How do I download photos to my Apple iPhone?

Like getting photos onto a video iPod (see how to add photos to your ipod), the only way you can add pictures to your new Apple iPhone is through iTunes. But iTunes is a bit fussy about what it will and won't sync. You can choose a "roll" of pictures from iPhoto but since you -- like me -- don't use iPhoto, you'll need a workaround to get this going.

Fortunately, it's pretty darn easy!

What I do to manage my iPhone photo album is create a new folder in my Pictures folder called "iPhone Pic Sync" and then copied the photos I wanted to have on the iPhone there (you copy a file, rather than moving it, by holding down the Option key while dragging and dropping):

Notice here that I not only have a new folder in my Pictures directory, but I also dragged the folder onto the left navigational shortcuts area in the Finder too, so the folder is easily accessible anywhere I'm working on my Mac. Saves finding that folder again, ya know!

Now you can simply drag and drop images in that you'd like to have on your phone and eventually you'll have a nice little library, as I do:

When you have a bunch of pics you like, hook up your iPhone to your computer and after it autosyncs, it'll show you the Summary view of how things are set up:

Click on the "Photos" tab here and by default it'll offer up the ability to sync your iPhoto library:

You don't want that, though, you want to choose "Select Folder..." from that pop-up and select the new iPhone photo sync folder. Once you do that, it'll look like this:

That's all there is to it. Click on "Sync" and you'll see that iTunes is smart, it even adjusts images to work optimally on the iPhone. The sync flies past:

and now your iPhone has a spiffo new photo library of the images you desire.

Want to add or delete images? Just add or delete them to your new iPhone Pic Sync folder and they'll automatically be synchronized with your iPhone every time you plug it in.

Still learning about your iPhone? We have lots of iPhone help here on the site!