There’s no AirDrop on Android and no Quick Share on iPhone, so the two can’t send to each other directly. Photos are also where quality quietly gets lost: chat apps shrink them and email caps how many fit in one message.
Transfer photos from iPhone to Android
Pick the photos on your iPhone, download them on your Android. No cable, no app, original quality.
Keep for
Clipboard
Press ⌘V / Ctrl+V anywhereClips are visible to devices on your Wi-Fi for 30 minutes. Avoid sending passwords.
On your network
liveLooking for files…
The quick way, with fdrop
- 1
Open fdrop.cc on the iPhone
Open fdrop.cc in Safari, tap the drop area and choose Photo Library. Select as many photos as you like.
- 2
Open fdrop.cc on the Android
On the same Wi-Fi, the photos appear under “On your network” automatically. Anywhere else, send yourself the link fdrop gives you.
- 3
Download
Downloads go to the Download folder, which your gallery app usually shows as its own album.
Other ways, and their catch
iCloud Photos
Turn on iCloud Photos on the iPhone, wait for it to upload, then sign in at icloud.com in Chrome on the Android phone.
Good: Automatic once it’s set up. Catch: Only 5 GB free, uploads can take a long time, and you have to sign into your Apple ID on the other device.
Google Photos
Back up the photos with Google Photos on the iPhone, then open the app or photos.google.com on the Android.
Good: Works across any platforms. Catch: Uploads everything first, needs your Google account on both, and Storage saver backups are compressed.
WhatsApp or Telegram to yourself
Send it to your own chat (Message yourself in WhatsApp, Saved Messages in Telegram) and open WhatsApp or Telegram on the Android.
Good: You probably have the app already. Catch: WhatsApp compresses photos and videos unless you send them as a Document or pick HD, and it fills your chat history.
Email it to yourself
Attach it (or paste it) in an email to yourself and open the email on the Android.
Good: Works on every device. Catch: Gmail attachments stop at 25 MB and Outlook.com at 20 MB, so most videos won’t fit.
Good to know
- iPhones save photos as HEIC. Depending on your camera settings, Safari may upload them as JPEG, which opens everywhere. If you get .HEIC files on Windows, install Microsoft’s free HEIF Image Extensions, or set Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible on the iPhone to shoot JPEG.
- Select several photos at once: each becomes its own download, and nothing is resized.
Questions
How do I transfer photos from iPhone to Android without a cable?
Open fdrop.cc on both devices, pick the photos on the iPhone and download them on the Android. No app or account needed. Of the built-in options, iCloud Photos is the closest, with the trade-offs listed above.
Will the photos lose quality?
No. fdrop doesn’t compress, resize or re-encode anything. The only change can come from the iPhone itself, which may hand Safari a JPEG copy of HEIC photos depending on your settings.
Do the iPhone and Android need to be on the same Wi-Fi?
Only for the automatic “On your network” list. If the Android is somewhere else or on mobile data, copy the link fdrop gives you and open it there.
Do I need to install an app?
No. fdrop runs in Safari on the iPhone and Chrome on the Android. Nothing to install and no account.
How long do the files stay online?
2 hours by default. Pick 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days or 30 days before uploading, or delete them yourself at any time from the device you uploaded on.