How to send iPhone photos and files to a Mac shared folder

By Isaac Griffiths, developer of SMBDrop · 11 October 2026

You don't need a NAS to keep a copy of your iPhone photos on storage you own. Any Mac can share a folder over SMB, the same protocol a NAS uses, and an iPhone on the same Wi-Fi can write straight into it. It's a good fit for a Mac mini that's always on, or a Mac with a big external drive attached.

This guide uses macOS Ventura or later (System Settings). Older versions have the same options in System Preferences → Sharing.

Disclosure: I make SMBDrop, which is one way to do step 6. Everything up to step 5 is built into macOS and iOS and costs nothing.

Step 1: Make a folder, and optionally a sharing-only user

Create the folder you want photos to land in, for example iPhone Archive on an external drive or in your home folder.
Optional but tidy: in System Settings → Users & Groups, click Add User and choose Sharing Only as the account type. A sharing-only account can connect to shared folders but can't log in to the Mac, which is ideal for a phone. You can also just use your own account.

Step 2: Turn on File Sharing with SMB

Open System Settings → General → Sharing and turn on File Sharing.
Click the ⓘ button next to File Sharing. Under Shared Folders, click + and add your folder.
With the folder selected, set the user you'll sign in as (your account, or the sharing-only user) to Read & Write. Set Everyone to No Access if you don't want guests to see it.
Click Options and make sure Share files and folders using SMB is on.
If the iPhone later refuses your password, come back here and tick the account under Windows File Sharing, entering its password. Apple notes this stores the password less securely, so only do it if you need to.

Step 3: Find the Mac's address

The Sharing pane shows the Mac's local hostname, something like Isaacs-Mac-mini.local, which works on most home networks. The IP address is more dependable: find it in System Settings → Network (or Wi-Fi) → Details, for example 192.168.1.20. Give the Mac a DHCP reservation in your router so the address stays the same.

Step 4: Keep the Mac awake enough

A sleeping Mac can't receive files. On a desktop Mac, look in System Settings → Energy (or Energy Saver) for Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off and Wake for network access, and turn on whichever your Mac offers. A MacBook with its lid closed generally won't take files unless it's on power with an external display attached, so leave it open and plugged in for big transfers.

If you share a folder on an external drive, make sure the drive is mounted. If it isn't, the share disappears.

Step 5: Test from the iPhone with the Files app

Open Files → Browse → ⋯ → Connect to Server.
Enter smb://192.168.1.20 (or the .local name), choose Registered User, and sign in with the Mac account's short name and password.
Open your shared folder and save a test file.

If it appears on the Mac, you're done with setup. The Files app is great for documents. For photos it goes through Save to Files each time, and Live Photos usually arrive as a still only; the Files app's limits explains why.

Step 6: Send original photos with SMBDrop

In SMBDrop, open Settings and add a share: the Mac's IP address, then the account name and password.
Tap Find Shares. Once you're signed in, it lists the folders the Mac is sharing. Pick yours.
Run Test Connection and save.
Pick photos and videos and tap Send.

They land in the folder as original files, with HEIC kept as HEIC, videos not re-encoded, metadata intact and both halves of each Live Photo. Sending continues if you switch apps, and anything interrupted can be retried from the queue.

A Mac folder vs the other ways to get photos onto a Mac

AirDrop is the quickest for a handful of photos, and it's free. It's less good for hundreds of items or long videos, and where files end up depends on what you send and the Mac's settings (photos often go straight into the Photos app).
Importing with a cable using the Photos app or Image Capture is free and reliable. Set Settings → Apps → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC on iOS 18 and later (Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC on iOS 17) to Keep Originals first, because the default may convert to JPEG and H.264.
A shared folder over SMB needs no cable and no Photos library, keeps plain files in a folder you choose, and works the same way if you later buy a NAS.

Whichever you choose, one copy on one Mac isn't a backup on its own. Time Machine to a second drive, or another copy elsewhere, covers you if the Mac's drive fails.

Troubleshooting

The password is rejected

Use the account's short name (the name of its home folder), not the full name. If that still fails, tick the account under Windows File Sharing in File Sharing's Options (step 2).

The connection times out

Check the Mac is awake and on the same network, and that the app has Local Network permission in iOS Settings. The macOS firewall allows File Sharing automatically when it's turned on, unless you've set it to block all incoming connections.

The folder isn't listed

It isn't in File Sharing's Shared Folders list, or the account you signed in with has no access to it, or the external drive it lives on isn't mounted.

FAQ

Can an iPhone connect to a Mac shared folder?

Yes. Turn on File Sharing in System Settings, General, Sharing, make sure Share files and folders using SMB is on in Options, and connect from the iPhone with smb:// and the Mac's IP address.

Do I need a NAS to back up iPhone photos to my own storage?

No. A Mac or Windows PC can share a folder over SMB, and the iPhone can write to it over Wi-Fi. A NAS is handier because it's always on, but it isn't required.

Why does my Mac reject the iPhone's sign-in?

Use the account's short name rather than its full name. If it still fails, tick that account under Windows File Sharing in File Sharing's Options and enter its password.

Does the Mac have to stay awake?

Yes, while files are being sent. On a desktop Mac, turn on Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off or Wake for network access in Energy settings. A closed MacBook generally won't receive files.

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