How to transfer files from Mac to iPhone
Install the ZiggSend app on the Mac and on the iPhone (free, on the App Store), connect them once and drag the files onto the ZiggSend window. It’s easy and free, with no ads. They arrive to the iPhone with no quality loss, verified byte for byte. No account, no cloud, no cable. On the iPhone, keep the app open on screen while it receives.
This guide is for Mac and iPhone: open this page on one of them, or send the link with “Send to someone”.
What you need
- A Mac or MacBook with macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer
- An iPhone with the ZiggSend app (free on the App Store)
- 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 Mac sent to the iPhone at 49.7 MB/s. Your time depends on your network and devices. How we measure →
Over Wi-Fi, step by step
The Mac and the phone on the same network, no cable.
On the Mac, download the Mac app. On the iPhone, get it free on the App Store. 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”.
Open ZiggSend on the iPhone and keep the screen on: the iPhone only receives with the app open. On the Mac, drag the files onto the ZiggSend window or click “Send files” and pick them.
On the iPhone, you see “3 files arrived intact” (with the number of files you sent). Whatever the Photos app accepts goes to Photos; everything else goes to the Files app.
Other ways (Mac → iPhone)
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 |
| iCloud | Through the cloud | 5 GB free. With “Optimize Storage”, the device may keep smaller versions. | Apple |
| Through the messaging app | Photos and videos sent as media are recompressed (even HD doesn’t send the original); as a document, up to 2 GB. | ||
| 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.
Sending to the iPhone doesn’t start
On iPhone, receiving only works with the app open on screen. That’s a system rule, not ZiggSend’s. Open ZiggSend, keep the screen on and send again.
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 Mac?
No. ZiggSend only copies: nothing is deleted on the Mac.
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.
Do I need to keep the app open on the iPhone?
Yes, while it receives: iPhone doesn’t let apps listen in the background. That’s a system rule, not ZiggSend’s.
Where do the files go on the iPhone?
On the iPhone, whatever the Photos app accepts goes to Photos; everything else goes to the Files app.
And from iPhone to Mac?
That too: see the step by step from iPhone to Mac.