop on your iPhone:
    • Swipe up from the bottom of the home screen.
    • Tap the AirDrop button, then select Contacts Only (if the owner of the other phone is listed in your Contacts) or Everyone.
  2. Image titled Add Photos to Camera Roll on an iPhone Step 8
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    Open Finder on your Mac. It’s the blue and gray smiley icon on your Dock.
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    Select photo(s) to send. Navigate to the folder where the folders are stored, and click a photo once to select it. To select more than one photo, hold ⌘ Cmd as you click additional photos.
  4. 4
    Drag the selected photos to Airdrop. It’s in the left panel of Finder. Don’t let go of the mouse button yet—just hover it until the AirDrop window appears containing the icon for your iPhone.
  5. 5
    Drop the files onto your iPhone. You’ll do this by letting the go of the mouse button.
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    Tap Accept on your iPhone. The selected photos will copy to your Camera Roll and be available immediately.[2]
    • To disable AirDrop after receiving the photos, swipe up on the home screen, tap the AirDrop button, then tap Receiving Off.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using iTunes for macOS or Windows

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    Connect your iPhone to the computer. Use the cable that came with your iPhone, or one that’s compatible.
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    Open iTunes. If iTunes did not open automatically, open it by double-clicking the iTunes icon (a music note) on the Dock at the bottom of the screen (macOS) or in the Start menu (Windows).
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    Click the iPhone icon. It’s near the top left corner of iTunes.[3]
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    Click Photos. It’s in the left panel.
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    Check the “Sync Photos” box. It’s in the main panel of iTunes. If you see a message that says “iCloud Photos is On” instead of “Sync Photos,” you’ll need to disable iCloud Photos on your iPhone. Don’t worry, you can re-enable it later. Here’s how:[4]
    • Open your iPhone’s Settings (the gray gear icon on your home screen).
    • Scroll down and select Photos & Camera.
    • Slide the “iCloud Photo Library” switch to the Off (gray) position.
    • Slide the “iCloud Photo Sharing” switch to the Off (gray) position.
    • Disconnect your iPhone from the computer, then reconnect it. You should now be able to see “Sync Photos” in the Photos menu.
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    Select a folder to add to the Camera Roll. Click the dropdown menu next to “Copy Photos From” and navigate to the folder that contains your photos. If you don’t see the folder, click Choose Folder to browse for it on your computer.
    • If the folder contains videos you want to add to the Camera Roll, check the box next to “Include Videos.”
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    Click Apply. It’s at the bottom right corner of the screen.
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    Click Sync. The photos will now sync to your iPhone.
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    Open your iPhone’s Photos. It’s the icon on your home screen with a rainbow flower.
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    Tap Albums. It’s at the bottom of the screen.
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    Select the folder you just synced. It’s under “My Albums.”
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    Tap Select. It’s at the top right corner of the screen.
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    Tap Select All. It’s at the top left corner of the screen. All photos in the album are now selected.
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    Click the Sharing icon. It’s the box with an arrow at the bottom left corner of the screen.
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    Tap Duplicate. It’s at the bottom of the screen. The selected photos will now appear in the Camera Roll.
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    Delete the newly-synced folder from your device. Since you can’t manually delete synced albums, you’ll need to do a new photo sync in iTunes that doesn’t include that folder.
    • Select your iPhone in iTunes.
    • Click Photos in the left panel.
    • Select a different folder to sync. It doesn’t even have to include photos. Just don’t select the one you want to delete from your device.
    • Click Apply. The sync will complete and the previously synced folder will be removed. Its contents are still in your camera roll.
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    Restore iCloud Photos. If you disabled iCloud Photos to complete this method, don’t forget to turn it back on. Select Photos & Camera in the Settings app on your iPhone, then slide the “iCloud Photo Library” and “iCloud Photo Sharing” switches back to the On position. This will not affect your Camera Roll.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    I received a photo in a text. How do I add it to my photo library without using photo sharing?
    Emma B
    Emma B
    Community Answer
    You can either take a screenshot of the photo, or you can hit the upload button and scroll over to "Save Image." Then it will be in your camera roll.
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References

  1. ↑ http://www.macworld.com/article/2974043/software-photography/how-to-airdrop-photos-and-videos-between-macs-and-ios-devices.html
  2. ↑ http://www.imore.com/airdrop#macon
  3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201313
  4. ↑ https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-10531

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 77,731 times.
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Co-authors: 7
Updated: March 28, 2019
Views: 77,731
Categories: IPhone
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