How to transfer files from iPhone to Mac
Install the ZiggSend app on the iPhone (free, on the App Store) and on the Mac, connect them once and send. It’s easy and free, with no ads. Photos, videos and any file land in a folder on the Mac with no quality loss, verified byte for byte. No account, no cloud, no cable.
This guide is for iPhone and Mac: open this page on one of them, or send the link with “Send to someone”.
What you need
- An iPhone with the ZiggSend app (free on the App Store)
- A Mac or MacBook with macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer
- Both on the same Wi-Fi (your home wifi works)
How long it takes
With a 191 MB file on home Wi-Fi (September 2026), the iPhone sent to the Mac at 38.9 MB/s. Your time depends on your network and devices. How we measure →
Over Wi-Fi, step by step
The phone and the Mac on the same network, no cable.
On the iPhone, get it free on the App Store. On the Mac, download the Mac app. It’s the same ZiggSend on both sides.
On the iPhone, tap “Connect to a computer”. The Mac shows up under “Devices nearby”: tap it, check that the security code matches on both screens and click “Allow” on the Mac. Not there? Tap “Scan the QR code” and point at the code the Mac shows under “Connect phone”.
Tap “Send photos and videos”, check what you want and tap “Send”. For PDFs and other files, use “Send documents, PDFs, ZIPs…”. For a large transfer, keep the app open and the screen on until it finishes.
On the Mac, the files show up under “Arrived here”, each marked “arrived intact”. “Show in folder” shows the file in Finder.
Other ways (iPhone → Mac)
What each option does, only with facts you can check at the source.
| Option | How it moves | Good to know | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirDrop | Wireless | Built for Apple devices. It may send a more compatible format (JPEG/H.264) when the receiver doesn’t take HEIC/HEVC. | Apple |
| Import by cable (Photos) | Cable | May convert HEIC/HEVC unless the iPhone is set to “Keep Originals”. | Apple |
| iCloud | Through the cloud | 5 GB free. With “Optimize Storage”, the device may keep smaller versions. | Apple |
| ZiggSend | Wi-Fi | Free with 1 phone; checks every file byte for byte. | How we measure |
What can go wrong (and what to do)
The Mac doesn’t show up in the list
Both need to be on the same Wi-Fi (one on Wi-Fi and the other on mobile data won’t work). Guest, hotel and office Wi-Fi often isolates devices: use your home Wi-Fi or put the Mac on the phone’s hotspot. Turn off any VPN. Still nothing? Use “Scan the QR code”.
On the iPhone, nothing connects
On iPhone: Settings → Apps → ZiggSend → turn on “Local Network”. Without it, iOS silently blocks the connection.
I turned the screen off mid-transfer
On iPhone, for a large transfer, keep the app open and the screen on until it finishes. If it stopped, just send again: it picks up where it stopped.
The app won’t open on the Mac
It needs macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer. To check yours: Apple menu → About This Mac.
The Wi-Fi dropped
Just send again: it picks up where it stopped. A file that fails the check is never saved, and the app tells you.
Questions from people about to do this
Does it lose quality?
No. The file arrives identical to the original, verified byte for byte: photo, 4K or HDR video, document.
Do the files leave the iPhone?
No. ZiggSend only copies: nothing is deleted on the iPhone.
Do I need internet?
Not to transfer: just both on the same Wi-Fi. Your files never go through a server.
Is there a size limit?
No, not even on the Free plan.
Do I need an account?
No. No sign-up.
Is it free?
Yes: the phone app is free, and the computer app is free forever with one phone. Pro is optional, for several phones, full history and automatic folders.
Is it safe?
Yes. The file goes straight from one device to the other over your own network, with the content encrypted (AES-256), and never through a server. To connect, the two devices recognize each other with a code (the security code or the QR code).
Are there ads?
No, not even on the Free plan.
And without Wi-Fi?
Put the Mac on the phone’s hotspot: then both are on the same network.
Can I use a cable?
No. For this pair ZiggSend uses Wi-Fi only; the cable exists only from Android to the Mac.
And from Mac to iPhone?
That too: see the step by step from Mac to iPhone.