Issues transferring photos from Android to iPhone and iCloud

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Level 1

4 points

Issues transferring photos from Android to iPhone and iCloud

In December 2023 I received an iPhone 15 Plus and wanted to transfer photos from my previous Huawei P20 Pro. Following Apple’s support guide, I used iTunes on Windows 10. The photos appeared in the Photos app after syncing, but I encountered several issues:

Some photos cannot be deleted from the iPhone.

They cannot be synced with iCloud Photos.

I get an error saying Finder cannot handle the files or that I don’t have permissions (files are JPG).

I have already contacted Apple Support multiple times but received contradictory instructions. One consultant told me to purchase additional iCloud storage and perform a backup, another advised me to stop the backup and transfer files manually. This situation is very frustrating, especially since I followed the official Apple guide.

I would like a clear explanation on how to correctly transfer photos and videos from Android to iPhone so that they can be fully managed on the device and in iCloud. Ideally, I would appreciate a phone call with precise guidance, as exchanging contradictory emails is not helping.

iPhone 15 Plus, iOS 18

Posted on Sep 18, 2025 2:34 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 18, 2025 6:40 AM in response to julka_qulka

Pictures transferred from a computer to an iPhone can be shown in Photos, but they aren't "owned" by Photos, so they can't be deleted or edited-- just shown. The protocols for transferring by cable were designed long ago, and this transfer was designed to be for temporary showing of pictures on the phone, while the "real" pictures were left on the computer. Later you'd transfer a different set, replacing the old set. So---the way you delete them is to transfer a new, empty set to the phone.

Here's what Apple says about transferring pictures from Android to iPhone Photos:

Move content manually from your Android device to your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Another thought: I use iCloud. You could buy a month's worth of iCloud, and upload your pictures to iCloud.com with a browser. Then turn on iCloud on the iPhone, and all the pictures will be transferred. Then turn off iCloud. In the browser version of iCloud, you can upload no more than 1000 at a time.

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