How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to iPad - Top 4 Ways

Want to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad for saving or editing? This article will guide you step by step through the specific methods for transferring pictures from your iPhone to iPad.

Transferring photos from an iPhone to an iPad might seem like a straightforward task, but the reality is often more complicated. Users deal with different Apple IDs, storage limitations, Wi-Fi instability, broken syncing, or simply uncertainty about which method is most efficient.

Whether you intend to transfer pictures from your iPhone to your iPad that populates your tablet's expansive canvas, or plan to wirelessly sync photos from your iPhone to your iPad for on-the-go editing, it can be achieved easily.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through how to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad in detail, helping you understand the potential time required for each method and the necessary prerequisites.

To ensure your photo collection transfers seamlessly and fluidly between iPhone and iPad, Higospot iPhone Data Transfer stands out as your optimal choice, thanks to its robust stability and lightning-fast transfer speeds.

Table of Contents

• How to sync photos from iPhone to iPad via iCloud Photos
• How to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad via iPhone Data Transfer
• How to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad wirelessly via AirDrop
• How to move photos from iPhone to iPad with cable

How to sync photos from iPhone to iPad via iCloud Photos

Among all available methods, iCloud Photos serves as the most comprehensive and automated way to transfer images. It is designed for users who prefer a hands-off approach; new photos taken on your iPhone will seamlessly appear on your iPad without repeated intervention.

This method is ideal for users who desire long-term synchronization and are unconcerned about cloud storage or network issues. Once the initial setup is complete, the entire ecosystem operates automatically in the background.

To use iCloud Photos to transfer all photos from the iPhone to the iPad, you only need to ensure the following:

• Your iPhone and iPad are logged into the same Apple account and have iCloud Photos enabled on both devices.
• Your iCloud has enough space to accommodate your entire photo library, as iCloud only provides 5GB of free storage.
• Both devices are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone source device.

2. Tap your name banner located at the very top of the menu to enter Apple ID settings.

3. Select iCloud from the list options and then tap on Photos.

4. Toggle the Sync this iPhone switch to green. All photos and videos from your iPhone will be uploaded to iCloud for storage and will sync in real-time across all Apple devices using the same Apple account.

5. On your iPad, similarly go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos, and then turn on Sync this iPad.

6. You can choose the version of the photos to be stored locally on the iPad:

Optimize iPad Storage: This intelligently manages space by keeping full-resolution photos in the cloud and storing smaller, device-sized versions on your iPad. Select this option if your iPad is running low on storage.

Download and Keep Originals: This keeps the full high-resolution version both on the device and in the cloud.

7. While waiting for your photos to download from iCloud to your iPad, you can check the progress bar in the Status section or by opening the Photos app. The download time required depends on the size of your photo library and your internet speed.

Once the sync is complete, you'll be able to use and edit the transferred photos directly on the iPad. However, keep in mind that if iCloud Photos remains enabled, any changes you make to the photos on the iPad—including edits and deletions—will sync back to your iPhone.

Estimated Time: 10–20 minutes (May take longer if the photo library is very large or the internet speed is slow).

How to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad via iPhone Data Transfer

For users who find Apple's native desktop tools too rigid and cloud solutions too slow, a professional Higospot iPhone Data Transfer tool offers a highly appealing compromise.

This software allows for the precise transfer of your desired photos from iPhone to iPad, meaning you can selectively transfer specific pictures or transfer your entire photo library with a single click. More importantly, it combines the speed and stability of a wired connection, letting you quickly transfer photos from an iPhone to an iPad while preserving their original quality.

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The entire process requires no reliance on Wi-Fi, cloud server space, or complex sync rules. Using iPhone Data Transfer, you can freely transfer multimedia files—including photos, videos, and music—between your iPhone and iPad.

1. Install and launch the iPhone Data Transfer on your computer. Then, you must now connect both the source iPhone and the target iPad to different USB ports on your computer simultaneously using appropriate data cables.

2. Unlock both devices. You may be prompted to tap "Trust This Computer" on both screens and enter your screen lock passcodes to grant the software deep access to their media libraries. Ensure the software's control panel shows your iPhone's information. If not, click the dropdown arrow at the top to select the iPhone as the source device.

Note: If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, you can check how to unlock iPhone without passcode.

3. Navigate to the Photos section. The right panel will display your iPhone photo library, categorized clearly for preview.

4. Browse the library and check the photos you wish to transfer to the iPad. You can select specific disparate photos, choose entire custom albums, or select the entire library. 

5. Once selected, click the device icon [Export to Device] in the top taskbar and choose your iPad. Your photos will be immediately transferred to your iPad's photo library.

6. One-click transfer (Full library)

For a quicker and more convenient transfer of the iPhone's entire photo collection to iPad, you can select the iPhone to iPhone function in the One-Click Operation section on the homepage, then correctly choose your source device (iPhone) and target device (iPad). Check the Photos box and then click Start to get all your iPhone photos onto the iPad.

Estimated Time: 5-7 minutes.

Also see: How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Windows 11 PC

How to transfer photos from iPhone to iPad wirelessly via AirDrop

When you need to immediately send a few great shots or recently taken photos from your iPhone to your iPad, Apple's exclusive wireless transfer technology, AirDrop, is a great solution.

It represents the shortest transfer distance between two points in the Apple ecosystem. By directly creating an encrypted peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network between the iPhone and iPad, AirDrop completely bypasses network bottlenecks, external cables, and complex storage quota restrictions, allowing small batches of photos to be quickly shared from iPhone to iPad.

What you need:

• Both iPhone and iPad have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirDrop turned on.
• The distance between the two devices is no more than 10 meters.
• AirDrop on both iPhone and iPad is set to "Everyone for 10 Minutes" or "Contacts Only."

On your iPhone (Sender)

1. On models with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner (where the battery icon is located) to open Control Center.

2. Press and hold the center of the connectivity options panel to expand the full menu, ensuring both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are already lit up.

3. Tap AirDrop and select either Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes.

4. Open the Photos app and select the photos you want to move. Tap Select in the top-right corner to pick multiple items.

5. After selecting, tap the Share icon in the bottom-left corner (a square with an upward arrow).

6. Tap AirDrop and choose your iPad under the Devices list to begin the transfer.

7. If the transfer is successful, there will be a "Sent" indicator under the iPad icon.

On your iPad (Receiver)

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to access Control Center.

2. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and configure AirDrop to Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes, just like on the iPhone.

3. When the photos from the iPhone are AirDropped over, a prompt will pop up on the iPad screen.

4. Tap Accept. (If both devices use the same Apple ID, this step is often skipped).

5. The Photos app on the iPad will automatically open and present the newly received photos in your library in their original bit-perfect quality (including HEIC and Live Photo data).

Estimated Time: 1–2 minutes for a small number of photos.

Read more: How to recover permanently deleted photos on iPhone without backup

How to move photos from iPhone to iPad with cable

While wireless transfer is convenient, a physical connection offers unparalleled reliability and speed. Using the compatible data cable (sometimes paired with a small adapter), you can achieve a direct iPhone-to-iPad photo transfer without relying on a network or computer. This method also excels when transferring large files, such as 4K videos, RAW images, and long-term photo archives

This method relies entirely on the correct physical connectors:

1. Determine the charging/data ports on your iPhone and iPad.

• iPhone 14 and earlier models use the Lightning port.
• iPhone 15 and later models use the USB-C port.
• Many newer iPads use USB-C port, while older iPad models use Lightning interface.

2. Prepare the necessary adapter/cable.

Generally, you will need an Apple Lightning to USB-C cable or adapter, or a standard USB-C to USB-C cable.

Here are the steps to import pictures from an iPhone to the iPad using a data cable:

1. Connect your iPhone and iPad using the suitable cable or connector.

Note: The iPad must be the "host" device in this setup to initiate the transfer process, meaning the adapter (if used) will usually be plugged into the iPad.

2. Once connected, the iPad should recognize the external device (your iPhone). You may see a "Trust This Device" prompt on both screens; tap Trust and enter your device passcode.

3. Open the Photos app on both your iPhone and iPad and wait for the connection to establish.

4. In the iPad's Devices section, you'll see your iPhone device, tap it to browse the photos on your iPhone.

5. Swipe and select the photos you wish to add to the iPad, and then tap Import. Alternatively, tap Import All in the top-right corner to export the whole photo gallery.

After the transfer is complete, your iPad will prompt you whether to delete the imported photos from your iPhone—choose Delete or Keep. Then, disconnect the devices, and you'll be able to access and view these photos in the Photos app on your iPad.

Estimated Time: about 10 minutes.

Related: How to transfer photos from iPhone to external hard drive

Conclusion

Based on the information above, the process of transferring photos from iPhone to iPad is now much more predictable. You can now not only determine how to complete the image transfer but also accurately estimate the time required for each method.

Whether you prefer a fully automated solution like iCloud Photos, the immediacy of AirDrop, or a reliable wired transfer method, you now have a detailed roadmap for achieving the task smoothly and efficiently.