What's the best way to transfer large files?

Whether you're trying to move photos from your phone to a computer, or you need to transfer data from a sluggish laptop to a powerful replacement, you'll need to know how to transfer files between devices.

There are several options to consider, depending on the size or number of files you need to move. For example, you could email yourself a photo to transfer it, but this only works with smaller files. For larger files, such as video clips, there are far better methods.

Below, Which? Tech Support experts explore simple methods for moving your files around and highlight the devices you'll need to get the job done.

Jump to:

• How to transfer lots of files at once
• Transfer photos between devices
• Transfer photos to a new computer

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How to transfer lots of files at once

At a glance: We suggest using an external USB drive – they're fairly inexpensive at around £12-15 for a 256GB stick.

If you need to transfer a lot of data from one computer to another, using an external USB drive to ferry files between them is a simple task. Simply plug the drive into the computer and locate files using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), then drag and drop them onto the drive. This will create copies of the files on the external drive rather than moving them.

You can select a large group of files or folders to transfer by clicking the first one, holding down the Shift key, then clicking the last one. Alternatively, you can hold down the Control key (Windows) or the Command key (macOS) and click individual files to add them to your selection.

Once the files have been copied, eject your drive safely before unplugging it, to prevent data corruption. Follow these steps:

• On Mac – drag the drive's desktop icon to your Bin.
  
• On Windows – right-click the drive icon in the taskbar at the bottom of your screen. Click the Show hidden icons 'up' arrow if you can't see the drive. Select Eject [drive name].

Now plug the drive into the receiving computer and use File Explorer or Finder to drag and drop the files to the location you want.

What type of USB drive is best?

USB drives range from tiny, thumb-sized flash drives to larger, portable hard drives and SSDs. If you're regularly transporting files between, say, a computer at home and a PC at work, then a smaller USB flash drive would be ideal.

If you need to move lots of files at once, your chief concern is likely to be storage space. Even a large-capacity drive shouldn't break the bank, though – a 1TB portable hard drive only costs around £50 online.

Although we haven't tested them in our lab, these external drives are from major brands and are highly rated by buyers:

Alternatively, use cloud storage

Anything you add to cloud storage on one device will be automatically uploaded to your cloud provider's online server. Sign in on another device with your cloud account, and all your files will be there waiting for you. But note that you'll need a dependable internet connection.

Windows PCs come with OneDrive built-in, and there are also OneDrive apps for mobile and Macs. Meanwhile, Apple iCloud Drive is integrated into all Mac and iOS products and can be installed on a Windows PC. Google Drive comes baked into all Android devices and can be installed on computers and iOS devices.

Here's an overview of cloud storage providers and pricing plans:

• Apple iCloud – 5GB for free. Upgrade to iCloud+ for 99p per month (50GB), £2.99 per month (200GB) or £8.99 per month (2TB).
• Microsoft OneDrive – 5GB for free via the Microsoft 356 plan. Upgrade for £19.99 per month (100GB), £59.99 per month (1TB) or £79.99 per month (6TB).
• Google Drive – 15GB free. Upgrade for £1.99 per month (100GB).

For more on cloud storage, including details on key features to look out for, see our guide: How to choose the best cloud storage service.

Transfer photos between devices

At a glance: You'll need a USB cable or memory card reader if you're using a camera. If you're transferring from a smartphone, do it wirelessly or via a USB cable.

From a digital camera to a computer

There should be a way to connect the camera to your computer via a USB cable, so refer to your camera's manual or support website for more information.

Alternatively, if your camera stores photos and videos on removable memory cards, you pop the card out of the camera and slot it into your computer. This is easy if your computer already has a built-in memory card slot. If not, you'll need to buy a memory card reader (shown below). These allow you to attach memory cards via USB and usually cost less than £20 online.

Once connected, you can treat your camera (or its memory card) like an external drive, accessing contents using File Explorer (or Finder on a Mac), then transferring its files by dragging them to a location of your choice. You can also use your computer's Photos app to import the images into your library for you. To move files from your camera to a computer, follow these steps:

• On Windows – open the built-in Photos app, then click import and select the camera or memory card from the list of Connected Devices – it may show up as a USB drive.
• On Mac – your camera or memory card should show up under Devices in the left-hand sidebar of the Apple Photos app. Click it to view the photos and videos it contains, then select the ones you want or click Import All New Items.

Although we haven't tested them in our lab, these Windows/macOS compatible memory card readers are all from major brands and are highly rated by buyers. 

From a phone to a computer

The most basic way to get photos and videos from a phone (or tablet) to a computer is to connect your devices using a USB cable. 

For Windows, both iOS and Android devices should appear under Connected Devices in the Windows Photos app (shown below).

On a Mac, a connected iPhone or iPad will appear under Devices in the left-hand sidebar of the Photos app (below).

If you're transferring from an Android phone to a Mac over USB, however, you might need to access the phone's contents via Finder first to locate the photos and drag them to a folder on your Mac. Once the transfer is complete, you can import the files into your photo library by opening the Apple Photos app, clicking File > Import, then browsing for the folder you transferred the photos to.

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Transfer files wirelessly

If the phone is nearby, you can make the transfer wirelessly.

On an iPhone

iPhone users can transfer almost any file, including photos, to a nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac using AirDrop. Open the file, tap the Share button. You should see, among the sharing options, the other device's user icon with the AirDrop symbol next to it. Tap it to send the file.

Can't see the device's user icon? Go to Settings > General > AirDrop on both devices and make sure Contacts Only is selected. If the receiving device isn't in the Contacts list, choose Everyone for 10 minutes.

Android phones

If you have Android and Windows 11, you can transfer files using Nearby Share. You will need Bluetooth, Location services and wi-fi enabled on both devices. The device you're transferring to will need Nearby Share enabled:

• In Windows 11: Settings > System > Nearby sharing, then select Everyone nearby
• On Android: Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Nearby share, then enable Device visibility.

To share from your Android phone, open the file, tap the Share button and select Nearby Share. The other device should appear as a nearby device - tap it. On the receiving device, tap Accept in the notification that appears.

To share from your Windows PC, use the yellow File Explorer folder to find your file. Right-click it and select Share. In the Share pane, you should see your nearby device - click it and then, on the receiving device, click Save or Save & open.

If you're dealing with an ageing laptop that struggles to run multiple apps at once, it might be time for a new one. See our expert pick of the best laptops for all budgets

Sync your photo library

If you take a lot of snaps and want to keep your photo library up to date on all your devices, consider using cloud storage. You won't have to remember to physically transfer any photos, as it's all handled automatically.

Take a photo on your phone, for example, then pick up your laptop and you'll find the new image is already available to view. Similarly, any photos you transfer to your laptop from your camera will magically appear on your phone or tablet.

On Android, Google Photos can keep your phone's photo library synced. Simply follow these steps:

1. To switch syncing on, open the Photos app on your phone.
2. Tap your user icon > Photos settings > Backup. Make sure the Backup option is enabled – by default your photo library will be synced to your Google account's Google Drive space.
3. Under Settings, tap Backup quality – here you can opt to sync photos and videos at their Original quality, or at Storage saver, which compresses files so they take up less space, but reduces image quality slightly.

To access your library from a PC, sign in via the Google Photos website. There's a Google Photos app for iOS devices, too.

From an iPhone, work your way through these steps to use iCloud:

1. Tap Settings on your homescreen
2. Choose Photos
3. Select the switch next to iCloud Photos to enable it.

On a Mac, try this:

1. Open the Photos app
2. Click Photos > Settings > iCloud
3. Tick the box next to iCloud Photos.

If you use a Windows PC, you can install the iCloud for Windows app, sign in with your Apple ID, then click Options and tick the iCloud Photos option.

In all cases, you'll get the choice to either download your original photos to your device or 'optimise' your device's storage, which maintains full-resolution versions of your photos in the cloud, and keeps a smaller version of each one on your device.

Transfer files to a new computer

At a glance: We suggest the Migration Assistant for jumping between Mac models. On Windows, you can use a USB drive or cloud storage.

One scenario where you'll almost certainly find yourself transferring large volumes of data between devices is when it comes to moving from an old computer to a new one.

If you're a Mac user, you can use a handy built-in tool called Migration Assistant – follow these steps:

1. Make sure both your old Mac and your new one are switched on and connected to the same wi-fi network.
2. Open Migration Assistant (Applications > Utilities) on your new Mac, then Continue.
3. Sign in when prompted, then select the option to transfer information From a Mac, Time Machine backup or Startup disk. Click Continue.
4. Open Migration Assistant on your old Mac, click Continue, select the option to transfer to another Mac and click Continue again.

The two Macs should find each other on your network – follow the prompts to select what information to transfer and complete the process.

Thinking of buying a new Mac? Use our expert best MacBook guide to pick the right model for you and to avoid overpaying

If you're on Windows, use a USB drive or cloud storage to move your old files across to your new PC.

Unfortunately, this won't move all your settings, apps, emails and so on from your old machine. Any Microsoft Store apps you've installed can be downloaded by signing into your new PC using the same Microsoft account, then opening the Store app and clicking the Library icon in the bottom left corner. Other software will need to be reinstalled manually.

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Additional reporting by Tom Morgan.