Can you answer some questions I have about the iPhone before I purchase one?

[ulnek]

Hi. I'm thinking of switching to the iphone 12 pro to try out the ios. I have never used any iphone before. The last time I used an apple device was when I had an ipod and a mac lol. I hope you guys can answer some questions for me. Thanks

1. I use a pc and chrome browser. Am I able to send the website I'm viewing to my computer from my phone? On android there's a feature where I can share the site I'm on to my computer browser.

2. What originally put me off using an iphone was that I couldn't easily transfer files from my phone to my computer and vice versa very easily. I had to go through itunes and that was quite the process. Is it any better now? I'm used to being able to just connect my phone and drag and drop either way. I know I can't do that on an iphone. I still have to go through itunes, but is it much simpler? I do a lot of transferring between my computer and my phone.

3. Am I able to keep things in folders in the phone as a way of organizing things? I like my pictures in folders for sorting. I also like my music in folders for better organization and faster editing. Having an album in one folder with it's playlist means I can just put the folder in my music folder on my phone and take out other folders if I no longer want them there. Will the iphone allow me to do that?

4. Is there a way for my computer to use the phone's internet connection either wirelessly or connected? Again, I'm on pc and in a pinch I can connect my android to my pc and use it's internet connection if for some reason my wifi is down or not working.

5. Is there a way to backup files and folders from my phone to my computer? What I do right now is I periodically back up my pictures, downloads, etc. from my phone to my computer just in case something happens to my phone. I know pictures are automatically uploaded to my google photos but I like my organized folders and backing them up as is means my content is kept organized.

Thanks so much for reading all of this. I know it's a lot but I would appreciate any insight you all would have. I really hope the answer is yes to all these questions so I can just take the plunge and not worry about how things will work lol.

 

[Annie_M]

Hi. I'm thinking of switching to the iphone 12 pro to try out the ios. I have never used any iphone before. The last time I used an apple device was when I had an ipod and a mac lol. I hope you guys can answer some questions for me. Thanks

1. I use a pc and chrome browser. Am I able to send the website I'm viewing to my computer from my phone? On android there's a feature where I can share the site I'm on to my computer browser.

2. What originally put me off using an iphone was that I couldn't easily transfer files from my phone to my computer and vice versa very easily. I had to go through itunes and that was quite the process. Is it any better now? I'm used to being able to just connect my phone and drag and drop either way. I know I can't do that on an iphone. I still have to go through itunes, but is it much simpler? I do a lot of transferring between my computer and my phone.

3. Am I able to keep things in folders in the phone as a way of organizing things? I like my pictures in folders for sorting. I also like my music in folders for better organization and faster editing. Having an album in one folder with it's playlist means I can just put the folder in my music folder on my phone and take out other folders if I no longer want them there. Will the iphone allow me to do that?

4. Is there a way for my computer to use the phone's internet connection either wirelessly or connected? Again, I'm on pc and in a pinch I can connect my android to my pc and use it's internet connection if for some reason my wifi is down or not working.

5. Is there a way to backup files and folders from my phone to my computer? What I do right now is I periodically back up my pictures, downloads, etc. from my phone to my computer just in case something happens to my phone. I know pictures are automatically uploaded to my google photos but I like my organized folders and backing them up as is means my content is kept organized.

Thanks so much for reading all of this. I know it's a lot but I would appreciate any insight you all would have. I really hope the answer is yes to all these questions so I can just take the plunge and not worry about how things will work lol.

Hello and welcome to iMore. Hopefully, you'll get all the answers you're looking for. I can confirm that the iPhone 12 Pro is an awesome device. I really love mine. In regards to your questions, my answers are in bold.

1. I use a pc and chrome browser. Am I able to send the website I'm viewing to my computer from my phone? On android there's a feature where I can share the site I'm on to my computer browser. I do this by sharing via email. There may be another way, and if so, hopefully someone will come along and share how they do it.

2. What originally put me off using an iphone was that I couldn't easily transfer files from my phone to my computer and vice versa very easily. I had to go through itunes and that was quite the process. Is it any better now? I'm used to being able to just connect my phone and drag and drop either way. I know I can't do that on an iphone. I still have to go through itunes, but is it much simpler? I do a lot of transferring between my computer and my phone. iTunes is still an option, but there's also the Files App. You can save things to the Files App on your phone and then access it by logging into iCloud on your PC. To access your files, click on the iCloud drive. I do this from time to time, and it's very easy, especially if you use folders.

3. Am I able to keep things in folders in the phone as a way of organizing things? I like my pictures in folders for sorting. I also like my music in folders for better organization and faster editing. Having an album in one folder with it's playlist means I can just put the folder in my music folder on my phone and take out other folders if I no longer want them there. Will the iphone allow me to do that? Yes. I use folders in the photos app, and in the files app.

4. Is there a way for my computer to use the phone's internet connection either wirelessly or connected? Again, I'm on pc and in a pinch I can connect my android to my pc and use it's internet connection if for some reason my wifi is down or not working. I do not know. Hopefully, someone else will know if this is possible and how to do so.

5. Is there a way to backup files and folders from my phone to my computer? What I do right now is I periodically back up my pictures, downloads, etc. from my phone to my computer just in case something happens to my phone. I know pictures are automatically uploaded to my google photos but I like my organized folders and backing them up as is means my content is kept organized. Yes. You'll need to have the current version of iTunes installed on your PC. Here's a link to Apple's Support page that addresses your question: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977

 

[Mr Segundus]

Hi. I'm thinking of switching to the iphone 12 pro to try out the ios. I have never used any iphone before. The last time I used an apple device was when I had an ipod and a mac lol. I hope you guys can answer some questions for me. Thanks

1. I use a pc and chrome browser. Am I able to send the website I'm viewing to my computer from my phone? On android there's a feature where I can share the site I'm on to my computer browser.

2. What originally put me off using an iphone was that I couldn't easily transfer files from my phone to my computer and vice versa very easily. I had to go through itunes and that was quite the process. Is it any better now? I'm used to being able to just connect my phone and drag and drop either way. I know I can't do that on an iphone. I still have to go through itunes, but is it much simpler? I do a lot of transferring between my computer and my phone.

3. Am I able to keep things in folders in the phone as a way of organizing things? I like my pictures in folders for sorting. I also like my music in folders for better organization and faster editing. Having an album in one folder with it's playlist means I can just put the folder in my music folder on my phone and take out other folders if I no longer want them there. Will the iphone allow me to do that?

4. Is there a way for my computer to use the phone's internet connection either wirelessly or connected? Again, I'm on pc and in a pinch I can connect my android to my pc and use it's internet connection if for some reason my wifi is down or not working.

5. Is there a way to backup files and folders from my phone to my computer? What I do right now is I periodically back up my pictures, downloads, etc. from my phone to my computer just in case something happens to my phone. I know pictures are automatically uploaded to my google photos but I like my organized folders and backing them up as is means my content is kept organized.

Thanks so much for reading all of this. I know it's a lot but I would appreciate any insight you all would have. I really hope the answer is yes to all these questions so I can just take the plunge and not worry about how things will work lol.

1. Yes, if you use the Chrome app on iPhone, you can send the webpage to your Windows device using Chrome.
2. You can unload photos to Google Drive/Google Photos (or Dropbox, Box.com, etc.) and download them to your device. I upload my photos to Google Photos and download them onto my Samsung laptop. It's not the fastest way to do it, but it gets the job done. iTunes is a thing of the past.
3. I can do that with my music in Apple Music. And yes, you can do that in the photos app. You can add photos to albums pretty easily.
4. Yes, the iPhone can be used as a hotspot (is that what you're asking?).
5. All your stuff on your iPhone can be backed up to iCloud. You get 5GB free, but have to pay for higher storage options. I'm paying 99 cents a month for 50GB. If you lose your iPhone, or get a new iPhone, you can log into your iCloud account on your new device and pick the latest iCloud sync. It'll set up your phone exactly the way you had it before if you go that route. All your photos, apps, layout of your homescreen, iMessages, call logs - everything - will sync to your new device in the exact way you had your old device laid out. My iCloud syncs usually overnight, but you can manually sync it whenever you want if you're planning on getting a new device.

 

[Mr Segundus]

Hello and welcome to iMore. Hopefully, you'll get all the answers you're looking for. I can confirm that the iPhone 12 Pro is an awesome device. I really love mine. In regards to your questions, my answers are in bold.

1. I use a pc and chrome browser. Am I able to send the website I'm viewing to my computer from my phone? On android there's a feature where I can share the site I'm on to my computer browser. I do this by sharing via email. There may be another way, and if so, hopefully someone will come along and share how they do it.

2. What originally put me off using an iphone was that I couldn't easily transfer files from my phone to my computer and vice versa very easily. I had to go through itunes and that was quite the process. Is it any better now? I'm used to being able to just connect my phone and drag and drop either way. I know I can't do that on an iphone. I still have to go through itunes, but is it much simpler? I do a lot of transferring between my computer and my phone. iTunes is still an option, but there's also the Files App. You can save things to the Files App on your phone and then access it by logging into iCloud on your PC. To access your files, click on the iCloud drive. I do this from time to time, and it's very easy, especially if you use folders.

3. Am I able to keep things in folders in the phone as a way of organizing things? I like my pictures in folders for sorting. I also like my music in folders for better organization and faster editing. Having an album in one folder with it's playlist means I can just put the folder in my music folder on my phone and take out other folders if I no longer want them there. Will the iphone allow me to do that? Yes. I use folders in the photos app, and in the files app.

4. Is there a way for my computer to use the phone's internet connection either wirelessly or connected? Again, I'm on pc and in a pinch I can connect my android to my pc and use it's internet connection if for some reason my wifi is down or not working. I do not know. Hopefully, someone else will know if this is possible and how to do so.

5. Is there a way to backup files and folders from my phone to my computer? What I do right now is I periodically back up my pictures, downloads, etc. from my phone to my computer just in case something happens to my phone. I know pictures are automatically uploaded to my google photos but I like my organized folders and backing them up as is means my content is kept organized. Yes. You'll need to have the current version of iTunes installed on your PC. Here's a link to Apple's Support page that addresses your question: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977

Ah, I forgot the files app/iCloud route in number 2. I should go that route instead. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Annie_M]

Ah, I forgot the files app/iCloud route in number 2. I should go that route instead. Thanks for the reminder!

The nice thing about this, is that as the old (and rather horrifying) saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat! I also use Dropbox and Google Photos!

 

[scruffypig]

Some Questions About Switching

Ah, I forgot the files app/iCloud route in number 2. I should go that route instead. Thanks for the reminder!

Also Apple has the iCloud app for Microsoft Windows. It is available from Apple on the Microsoft Store.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283

When you download and set up iCloud on your Windows PC, your photos, videos, mail, files, and bookmarks are accessible on all of your devices.

 

[Ed7789]

Some Questions About Switching

Regarding your second item, using the Files app, you can also use regular network shared folders and USB thumb drives with an appropriate adapter (when properly formatted).

 

[ulnek]

Thanks for the replies! I appreciate it. So am I able to take an entire folder from my computer and have those photos transfer to my iphone and have those photos already in that folder? Or will I have to take all those photos and put them in a folder manually once they are already transferred to my phone? These will be thousands of files and images that I would rather not have to manually put in folders within the iphone separately. They're already in their own folders on my pc.

As for the internet access. My computer will be able to see my phone as a hotspot? I don't have to pay anything extra for that? Right now what I do is connect my phone to my pc and there's a program that allows my pc to use my phone's internet connection.

 

[Mr Segundus]

Also Apple has the iCloud app for Microsoft Windows. It is available from Apple on the Microsoft Store.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283

When you download and set up iCloud on your Windows PC, your photos, videos, mail, files, and bookmarks are accessible on all of your devices.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Mr Segundus]

As for the internet access. My computer will be able to see my phone as a hotspot? I don't have to pay anything extra for that? Right now what I do is connect my phone to my pc and there's a program that allows my pc to use my phone's internet connection.

Yes, your computer can read your phone as a hotspot once you set your iPhone up as one. It'll read your phone like a trusted WiFi connection. The cost, though, depends on your phone carrier's plan.

 

[ulnek]

Also Apple has the iCloud app for Microsoft Windows. It is available from Apple on the Microsoft Store.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283

When you download and set up iCloud on your Windows PC, your photos, videos, mail, files, and bookmarks are accessible on all of your devices.

Oh ok cool. Even files. That, I like. thanks.

 

[ulnek]

Yes, your computer can read your phone as a hotspot once you set your iPhone up as one. It'll read your phone like a trusted WiFi connection. The cost, though, depends on your phone carrier's plan.

Great. I have 15gb of included hotspot. I take that to mean I can use my phone as a "hotspot"? I'm used to calling it tethering. I hope it's the same thing. I always thought when they say "hotspot included" means you can connect to hotspots in different areas. Then I think, "wait, you're already paying for service so you get signal, why would you need to connect to their hotspots?" >_<

 

[Mars20]

If you use your phone as a Hotspot, or tethered, you are using your mobile data allowance. Internet providers can also have free hotspots, which use WiFi internet.

 

[Mr Segundus]

Great. I have 15gb of included hotspot. I take that to mean I can use my phone as a "hotspot"? I'm used to calling it tethering. I hope it's the same thing. I always thought when they say "hotspot included" means you can connect to hotspots in different areas. Then I think, "wait, you're already paying for service so you get signal, why would you need to connect to their hotspots?" >_<

Yes, using your phone as a hotspot also means "tethering".

 

[ulnek]

Hi. So i'm supposed to keep using this thread. Hopefully someone still reads this. I'll be a new ios user starting April. I am getting the regular 12. I have a lot of images organized in folders that I NEED to be able to transfer to my phone for work things on social media. Am I able to transfer entire folders into the phone without losing that folder organization? I don't want the images to be dumped into some generic images folder that I have to one by one transfer back to a folder I want. I'm talking thousands here so that will be too tedious to do one by one. I'm using a PC not a mac. I'm used to just being able to drag and drop these folders on new phones. I need things to be local (in my phone) and not something that I can pull from the cloud or whatever) Thank you.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Hi. So i'm supposed to keep using this thread. Hopefully someone still reads this. I'll be a new ios user starting April. I am getting the regular 12. I have a lot of images organized in folders that I NEED to be able to transfer to my phone for work things on social media. Am I able to transfer entire folders into the phone without losing that folder organization? I don't want the images to be dumped into some generic images folder that I have to one by one transfer back to a folder I want. I'm talking thousands here so that will be too tedious to do one by one. I'm using a PC not a mac. I'm used to just being able to drag and drop these folders on new phones. I need things to be local (in my phone) and not something that I can pull from the cloud or whatever) Thank you.

Please read the the replies above. Thanks.

 

[ulnek]

Please read the the replies above. Thanks.

they say use stuff that will basically be like using the cloud. i need the files to be stored in the phone locally.

 

[metllicamilitia]

Edit: missed quote, can't delete

 

[metllicamilitia]

they say use stuff that will basically be like using the cloud. i need the files to be stored in the phone locally.

The Files app on iOS will let you move files to device storage if they need to be accessed while offline.

 

[Just_Me_D]

they say use stuff that will basically be like using the cloud. i need the files to be stored in the phone locally.

On your iPhone, initiate the Files app. At the bottom, select “Browse”. Under “Locations”, you should see the following:

iCloud Drive
On My Phone
Recently Deleted.

As long as you have the storage space, you can store files (documents, images, videos and music) locally on the device. The information found via the following link should provide you with helpful information.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206481