import-iphone-media 0.1.0

Import media files from your iPhone to a local directory.

import-iphone-media

A fast, efficient CLI tool that imports photos and videos directly from your iPhone to your computer via USB. Preserves original timestamps, skips duplicates, and works without iCloud or iTunes sync.

Quick Start

1. Connect your iPhone via USB
   • (If on Windows: Make sure iTunes/Apple Devices app is installed and running.)
2. Unlock your iPhone and trust your computer if prompted.
3. Install and run:

uv tool install import-iphone-media  # Recommended
pip install import-iphone-media      # Alternative

import-iphone-media ~/Pictures/iPhone

Table of Contents

• Quick Start
• Features
• Installation
• Usage
• Troubleshooting
• Development
• Acknowledgements

Features

• Connects to your iPhone via USB (no iCloud required)
• Preserves original modification and creation times (file timestamps are synced to match your iPhone)
• Imports only new media (photos, videos) to a local directory and keeps a database of imported files
• Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Installation

Requirements

• Python 3.9+
• iPhone connected via USB
• (If on Windows: iTunes/Apple Devices app must be installed and running)

We recommend you to install using uv:

uv tool install import-iphone-media

Alternatively, you can install using pip:

pip install import-iphone-media

Usage

usage: import-iphone-media [-h] [--dcim-path DCIM_PATH] [--db-path DB_PATH] [--include-extensions INCLUDE_EXTENSIONS] [--verbose] output

Import media files from iPhone

positional arguments:
  output                Directory where media files should be downloaded to

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --dcim-path DCIM_PATH
                        Directory on iPhone to scan for media files
  --db-path DB_PATH     Path to the database file where information on imported media will be stored
  --include-extensions INCLUDE_EXTENSIONS
                        List of file extensions to include (comma-separated)
  --verbose             Enable verbose output

Troubleshooting

• Ensure your iPhone is unlocked and you have trusted the computer
• If you see connection errors on Windows, make sure iTunes/Apple Devices is running
• Try reconnecting the USB cable or restarting your iPhone

Development

Clone the repo and install in editable mode:

git clone https://github.com/artificiadrian/import-iphone-media.git
cd import-iphone-media
uv sync

Acknowledgements

• pymobiledevice3
• rich