How to transfer photos from your camera to your phone
Move full-resolution photos straight from your camera to your phone — no card reader — over USB or Wi-Fi.
The options: USB, Wi-Fi, or the maker's app
There are three common ways to get photos onto your phone: the camera's own companion app (Canon Camera Connect, Sony's Creators' App, Nikon SnapBridge, Fujifilm's app), a USB connection, or the camera's Wi-Fi. The maker apps work but are often slow, fiddly and hand you downsized copies. Connecting over USB or Wi-Fi with a tethering app pulls the real, full-resolution file.
Transfer over USB (fastest)
Connect the camera to your phone with a USB-C cable (or the right adapter for older iPhones) and set the camera to its PC/tether mode. CloudTether detects it and can pull each full-resolution frame — Canon CR3, Sony ARW, Nikon NEF, Fujifilm RAF or JPEG — directly off the body. USB is the quickest, most reliable route.
Transfer over Wi-Fi (cable-free)
Most modern Canon, Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm bodies broadcast their own Wi-Fi (PTP/IP). Join it from your phone, approve the pairing on the camera the first time, and photos transfer wirelessly — handy when you'd rather not carry a cable. On Canon, pick “Remote control (EOS Utility)” for the Wi-Fi function rather than “Connect to smartphone”, which only pairs with Canon's own app.
Get full resolution, not previews
The big difference from a quick maker-app share: CloudTether transfers the actual file the camera recorded, not a reduced preview — the same image you'd edit and deliver.
Keep going: straight to the cloud
Once photos reach your phone, CloudTether also uploads each one to wherever you choose — Dropbox, Google Drive, a client gallery, an FTP server — automatically, as you shoot. So the transfer isn't a chore at the end of the day; it happens in real time and the photos are backed up off-camera within seconds.
Connect a camera in the CloudTether app
From opening the app to your first shot arriving — over USB or Wi-Fi.
Not sure which you have? 1.1 has the tabs Home · History · Deliver · More; 1.0 has Home · Playback · Destinations · More. What changed in 1.1
1Open Connect a camera
On Home, tap “Connect a camera” (or “+ Add” under Cameras when one is already connected). Plug in a USB cable and the camera connects by itself, or tap “Wi-Fi” for guided setup — or pick your brand (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, or Other: Panasonic, OM System, GoPro, FTP).
2Confirm on the camera if asked
Over Wi-Fi, many cameras show a pairing or confirm prompt the first time — accept it on the camera. Over USB, set the camera to its PC / tether mode (PC Remote on Sony).
3Choose where its shots go
When the camera connects, the “Send its shots to…” sheet shows the camera and where it is sending — for example “Sending to Dropbox · Google Drive”. Tap “Change” to pick somewhere else, then take a test shot: “Test shot delivered. You’re all set” means it worked.
4Shoot
Home now leads with where shots are going (“Sending to Dropbox · Google Drive”, with “Change”) and a live panel of shot / sending / delivered counts. Turn on Pocket mode to darken the screen while the tether keeps running.
1Open Connect a camera
On Home, tap “Connect a camera” (or “+ Add camera” when one is already connected). Plug in over USB for a zero-tap start, or tap “Choose your camera” to set up Wi-Fi, the camera's own hotspot, FTP or GoPro for your model.
2Confirm on the camera if asked
Over Wi-Fi, many cameras show a pairing or confirm prompt the first time — accept it on the camera (Home shows “Confirm the connection on your camera”). Over USB, set the camera to its PC / tether mode (PC Remote on Sony).
3Choose where shots go
The “Camera connected” sheet asks “Where should shots go?” and shows the camera's current album, e.g. “Live upload → Bennett & Cole Wedding”. Tap “Change” to pick another album, then take a test shot: “Test shot delivered — you’re all set”.
4Shoot
Home shows “This shoot” with captured, uploading, in-the-cloud and delivered counts, and the camera card's “Live upload → album” line. Recent cloud albums are listed below.
FAQ
How do I transfer photos from my camera to my phone without a card reader?
Connect the camera to your phone over USB or its own Wi-Fi and use CloudTether — it reads the full-resolution files directly from the body, so you never remove the card or need a reader.
Will the photos be full resolution?
Yes. CloudTether transfers the actual full-resolution RAW or JPEG the camera recorded, not a downscaled preview like some companion apps send.
Does this work for Canon, Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm?
Yes — one app covers all four brands over USB or Wi-Fi, so the same workflow applies whichever system you shoot.
Tether your camera to the cloud with CloudTether
Deliver every shot to the cloud or a client gallery, live as you shoot — no laptop. Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm over USB or Wi-Fi, on iPhone, iPad or Android.