# How do I move a bunch of photos and videos that are precious to me from multiple phones into 1 Usb drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Discussion & Solutions\ **Tags:** help\ **Created:** [September 10, 2026, 1:34pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/how-do-i-move-a-bunch-of-photos-and-videos-that-are-precious-to-me-from-multiple-phones-into-1-usb-drive/325455 "2026-09-10T13:34:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VividCedar87](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/vividcedar87/32/177728_2.png) [@VividCedar87](https://onehack.st/u/VividCedar87)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 1:34pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/how-do-i-move-a-bunch-of-photos-and-videos-that-are-precious-to-me-from-multiple-phones-into-1-usb-drive/325455/1 "2026-09-10T13:34:09Z")
Ive tried megaโ€™s, online file sharing, and just direct where I just connect my phone to my laptop. The last one worked very well but takes a long time when moving file to file and not directly on the usb. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Smith9](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/john_smith9/32/177772_2.png) [@John\_Smith9](https://onehack.st/u/John_Smith9)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/how-do-i-move-a-bunch-of-photos-and-videos-that-are-precious-to-me-from-multiple-phones-into-1-usb-drive/325455/2 "2026-09-10T19:42:49Z")
Maybe LocalSend will work for you. > **[LocalSend: Share files to nearby devices](https://localsend.org/)** > > LocalSend is a free, open-source, cross-platform file sharing tool that allows you to share files to nearby devices. ---
**Author:** ![SRZ](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/srz/32/146132_2.png) [@SRZ](https://onehack.st/u/SRZ)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 11:51am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/how-do-i-move-a-bunch-of-photos-and-videos-that-are-precious-to-me-from-multiple-phones-into-1-usb-drive/325455/3 "2026-09-11T11:51:36Z")
### ๐Ÿ“ธ All your phonesโ€™ photos onto one USB stick โ€” the stick goes into the phone, no laptop, minutes not hours ```auto ๐Ÿ“ฑ Android โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€ USB-C โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ–ถ ๐Ÿ’พ stick ~6 min per 10 GB ๐ŸŽ iPhone 15+ โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€ USB-C โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ–ถ ๐Ÿ’พ stick ~6 min per 10 GB ๐Ÿ“ฑ๐Ÿ“ฑ๐Ÿ“ฑ many phones โ”€โ”€ Wi-Fi โ”€โ–ถ ๐Ÿ’ป laptop โ”€โ–ถ ๐Ÿ’พ stick 2 GB in 80 seconds ``` **One thing first, once:** plug the stick into a laptop โ†’ right-click it โ†’ **Format** โ†’ **exFAT** โ†’ **Start**. Ten seconds. Skip it and any video over 4 GB silently refuses to copy. * * * ### ๐Ÿ“ฑ Android โ€” stick into the phone - plug the stick into the charging port (a $5 **USB-C adapter** when the stick is the wide shape) - tap the **USB available** notice โ†’ **Allow** - open **Files by Google** โ†’ **Browse** โ†’ **Images** - tap **โ‹ฎ** โ†’ **Select** โ†’ **Select all** - tap **โ‹ฎ** โ†’ **Copy to** โ†’ your stick โ†’ **Copy here** - do the same for **Videos** - pull down the notice bar โ†’ **Eject** _Done when the copy bar finishes and the stick shows the same number of items as the gallery._ **Samsung โ€” one button instead:** - **Settings** โ†’ search **Smart Switch** โ†’ open it - tap the **SD-card icon** top right - **Back up to** โ†’ **SD card or USB storage** - tick **Photos** and **Videos** โ†’ **Back up** * * * ### ๐ŸŽ iPhone 15 or newer โ€” stick into the phone - first: **Settings** โ†’ your name โ†’ **iCloud** โ†’ **Photos** โ†’ **Download and Keep Originals** โ€” wait on Wi-Fi - plug a USB-C stick into the bottom - open **Photos** โ†’ **Select** โ†’ drag across everything - tap **Share** โ†’ **Export Unmodified Original** - tap your stick โ†’ **Save** _Done when Files โ†’ your stick shows the photos._ **Older iPhone with the wide charging port โ€” send it to any Android that holds the stick:** - install **[LocalSend](https://localsend.org/)** on the iPhone and on the Android, same Wi-Fi - Android: plug the stick in โ†’ LocalSend โ†’ **Settings** โ†’ **Receive** โ†’ **Destination** โ†’ the stick - iPhone: **Photos** โ†’ **Select All** โ†’ **Share** โ†’ **LocalSend** โ†’ the Androidโ€™s name - Android: **Accept** _Appleโ€™s own route is a $39 Lightning camera adapter with the charger plugged into its side port._ * * * ### ๐Ÿ“ฑ๐Ÿ“ฑ๐Ÿ“ฑ Many phones at once โ€” one laptop, everybody sends - stick into the laptop - install **[LocalSend](https://localsend.org/download)** on the laptop and on every phone, same Wi-Fi - laptop: **Settings** โ†’ **Destination** โ†’ **Change** โ†’ the stick โ†’ new folder โ†’ **Select Folder** - laptop: **Advanced settings** โ†’ **Encryption** OFF โ€” this alone makes it 15ร— faster - laptop: **Quick Save** ON - every phone: **Send** โ†’ **Media** โ†’ **Select all** โ†’ tap the laptopโ€™s name โ€” all at the same time - wait until each phone says **Finished** _Done when each phoneโ€™s folder on the stick matches its gallery count._ * * * ### โœ… Before you delete anything on a phone - **count** โ€” open the stickโ€™s folder, press **Ctrl+A** , read the item count at the bottom; it equals the gallery - **prove** โ€” **[TeraCopy](https://codesector.com/teracopy)** (free) โ†’ right-click the folder โ†’ **TeraCopy** โ†’ tick **Verify** โ†’ **Copy** ; every file shows a **double checkmark** ### ๐Ÿ”ง The other cases โ€” open the one that is yours > **๐Ÿ’ป Laptop + cable was slow โ€” make it fast without typing anything** > > - phone: **Files by Google** โ†’ **Browse** โ†’ **Internal storage** > - tap **โ‹ฎ** next to **DCIM** โ†’ **Compress** โ†’ name it โ†’ **Compress** > - plug the phone into the laptop โ†’ pull down the notice โ†’ **File transfer** > - laptop: drag the one **.zip** onto the stick > - right-click it โ†’ **Extract All** โ†’ the stick > > _One big file crosses at full speed. Ten thousand small ones crawl at 1 MB/s โ€” that was the slowness._ > **โšก Fastest of all โ€” 8.4 GB in 4 minutes with Google's free tool** > > - laptop: download **[Platform-Tools](https://developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools)** โ†’ unzip โ†’ open the **platform-tools** folder > - phone: **Settings** โ†’ **About phone** โ†’ tap **Build number** 7 times > - **Settings** โ†’ **System** โ†’ **Developer options** โ†’ **USB debugging** ON > - plug in โ†’ tick **Always allow** โ†’ **Allow** > - in the folder: **Shift + right-click** โ†’ **Open in Terminal** > - type `adb pull -a /sdcard/DCIM E:\Phone1` (E: = the stick) โ†’ Enter > - same line again with `/sdcard/Pictures`, `/sdcard/Movies`, `/sdcard/Download` > - after: **Developer options** โ†’ **Revoke USB debugging authorizations** > **๐Ÿฉน Broken screen or dead touch โ€” the photos still come out** > > - the Platform-Tools folder from the drawer above, plus **[scrcpy](https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy)** unzipped next to it > - plug the phone in > - run `scrcpy --otg` โ€” the laptop mouse now drives the phone > - click **Always allow** โ†’ **Allow** on the phoneโ€™s screen shown on the laptop > - type `adb pull /sdcard/DCIM E:\Phone3` โ†’ Enter > **๐Ÿงฌ Same photo on five phones โ€” keep it once** > > - download **[Czkawka](https://github.com/qarmin/czkawka)** (free) โ†’ open it > - **Duplicate Files** > - **Add Directory** โ†’ each phoneโ€™s folder on the stick > - right-click the folder with your best copies โ†’ **Mark as Reference Path** > - **Scan** โ†’ **Select โ†’ All** โ†’ **Delete** > **๐Ÿ’ฌ WhatsApp, Telegram, screenshots โ€” photos outside the camera roll** > > Copy these folders too, same way as the camera roll: > > - `DCIM/Screenshots` > - `Pictures` ยท `Movies` ยท `Download` > - `Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images` and `WhatsApp Video` > - `Telegram/Telegram Images` and `Telegram Video` > > _Sending a photo to yourself on WhatsApp shrinks it 20ร— and strips the date. **Paperclip โ†’ Document** keeps it whole._ > **๐Ÿ  No laptop, no adapter, the whole house โ€” the router is the stick** > > - stick into the routerโ€™s USB port > - phone browser โ†’ **[tplinkwifi.net](http://tplinkwifi.net)** / **[router.asus.com](http://router.asus.com)** / **[routerlogin.net](http://routerlogin.net)** โ†’ log in > - **USB** โ†’ turn on **Samba** (Asus: **Network Place** ) โ†’ **Save** > - Android: **Cx File Explorer** โ†’ **Network** โ†’ **New Location** โ†’ **SMB** โ†’ the router address โ†’ **OK** โ†’ **Local** โ†’ hold **DCIM** โ†’ **Copy** โ†’ **Network** โ†’ the share โ†’ **Paste** > - iPhone: **Files** โ†’ **โ‹ฏ** โ†’ **Connect to Server** โ†’ `smb://` + the router address โ†’ then **Photos** โ†’ **Select** โ†’ **Share** โ†’ **Save to Files** โ†’ the share > > _Slow โ€” leave it overnight with the screen awake._ > **๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Are the dates still right?** > > - right-click any photo on the stick โ†’ **Properties** โ†’ **Details** โ†’ **Date taken** > - that is the real date โ€” ignore Date modified ๐Ÿ“ฅ **Start now:** format the stick, plug it into the first phone, tick the boxes.