How to Copy Photos From a Computer to an iPad
You may use a desktop or laptop computer for most of your business tasks, but you may also have an iPad that you use when you're on the go. If so, it's likely you will need to transfer files back and forth occasionally. Unlike some portable devices such as mobile phones and external hard drives, transferring files from your computer to an iPad is not as easy as a simple drag-and-drop step. To transfer files with the iPad, you'll need to access iTunes on your computer, which acts as an interface between the computer and your iPad.
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1.
Connect the iPad to your computer using the USB cable supplied with the device. Once connected, iTunes should launch on your computer; if it doesn't, launch iTunes manually.
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Click on your iPad name in the "Devices" section on the left side of the iTunes window. Click "Apps" at the top of the page, just under the Apple logo.
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Scroll down to the "File Sharing" section and click on the application to which you want to add your photos. This may be iPhoto or any other third-party application that you use for photo sharing and editing on your iPad.
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Open Windows Explorer (or open the Finder on a Mac computer) and locate the photo file that you want to copy to the iPad.
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Drag the file into the box on the right side of the iTunes window, which should display the files stored in your preferred photo application.
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Click "Sync" near the bottom of the iTunes window.
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Close iTunes and disconnect the iPad by clicking "Safely Remove Hardware" in the system tray of your Windows computer.
References
Tips
- This process is a bit more involved than the drag-and-drop options you commonly use on your mobile phone and other devices. If you don't want to transfer photos in this way, another option is to email the pictures to yourself and retrieve them on your iPad, which will give you the option of saving the photos to the device.
Writer Bio
Nicole Vulcan has been a journalist since 1997, covering parenting and fitness for The Oregonian, careers for CareerAddict, and travel, gardening and fitness for Black Hills Woman and other publications. Vulcan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism from the University of Minnesota. She's also a lifelong athlete and is pursuing certification as a personal trainer.