# How to import photos from my iPhone into Lightroom?



## Henry_D (Nov 2, 2015)

With the last round of updates I've lost the ability to import pictures from my iPhone into Lightroom. 
I'm sure there is some setting to fix this. 
I never use Apple's Photos program.

I'm using an iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 9.1
I'm using Lightroom CC with Camera Raw 9.2
My Mac Laptop is running OS X 10.11.1

Thanks!
Henry


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## Johan Elzenga (Nov 2, 2015)

Can you specify this? What do you mean with 'lost the ability'? What are you trying to do and what happens?


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## Henry_D (Nov 2, 2015)

What I'm trying to do is to import the pictures from my iPhone into Lightroom.


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## Johan Elzenga (Nov 2, 2015)

If you don't explain what you are doing and what happens, it's difficult for anyone to help you. So, again: how are you trying to do this? Did you connect your phone to the computer? If so, what happens? Doesn't Lightroom see the phone? Or are you using Lightroom Mobile?


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## Henry_D (Nov 2, 2015)

"How are you trying to do this?"
I connect my iPhone to my Mac laptop with a cable. 
Apple's "Photo" application launches. I quit the program
I go to Lightroom and select "Import Photos and Video..."
My iPhone is not seen as a source to import pictures from. 

Anything else you need to know?
Thanks for helping!
Henry


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## clee01l (Nov 2, 2015)

Henry, First, you can change the app that opens when the iPhone is connected. Open The Image Capture app and with the iPhone connected and selected, change the default app to LR in the lower left corner of the Image Capture app.





As for why you can see your iPhone on import may depend upon which version of LR you are using.  If you are using LRCC2015.2.1, you probably need to turn off the option to "Show the Add Photos" screen in Preference on the general tab.  If you want to see the old import dialog you should (for now) roll back to LRCC2015.1.1 .
FWIW, I see the iPhone in my (new) import dialog  If you don't, then a screen shot showing us what you are seeing will be helpful


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## Henry_D (Nov 2, 2015)

Cletus,
Thanks much. Your advice worked! 

Do you know of a way to automatically import images into LR via the cloud?
Thanks!!
Henry


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## Johan Elzenga (Nov 2, 2015)

Henry_D said:


> Cletus,
> Thanks much. Your advice worked!
> 
> Do you know of a way to automatically import images into LR via the cloud?



If you have Lightroom CC, you can install Lightroom Mobile on your phone and set LrM to automatically add phone images to a collection. That collection is then synched to your desktop version of Lightroom.


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## clee01l (Nov 2, 2015)

Henry_D said:


> Cletus,
> Thanks much. Your advice worked!
> 
> Do you know of a way to automatically import images into LR via the cloud?
> ...


Before I switched over to the method that Johan suggests. I used an app called Photostream2Folder.  It runs as a background service to intercept the iCloud PhotoStream.  Your photos are dumped into a Watched folder and the AutoImport function imports the contents of the Watch folder into your LR catalog. 

A third method involves DropBox  and a LR Watch Folder.  I used this method for a while when Photostream2Folder stopped working with the new Photos app. 

None of the methods are purely automatic.  Although Photostream2Folder comes closest.   Both LR Mobile & Dropbox require an active app on the iPhone.   Photostream2Folder is contrary sometimes refusing to find any new photos in the iCloud Photostream.


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## shelley (Jan 13, 2016)

Hi I'm new to Lightroom but have used Bridge and Photoshop for years. Upgrading to el capitan an iphone 6s, Photodownloader with Bridge no longer works and with the urging of friends I'm exploring learning Lightroom. This thread was help to set Lightroom as the default downloader, HOWEVER

I am getting an error message when importing images from my iPhone. I always rename my photos with the format yyyy-mm-dd-iP preceding. 
Message says: *The following files were not imported because they could not be read. (16)*
What am I doing wrong?


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## SaraCaballera (Oct 9, 2017)

clee01l said:


> Henry, First, you can change the app that opens when the iPhone is connected. Open The Image Capture app and with the iPhone connected and selected, change the default app to LR in the lower left corner of the Image Capture app.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I tried that but not only can I not get Image capture to give the choice of LR for importing, when I did a test image I received a message that said Image Capture would not open jpeg images. I am on LRCC and have an iPhone 5s. Imports used to be easy until a few months ago. LR Mobil is not a good option for me. I have only a Verizon internet setvice and every GB is paid for.


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## clee01l (Oct 9, 2017)

SaraCaballera, with the iPhone connected and unlocked, start the Image Capture App.   Withe the iPhone Device selected, click on the drop down list that is labeled "Connecting this camera opens:"  At the bottom of the list choose "Other".  In the System dialog that opens, navigate to the Lightroom app in your applications folder and choose it.   Once selected, Lightroom will always open if the iPhone is connected and unlocked.


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## Bruce E Schoppe (Jan 3, 2019)

SaraCaballera said:


> I tried that but not only can I not get Image capture to give the choice of LR for importing, when I did a test image I received a message that said Image Capture would not open jpeg images. I am on LRCC and have an iPhone 5s. Imports used to be easy until a few months ago. LR Mobil is not a good option for me. I have only a Verizon internet setvice and every GB is paid for.


I do not have an Image Capture app on my iPhone X; so, I assume that is something I need to install?  When I search for the app in the app store, Image Capture  is identified as "Alpha Image Capture".  Is that what I want?  Thanks


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## Johan Elzenga (Jan 3, 2019)

Bruce E Schoppe said:


> I do not have an Image Capture app on my iPhone X; so, I assume that is something I need to install?  When I search for the app in the app store, Image Capture  is identified as "Alpha Image Capture".  Is that what I want?  Thanks


Image Capture is not an application on your phone, it's a standard application on the Macintosh used for downloading images from connected devices.


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## Bruce E Schoppe (Jan 3, 2019)

JohanElzenga said:


> Image Capture is not an application on your phone, it's a standard application on the Macintosh used for downloading images from connected devices.


Got it!  Thank you.  It worked!


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