You have received important images via the well-known instant messaging platform and now you would like to transfer them to your computer without performing any special operations. In this new guide today we will explain in detail how to transfer photos from WhatsApp to PC using various very simple solutions.
How to transfer photos from WhatsApp to PC with WhatsApp Web/Desktop
The first method that we advise you to adopt to pass photos of a WhatsApp conversation on your computer is to use the Web application or the official client to install on the same Facebook platform. Before revealing the steps to follow, however, we wanted to point out that this method can only be used if the smartphone from which to find the photos is connected to the Internet.
That said, let’s find out together the steps to take:
- If you want to use WhatsApp Web, then open the default browser (eg Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge ) and connect to the Internet site. If, instead, you want to use WhatsApp Desktop, then download the official client by connecting to the download page and press the green Download button for Windows/macOS.
- At this point, log in by scanning the QR code from the WhatsApp app on your Android or iOS device (option accessible by pressing the 3 dots at the top right and choosing WhatsApp Web on Android or tapping first on Settings and then selecting WhatsApp Web/Desktop on iPhone).
- Once this operation is completed, you will find the screen containing all the conversations in the app on your smartphone.
- Using the left sidebar, press on the contact’s name to open the conversation or use the Search field or start a new chat at the top to find the conversation.
- In the next step, to proceed with the download of a photo, all you need to do is bring the mouse pointer to the top right of the thumbnail, press the down arrow that appears and choose Download from the menu displayed.
- Now, use Explore File or Finder to reach the save path and confirm by pressing the appropriate button.
If your intention is to download multiple photos at the same time, you can take advantage of a very simple alternative solution. After reaching the conversation that interests you, press on the name of the contact at the top (where there is also the entry Last seen … ) and then click on Media, links and documents in the Contact info window. In this way, access the download section.
Going on, make sure you are in the Media tab and then select all the images to download by clicking on the tick that appears at the top left of each thumbnail. Once the selection has been completed correctly, proceed with the download by pressing on the bottom facing down at the top right and then selecting the save path. A zip file to be decompressed will be downloaded using a special program like WinRAR.
How to transfer photos from WhatsApp to PC with Google Photos
Another solution to easily transfer all your favorite photos from WhatsApp to your computer is to take advantage of Google Photos, which is the application of Big G that allows you to manage and organize the images on the device and save them on the cloud storage space. Google Photos is pre-installed on many latest generation Android devices (otherwise it can be downloaded from the Google Play Store ) while for iDevices it is available on the App Store.
Let’s find out how to use it:
- Grab your Android or iOS ssmartphone/tabletand proceed with installing the Google Photos app if you don’t have it.
- After starting it, it is necessary to add the WhatsApp Images folder to the list of those to be synchronized on the cloud storage platform of the Mountain View giant. So, press on the 3 dashes at the top left or swipe from the left edge to the right and choose Settings from the menu that appears.
- After that, press Backup and sync and activate the Backup and synchronizationoption by pressing the switch next to it.
- At this point, choose Upload Size and select High Quality to enjoy unlimited free storage. In this case, the file size will be reduced but you will still get excellent quality. Alternatively, press on Original to upload images at maximum resolution but going to affect the storage space provided by your Google Drive plan (15 GB offered for free).
- In the next step, choose whether to back up photos via the data network by activating the Photo function via the lever on the right.
- Now, always from the Backup and synchronization screen, press on the folders of the device backed up and activate the switch at WhatsApp Images.
- Once the saving to the cloud, you can access the images by accessing the official website of Google Photos using a simple browser. To access the WhatsApp Images folder, click on the Album item from the left sidebar and click on WhatsApp Images.
- Now, click on the album preview to access the content and then press on the 3 dots in the upper right corner ( More options ).
- Through the menu that appears, choose Download all to download all the images in the album (a zip file will be downloaded). Alternatively, if you just want to download some pictures, you need to press the check mark that appears on the top left of each thumbnail and then on the item Download appearing on the menu of the 3 dots at the top right or use the key combination Shift + D.
How to transfer photos from WhatsApp to PC with iCloud
Another solution to quickly and effectively transfer the images on your iPhone/iPad to your computer is to use iCloud photo library or photo streaming.
The first allows you to store on iCloud going to take advantage of the storage space offered by the Apple service and with the ability to view and download all the favorite photos via the iCloud website or the official client that can be installed on Windows, macOS and other operating systems compatible. The second one, instead, allows to temporarily share the images since they remain on the server for a maximum of 30 days from creation, after which they are automatically deleted.
That said, to activate iCloud Photo Library, open iOS Settings by pressing the gear icon on the Home screen, click on your name at the top and choose iCloud. At this point, tap on Photo and activate the iCloud Photo option by pressing the appropriate switch. To enable photo streaming, instead, always open the Settings, tapped on Photo and then activate the Upload option in my photo streaming by pressing on the dedicated switch.
Now, all the photos (and videos) on your iPhone or iOS tablet will be synced to iCloud. These can now be accessed by connecting to the iCloud website via a simple browser or by using the pre-installed official client on Macs or downloaded from Apple’s Web portal for Windows PCs.
In the first case, connect to the Web portal of iCloud, then log your Apple ID (email and password) and then click on ‘Photos app from the home screen of iCloud.com. Now, locate the photo you want to download, click on it with the left mouse button and then press on the cloud with an arrow pointing down (located in the upper right corner).
If your intention is to download several elements at the same time, then hold down the Ctrl/Cmd key on the keyboard, click on the thumbnails of the images you wish to download and then press on the small cloud at the top right. A zip file called iCloud Photos will be downloaded.
If you want to use iCloud for Windows, first proceed with downloading the client by connecting to the download page and pressing the Download button. Once the installation is complete, fill in the required fields entering your Apple ID credentials and then follow the instructions provided to complete the access. At this point, click on the Options … button present in Photos and check the items iCloud photo library or My photo stream.
In conclusion, indicate whether or not to upload the computer photos and click on Finish. Finish the configuration by clicking on Apply first and then on Close. If all went well, iCloud should start downloading the photos on your computer. To access them, simply click on This PC/Computer via File Explorer and then access the iCloud and Download folders. In some cases, it may be necessary to manually start photo synchronization. To do this, click on the blue cloud in the Windows notification bar and choose Download photo from the panel that appears.
Finally, on iCloud for Mac, open the System Preferences by pressing on the gear icon in the Dock or from the menu that appears after pressing the Apple logo on the top left and choose iCloud through the window that appears. Once this is done, click on Options next to Photos and make sure that the iCloud Photo or My Photo Streaming options are active. Confirm the changes by pressing the Finish button.
At this point, open the ‘Photos app for MacOS, choose My Albums, and then pressed on WhatsApp or My photo streaming. To download one or more photos, simply select them with the mouse and drag them to the favorite folder on the Mac.
How to transfer photos from WhatsApp to PC: alternatives
In addition to the solutions mentioned above, it is possible to transfer images from WhatsApp to the computer by relying on other equally simple means. Find the list below.
- File Explorer (Windows)
- Android File Transfer (macOS)
- Photo (macOS)
- AirDrop (macOS)
- AirDroid (Web/Windows/macOS/Android/iOS)
- Send Anywhere (Web/Windows/macOS/Linux/Android/iOS)
- Email (eg Outlook, Gmail or Mail)
- Bluetooth