Where Does Image Capture Import Photos?
Image Capture imports iPhone photos to a folder you choose, defaulting to Pictures on the Mac.
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Image Capture moves photos from iPhones, cameras, and scanners to a folder on your Mac. The destination picker at the bottom of the window decides where, defaulting to Pictures.
That choice is per device and persistent, which surprises people expecting a global setting. Plug in a second camera and it gets its own destination. Deleted-after-import is a separate checkbox, so imports copy by default and your phone keeps its originals until you say otherwise.
Where macOS stores this, by platform
~/Pictures (default Image Capture import)
Default import destination for connected cameras and phones. Change it per device in the Image Capture destination picker; deletions require the separate checkbox.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change where imports go?
Select the device, pick the destination folder at the bottom, then Import All. The setting sticks for that device, so set it once per phone.
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