Transfer Photos From a Cell Phone to a Computer Without eMail

How to Transfer Photos From a Cell Phone to a Computer Without eMail

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By David Sarokin, eHow Member

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Get those photos out of that phone!

Cell phone companies want you to email your photos from your mobile phone, since that just means they get to charge you more minutes! Some phones even block other forms of data transfer, so that you have little choice but to email your photos.

However, there are often workarounds, so that you can download/upload photos directly from your phone to your computer. Here's how.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Step1

   **Try the USB Port**
   
   If your phone has a USB (or more likely, a mini-USB or micro-USB) port, then run the cable from your phone to your computer to see if photo transfers are possible. With luck, your computer will recognize the phone as a storage device, and open up an icon that lets you see a file directory for your phone, and drag and drop photos to your computer.
   
   I've seen reports that some Verizon phones specifically block this capability, but it works for many types of phone/computer combinations.

2. Step2

   **Got Bluetooth?**
   
   If your phone and computer are Bluetooth-enabled, then the same technology that connects your phone and your earpiece can often be used to connect your phone and your computer, in order to transfer photos.
   
   There's no one procedure for making this happen. You'll have to experiment a bit, and maybe even check the website for your phone to see if procedures are specified for Bluetooth file transfer. For instance, many AT&T phones and handheld devices have a built-in "Beam File" option that can transfer photos. But it takes some getting used to.
   
   And once again, some phones have this option blocked, even if you have Bluetooth built in.

3. Step3

   **Look for a Memory Card**
   
   Your phone or device may have a flash memory slot for microSD memory or some similar format. If it does, this may be one of the simplest ways to directly transfer photos from your phone to your PC or Mac. Memory chips are pretty cheap these days (especially if purchased online), and it may be worthwhile purchasing additional memory that fits your phone and your computer's memory card reader (if the two are not the same size, then you can usually buy a simple adapter as well).