Why is it so hard to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac?

[ForkHandles]

I've never had a problem because my photos are synced via iCloud.

This!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

iCloud is the ecosystem.

If you’re not interested in using the ecosystem, fine, but that’s why you’re using work arounds.

In fact your current methodology is incredibly expensive.
Imagine a photo

• You take it on iOS Photos
• You copy it to Files
• You edit on your Mac
• You copy your photo to macOS Photos

You now have three copies of one photo!!! That’s storage you are using up and lots of time.

• You edit your photo on MacOS Photos
• You copy this to Files
• You copy this to iOS Photos

You now have another two copies of a single image. FIVE files taking up storage.

Alternatively use icloud
Imagine a photo

• It appears everywhere
• You edit it anywhere
• It updates everywhere

The time saving alone negates the subscription price, let alone all that storage you are using.

For best results store originals on Mac, smaller files on iPhone.

 

[uacd]

This!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

iCloud is the ecosystem.

If you’re not interested in using the ecosystem, fine, but that’s why you’re using work arounds.

In fact your current methodology is incredibly expensive.
Imagine a photo

• You take it on iOS Photos
• You copy it to Files
• You edit on your Mac
• You copy your photo to macOS Photos

You now have three copies of one photo!!! That’s storage you are using up and lots of time.

• You edit your photo on MacOS Photos
• You copy this to Files
• You copy this to iOS Photos

You now have another two copies of a single image. FIVE files taking up storage.

Alternatively use icloud
Imagine a photo

• It appears everywhere
• You edit it anywhere
• It updates everywhere

The time saving alone negates the subscription price, let alone all that storage you are using.

For best results store originals on Mac, smaller files on iPhone.

I mean, Photos on Mac has a decent editor but not quite. It lacks layers.

Recently Affinity was updated and now is free app. What I gotta say? I can finally feel that my M1 is slow! This thing is huge in terms of editing possibilities, layer system and such. And Affinity is way better for editing than Pixelmator, Photomator or any of Apple’s built-in tools just because I can totally change image tonemap however I wish.

Just look:

This photo was actually one of my first layering experiments with Affinity, did it few years ago with demo version. It was shot on my 11 Pro, obviously has some ugly artifacts which are specifically seen in this low-res screenshot (need to search for full sized version somewhere on my SSD), but for me Affinity is just irreplaceable for these hardcore-style JPEG edits.

As for the iCloud vs physical, I was never able to adjust to how iCloud handles sorting and syncing, too complicated and often results in more duplicates/useless copies than needed.

Manual sorting is very time-consuming but at least helps to avoid pictures that are not that nice. I wish there was an AI tool that actually did that job, preferably built by Apple and free, it would have been a gamechanger to make many people upgrade their current iPhones

 

[ForkHandles]

I mean, Photos on Mac has a decent editor but not quite. It lacks layers.

Recently Affinity was updated and now is free app. What I gotta say? I can finally feel that my M1 is slow! This thing is huge in terms of editing possibilities, layer system and such. And Affinity is way better for editing than Pixelmator, Photomator or any of Apple’s built-in tools just because I can totally change image tonemap however I wish.

Just look:
View attachment 2580637

This photo was actually one of my first layering experiments with Affinity, did it few years ago with demo version. It was shot on my 11 Pro, obviously has some ugly artifacts which are specifically seen in this low-res screenshot (need to search for full sized version somewhere on my SSD), but for me Affinity is just irreplaceable for these hardcore-style JPEG edits.

As for the iCloud vs physical, I was never able to adjust to how iCloud handles sorting and syncing, too complicated and often results in more duplicates/useless copies than needed.

Manual sorting is very time-consuming but at least helps to avoid pictures that are not that nice. I wish there was an AI tool that actually did that job, preferably built by Apple and free, it would have been a gamechanger to make many people upgrade their current iPhones

With respect, average users taking photos on iPhone instead of a camera with a purpose built sensor are not commonly in need of a high end ‘photoshop’ style software package.

That said, affinity is brilliant.

 

[JoeSilver]

Another thing is that “cold” backup on real storage is still a must. Servers fail, Internet may too, the storage only needs a computer and electricity.

60-80GB of photos is not something out of place these days.

I am answering your question on how to easily transfer photos from the iPhone to the Mac, I am not suggesting to substitute your external storage with the cloud.

The simpler solution to your problem and most effective is let iCloud do it for you.

Once you have saved your photos on an external drive, you don’t need to keep those photos in iCloud and therefore you can immediately free that space for the next batch of photos.

As per your other observations, your photos on your iPhone, once they’re synced in iCloud, will lose detail, sure, but that’s fine because you’re never going to enjoy that extra detail on a small screen. The iCloud doesn’t diminish the quality of your photos. Instead, it makes them less space hungry on your device. And you want to free your iPhone storage for more photos anyway.

 

[JoeSilver]

But again, the issue is not only the price but convenience - it would take ages to dump those 50GB off ultra slow iCloud servers, unless you rely on daily sync which can be inconvenient - sometimes you may have photos that you didn’t even take and they would land on iCloud automatically since it doesn’t know what to backup and whatnot, I often had lots of trash I received from WhatsApp on my free iCloud account, and it even took ages to delete these photos. That’s without saying that iCloud is a huge privacy compromise that would not let you delete photos completely for 90 days

May I say, it seems that you haven't really tried it and you have some prejudice against it.

A few facts based on my experience and the Photos guide.

1) It doesn't take ages. Surely, if you have to sync for the first time it won't be immediate, but it certainly doesn't take ages either. As soon as your iPhone is connected to a wifi network it automatically syncs with iCloud. And same for the Mac. From then on, the transfer will always be incremental.
Of course, here I assume that you have regular access to a broadband. If it's not the case, it doesn't apply to you.

2) Regarding the "trash" which is automatically uploaded to iCloud from, say, WhatsApp, honestly I haven't noticed it. Have you enabled "Save to Photos" in your WhatsApp? Then disable it.

3) When you delete a photo, it is moved to "Recently Deleted", where it stays for 30 days, not 90. But you can always immediately delete it. Regarding the privacy compromise of using iCloud... you certainly must know something that I don't know, but you're not bringing any evidence.

4) You mentioned elsewhere the need of manually sorting and eliminating duplicates. The Photos app can do both. In fact it is certainly quicker than doing it manually.

 

[uacd]

because you’re never going to enjoy that extra detail on a small screen

Gotta disagree because for what else reason they make these phones so big these days and displays have more resolution than needed to view image?

I had been pinch-to-zooming since my iPhone 5, back then I even edited photos on the phone and they turned out great on every other display, moreover iPhone screens are so nicely calibrated that these shots that I took and edited still look awesome even on new tech like my new iPhone, MacBook or large 8K LG TV.

More screen real estate is just more comfortable. But tbh I prefer to edit photos on iPad, and btw it can transfer or receive photos in an instant - you connect iPhone and iPad together and then there is “Import” tab in Photos, which works almost flawlessly.

The simpler solution to your problem and most effective is let iCloud do it for you.

I agree that cloud is convenient for most people but unfortunately not for me for various reasons, cold storage is the way for me because I love being able to know on which exact flash drive or SSD I store this or that collection without having to rely completely on iCloud + it works across any system, I can insert it into ancient Windows XP machine or Android phone and it will work just fine, in an instant, no Internet or iCloud needed.

Have you enabled "Save to Photos" in your WhatsApp? Then disable it.

Yeah, I definitely disabled it long ago but this stuff still slips through. In fact, I hated iCloud photo sync and that it was default option ever since introduction, because it had synced all the stuff that I never asked to sync: random memes from the webs or socials, some weird images friends would send me, everything like that. So ever since the old days I am sorting this stuff better than Apple ever could so far. They always claim they know better, but it is simply not true.

must know something that I don't know, but you're not bringing any evidence.

There was a fappening scandal back in the days, a huge privacy violation that used iCloud Photo libraries of different celebrities to steal their private photos.

Not my case tbh but still, not sure if I want random bank receipts or some stuff like credit card info to appear on iCloud whenever I would forget.

About privacy issues, considering that Apple openly states that they will open up iCloud after ANY law enforcement request with warrant, it doesn’t seem like a trustworthy tool, considering that the world we live in is descending into authoritarianism where “law endorcement” could use any unlawful tactics to get into someone’s phone.

Not my case but who knows if WWIII starts tomorrow and those in power would want to start witch hunt for so called “spies” and “enemies of the regime”. Maybe kind of paranoid but I mean I am much more used to Apple that claimed privacy as their stronghold, not this modern Apple who complies with laws from some countries to remove VPN apps from AppStore…

May I say, it seems that you haven't really tried it and you have some prejudice against it.

Not really. As I said, using iPhones since 5 so I had always been using Image Capture app to get stuff on Mac, but before introduction of Files app it was much harder to sort stuff on the phone - remove screenshots or divide them, clean unnecessary stuff etc. Now it is easier because I can copy into folders, so I basically don’t have to do that on Mac

 

[fatTribble]

You mean it actually works for someone?! I find that it fails maybe two thirds of the time.

I had high hopes for Airdrop during a recent trip. The three of us all had iPhone 17 PM. Airdrop was so unreliable we ended up using iCloud links to share photos.

Apple actually said that their new WiFi chip would improve Air Drop. I was disappointed. It’s one thing not to address the issue at all, but why tell everyone about an improvement that isn’t there?

 

[JoeSilver]

Gotta disagree because for what else reason they make these phones so big these days and displays have more resolution than needed to view image?

Right, then you select the option which preserves the original size on your iPhone. Of course this will take space quicker, but that wasn't your original concern.

I agree that cloud is convenient for most people but unfortunately not for me for various reasons, cold storage is the way for me because I love being able to know on which exact flash drive or SSD I store this or that collection without having to rely completely on iCloud + it works across any system, I can insert it into ancient Windows XP machine or Android phone and it will work just fine, in an instant, no Internet or iCloud needed.

Again, your question was about transferring photos from iPhone to Mac. I'm not saying that you MUST ditch the cold storage for the iCloud.

Yeah, I definitely disabled it long ago but this stuff still slips through. In fact, I hated iCloud photo sync and that it was default option ever since introduction, because it had synced all the stuff that I never asked to sync: random memes from the webs or socials, some weird images friends would send me, everything like that. So ever since the old days I am sorting this stuff better than Apple ever could so far. They always claim they know better, but it is simply not true.

Maybe things are really changed. No unwanted picture slips into my Photos. Every app must be authorised to access your Photos (and therefore to save them in the synced folder).

There was a fappening scandal back in the days, a huge privacy violation that used iCloud Photo libraries of different celebrities to steal their private photos.

Not my case tbh but still, not sure if I want random bank receipts or some stuff like credit card info to appear on iCloud whenever I would forget.

About privacy issues, considering that Apple openly states that they will open up iCloud after ANY law enforcement request with warrant, it doesn’t seem like a trustworthy tool, considering that the world we live in is descending into authoritarianism where “law endorcement” could use any unlawful tactics to get into someone’s phone.

Not my case but who knows if WWIII starts tomorrow and those in power would want to start witch hunt for so called “spies” and “enemies of the regime”. Maybe kind of paranoid but I mean I am much more used to Apple that claimed privacy as their stronghold, not this modern Apple who complies with laws from some countries to remove VPN apps from AppStore…

Right, I mean, you said that you want to manually sift through your images anyway, and choose which ones to save, delete, edit and backup. Once again, you don't have to use iCloud as a permanent storage system. I was suggesting you to use it as a temporary transfer method.

Regarding a possible future leakage, of course I cannot guarantee that it won't ever happen anymore. I would be more worried about the emails, if I'm honest, which contain a lot more important information than any of my photos. Do you use a local mail server by any chance? And even so, how do you trust people and servers which store your conversations on their side? Of course it's better to keep at least your photos not vulnerable to leaks and disclosures, but I'm afraid that, if you're really concerned about this, going offline is the only solution (and that doesn't even protect you from other forms of tracking).

Not really. As I said, using iPhones since 5 so I had always been using Image Capture app to get stuff on Mac, but before introduction of Files app it was much harder to sort stuff on the phone - remove screenshots or divide them, clean unnecessary stuff etc. Now it is easier because I can copy into folders, so I basically don’t have to do that on Mac

The reason I asked was because I noticed many factually incorrect statements in your objections (e.g. how long the photos stay in the deleted folder before being erased, the fact that they cannot erased at once, the fact that you can't keep the original lossless versions) and, moreover, you want to do things manually, such as sorting, removing duplicates and unnecessary stuff, and at the same time seem to complain that Photos doesn't help doing these things.

 

[Rychiar]

I mean if you pay for iCloud is works seamlessly...

 

[Abydos]

let's face it ecosystem is a lousy way to describe the apple business model(s) - I imagine the various usages of the word ecosystem will generate ambiguities in A.I. models. Rant aside, I use an sql3 database structure to find photos (tags include date, subject ( eg celestial with subdivisions), source among others. the original poster seems to want a turn key system for his photographs provided gatis by apple. ok I have a raid which houses my photographs, my experience is that it is cheaper than cloud storage with the caveat you must be aware of the status of your raid (which can be time consuming especially if you procrastinate excessively

 

[TechnoMonk]

It used to be painful long time ago. I don’t even remember when I had a problem syncing my photos(from iPhone/dslr/ipad Pro) with mac.

 

[NewOldStock]

icloud or the highway or cut copy paste and various other key strokes.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

After that, I delete the photos from the iPhone preserving my SSD drive for the next batch of photos. Rinse/repeat.

That makes a lot of sense. I do the same with my iPhone, but trying to talk my wife into it takes some persuading 😁

This!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

iCloud is the ecosystem.

If you’re not interested in using the ecosystem, fine, but that’s why you’re using work arounds.

In fact your current methodology is incredibly expensive.
Imagine a photo

• You take it on iOS Photos
• You copy it to Files
• You edit on your Mac
• You copy your photo to macOS Photos

You now have three copies of one photo!!! That’s storage you are using up and lots of time.

• You edit your photo on MacOS Photos
• You copy this to Files
• You copy this to iOS Photos

You now have another two copies of a single image. FIVE files taking up storage.

Alternatively use icloud
Imagine a photo

• It appears everywhere
• You edit it anywhere
• It updates everywhere

The time saving alone negates the subscription price, let alone all that storage you are using.

For best results store originals on Mac, smaller files on iPhone.

Good points!

iCloud is for me since I take hundreds of photos in a short period of time with my digital cameras, then edit them using apps such as DOX Photo Lab and the Nik Software bundle, and upon editing the images are stored in external HD's and SSDs. These edited images are quite large in size that take a lot of storage space. I do store images that are around 500 to maybe 800Kb in size in SmugMug that are Web ready to post in photo forums, or just to email or text to family and friends.

The original RAW images, and the ones I have edited (usually Tiff, or DMG, plus some large size jpg images I can access any time without relying on the Internet. The problem I would have worth iCloud is as follows: it would require for me to store several terabytes of photos, plus messages, Mail, Contacts, files such as documents or files created with Music, Notes, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Videos, and so on, all which I can only access via the Internet.

Add the photos above plus the ones I take with my iPhone, and my "possible" iCloud storage space would grow to a great size. I like your ideas about storing the large photos in your computers or even sternal devices, and keeping the small ones in the iPhone.

 

[spamabyss]

A few days ago I tried to airdrop about 300 photos from an iphone 17 pro to a 14 pro. I gave up after 5 failed attempts and 15 wasted minutes. It works for a few files most of the time but trying to send larger files or larger amounts of files is very hit or miss. What's going on Apple?

 

[edubfromktown]

I use Local Send app to send files between Android mobile, Chromebook and macOS systems and have no issues whatsoever.

 

[ForkHandles]

That makes a lot of sense. I do the same with my iPhone, but trying to talk my wife into it takes some persuading 😁

Good points!

iCloud is for me since I take hundreds of photos in a short period of time with my digital cameras, then edit them using apps such as DOX Photo Lab and the Nik Software bundle, and upon editing the images are stored in external HD's and SSDs. These edited images are quite large in size that take a lot of storage space. I do store images that are around 500 to maybe 800Kb in size in SmugMug that are Web ready to post in photo forums, or just to email or text to family and friends.

The original RAW images, and the ones I have edited (usually Tiff, or DMG, plus some large size jpg images I can access any time without relying on the Internet. The problem I would have worth iCloud is as follows: it would require for me to store several terabytes of photos, plus messages, Mail, Contacts, files such as documents or files created with Music, Notes, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Videos, and so on, all which I can only access via the Internet.

Add the photos above plus the ones I take with my iPhone, and my "possible" iCloud storage space would grow to a great size. I like your ideas about storing the large photos in your computers or even sternal devices, and keeping the small ones in the iPhone.

Your workflow works for you and that, above all else, is the most importantly thing.
I don’t use cameras, I’m happy with a well framed, well lit iPhone shot, not least as the workflow is virtually zero.

Your workflow seems quite traditional. I’m interested to hear how you ever view your pictures. Your filing system must be very efficient.

If you shoot in RAW, then create an image file, then create a web friendly version you must have three files for each image, only one of which is needed, the JPEG.

My father in law used the same traditional system, relying on dates and a complex folder structure, with separate hard drives for different projects. I showed him iCloud he dropped in a 1,000 JPEGs and hasn’t looked back. The one thing he loves is the search tool. “Umbrella in summer Helen “, brings up photos of his wife in 1978 in the summer rain immediately.

Getting a bit preachy now. Best wishes

 

[adrianlondon]

My workflow (with my 5GB iCloud!) is ...

1) Take photos
2) (optional) add description
3) At home, open laptop and wait for photos to sync
4) (optional - if I did step 2) run an applescript to remove first sentence of description and make it photo title
5) Look at my smart albums listing photos missing titles and GPS, and add as necessary
6) Export with all metadata and file away in a nice album-based structure
7) Delete old photos from Photos (hence iCloud hence iPhone) if space is needed

 

[splifingate]

Cloud is not an option for this same reason: it is very slow

Speaking of this, I am reminded of the relativity of simultaneity.

Much like how we come to understand the idea that "a watched clock never moves", so-to can we come to the realization that the distance between A <--> B is relative unto the perception of the beholder.

Much like my (and, I can only assume, others') personal experience that, when I really (really (really)) need to get my printer to eject a timely artifact, this is the point in time where said printer decides that it is not going to play-well with the game.

I can count on thirteen hands the number of times where I have been faced with the fact that my devices failed to meet the demands of my immediacy.

If I really 'need' a printout, my printer will fail.

When I am asked to up-load a photo, and my iCloud is not in-sync, personal mayhem ensues.

I have no real solution for you (either Soft, or Hard). What I can offer is to allow yourself to become gentle, and gain the realization that the Universe is not entirely beholden to our immediate demands.

This being said: iCloud, for me, is totally-fantastic

 

[ForkHandles]

My workflow (with my 5GB iCloud!) is ...

1) Take photos
2) (optional) add description
3) At home, open laptop and wait for photos to sync
4) (optional - if I did step 2) run an applescript to remove first sentence of description and make it photo title
5) Look at my smart albums listing photos missing titles and GPS, and add as necessary
6) Export with all metadata and file away in a nice album-based structure
7) Delete old photos from Photos (hence iCloud hence iPhone) if space is needed

It’s that last bit of line 6 that makes me sad, “file-away!” Consigning them to the storage facility.

Surely for a few extra quid every month you could leave them all in Photos and view them wherever and wherever you choose, on either device, the web etc etc. Find them easily using Photos Search on dates, names, objects, places, titles, keywords.

 

[splifingate]

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

iCloud is the ecosystem.

And a great way to maintain continuity between devices!

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Your workflow works for you and that, above all else, is the most importantly thing.
I don’t use cameras, I’m happy with a well framed, well lit iPhone shot, not least as the workflow is virtually zero.

Your workflow seems quite traditional. I’m interested to hear how you ever view your pictures. Your filing system must be very efficient.

If you shoot in RAW, then create an image file, then create a web friendly version you must have three files for each image, only one of which is needed, the JPEG.

My father in law used the same traditional system, relying on dates and a complex folder structure, with separate hard drives for different projects. I showed him iCloud he dropped in a 1,000 JPEGs and hasn’t looked back. The one thing he loves is the search tool. “Umbrella in summer Helen “, brings up photos of his wife in 1978 in the summer rain immediately.

Getting a bit preachy now. Best wishes

Most photo-editing apps incorporate features for viewing your photos in different ways, from thumbnail to full screen size. I edit the image leaving the original RAW untouched and save it in Tiff format. Both the RAW and Tiff are stored in external HD's or SSDs. But any image that I want to post online or store in a photo hosting website, SmugMug in my case, I save it directly from the post-edited Tiff image to my Mac desktop in Jpg format. Now these "web ready" or saved for web jpg images have been scaled down to perhaps 2000 pixels on the longest or the tallest side just before saving it for web posting. The end result is an image that is under 1MB in size (usually from 500-800 Kb in size). You can see some of my images in the Photo Of The Day Forum.

Since the "Web ready" jpg files are so small, I drag them to a folder on the Desktop immediately after being uploaded to SmugMug. This forded is titled, something like... "Photos for Web from march 2023-2026" (one example). If I need to email the photo to a friend, etc. I email it as an attachment, and the photo stays in the folder. I also take photos of some of the the post-edited images on the display with my iPhone, and then text them to friends and family .

And yes, I create photo folders with titles, dates, etc. that make them easy to ID. For example "Red color Auroras, November 2025". Or just "Backyard flowers and plants, 2025." These are phots I have taken with both the iPhone and my cameras, but I don't use Photos to edit them.

 

[ForkHandles]

Most photo-editing apps incorporate features for viewing your photos in different ways, from thumbnail to full screen size. I edit the image leaving the original RAW untouched and save it in Tiff format. Both the RAW and Tiff are stored in external HD's or SSDs. But any image that I want to post online or store in a photo hosting website, SmugMug in my case, I save it directly from the post-edited Tiff image to my Mac desktop in Jpg format. Now these "web ready" or saved for web jpg images have been scaled down to perhaps 2000 pixels on the longest or the tallest side just before saving it for web posting. The end result is an image that is under 1MB in size (usually from 500-800 Kb in size). You can see some of my images in the Photo Of The Day Forum.

Since the "Web ready" jpg files are so small, I drag them to a folder on the Desktop immediately after being uploaded to SmugMug. This forded is titled, something like... "Photos for Web from march 2023-2026" (one example). If I need to email the photo to a friend, etc. I email it as an attachment, and the photo stays in the folder. I also take photos of some of the the post-edited images on the display with my iPhone, and then text them to friends and family .

And yes, I create photo folders with titles, dates, etc. that make them easy to ID. For example "Red color Auroras, November 2025". Or just "Backyard flowers and plants, 2025." These are phots I have taken with both the iPhone and my cameras, but I don't use Photos to edit them.

Two things strike me as curious in your workflow.
You shoot in RAW but you never edit the RAW file.
You create a TIFF as your primary file.

I was always under the impression that a RAW file was desirable only if you wish to change the cameras settings at the point of exposure in the edit. They’re huge files which allow for great manipulation.
If you never edit the RAW then why use it at all? You could save hundreds on hard drives by getting your camera just to shoot in TIFF

TIFF is a big lossless file, favoured by photographers who are in publishing and need to print media at great quality. If that’s your thing great. If you’re like me and know that iPad is the ideal viewing platform, again you could save yourself tens of dollars in hard drive space shooting in jpeg.

Just curious is all.

 

[adrianlondon]

It’s that last bit of line 6 that makes me sad, “file-away!” Consigning them to the storage facility.

File away as I wish. I have them all filed in neat folders on my Mac, and I have a web server with some self-hosted cranky old PHP where I upload them all to.

I can use that to search any of my photos for title or description text, date, location etc, and as it's a web page it's available worldwide to any users I give access to - such as family.

I don't like just keeping them on iCloud as it doesn't give me the search options I want. I have thousands of photos going back to when I was a baby 😁 I need them all backed up anyway, in case anything happens to my iCloud account.

Also, every year or so some iOS or MacOS bug pisses me off enough that I threaten (to myself only haha) to leave Apple and go Android, so I need all my important data in a company-agnostic format.

(I use Google's reverse geocoding API to get address, city and country for every photo that's geotagged and store that info in the relevant metadata fields. I'm a metadata fiend, and use 'exiftools' to manipulate any as I wish. I also use a little script to change the file modification time to match the EXIF creation time, just because.)

 

[Donkey Man]

My Mac is where my photos live in LRC, both my DSLR as well as iPhone.
have been using airdrop for many many years, yes, it had its faults, I had to limit it to like 50 or so photos at a time. They go to the downloads folder and then I move them into my folder structure (basically year/month). Takes the same effort as plugging the SD card from my dslr into the Mac ...
Since I got a 17PM Airdrop reliability has improved, just the other day I selected like 150 or so photos (most were 48MP ones) and transferred to Mac via Airdrop, no issues, don't know whether it's the 17PM or OS 26.
I see no reason to change my flow

It's not just hard; it's an unreliable disaster.

I tried to do this just a few days ago, in order to offload more than 20,000 photos from my wife's iPhone to her Mac and have space for future photos and iOS updates - I gave up after transferring just 3,000 photos:

- when using Photos, error messages randomly interrupt the process and you have to start from scratch;
- likewise with Image Capture, with the slight advantage that there you can at least try to do stuff by batches, so that the risk of an error is lower. Yet even in this case the whole process is a mess, since you have no idea what has been transferred, you have no explanation why deleted photos (after import) are showing up again; or how to deal with the zillions of duplicates once you restart the process.

Moreover, there is NO acknowledgment of which files are bad, NO progress bar on what is being transferred, NO clear indication of what is there or not.

That is just one of the thousand examples of core OS rot at Apple; they forget about long-standing bugs and user interface flaws, and just keep on pushing service-based crap to make you buy iCloud+ and similar terrible "features".

In sum, it is nigh impossible to transfer large sets of photos from iPhone to Mac; simple as that.

 

[Donkey Man]

Applications --> Image capture
Select photos from connected iPhone.
Click Import.
Not complicated at all.

"Not complicated at all"? What about such a process NOT working at all, or crashing after just 500 photos are transferred?