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Re: how to transfer files to/from iPhone?

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On Wed, 13 May 2026 11:27:06 -0600
"D. R. Evans" <doc.evans@gmail.com> wrote:

> This is one of those things that must be easy... but I've experienced
> only frustration and decided it was time to ask the knowledgeable
> crowd here :-)
> 
> 1. Running fully up-to-date debian stable, and trying to connect to a 
> recently-purchased iPhone 15 with fully up-to-date iOS.
> 
> 2. The phone is accessing the Internet through the home network (on
> which the debian computer also resides). I can ping the phone from
> the computer.
> 
> 3. I can also physically connect the phone and the computer using a
> USB cable -- all that seems to do, though, is to start charging the
> phone; nothing pops up on the desktop to tell me that a new USB
> device is connected to the computer. The output from "lsblk" doesn't
> change when I physically connect the phone -- unlike when, for
> example, I plug in a USB drive.
> 
> Searching the Internet, I found at least half a dozen completely
> different mechanisms that are supposed to allow me to transfer files
> between the devices. I admit that I haven't tried them all, but I did
> try several, and none of them behaved at all the way that the posts
> claimed should happen; there just seems to be no communication at all
> between the phone and the computer (except that pings work). I get
> the feeling that perhaps there's some basic setting (on the phone?)
> that everyone is assuming I've set....
> 
> So, although I hate to bother people here with such a trivial
> request: can someone provide a step-by-step procedure for read/write
> mounting an iPhone on debian stable that is sufficiently foolproof
> that this particular fool is likely to experience success?
> 
>    Doc
> 

No iPhone... guilty as charged.

Android allows immediate transfer of camera pictures over USB, and does
automount *two* slightly different versions of the phone.

It does not by default allow any other USB transfers. You have to find
the notification somewhere on the screen which states a USB charging
and phote connection has been made, then ask it nicely if it would mind
giving you a connection to other stuff.

I would guess that iOS has a similar and maybe stricter security
feature where it will not even automount the device, and you will need
to find out the magic incantation to make it use USB fully. So it's off
to iPhone land, I'm afraid. This is likely not to be a basic networking
issue.

The good news is that, as you say, it's going to be a very common need.

It looks as if there are SSH clients for iOS, but without investigating
them, there may be limitations. Most of the Android SSH clients are
either paid-for or limited. I use Termux which is free and fairly
powerful and will absolutely never be ported to iOS.

For just the occasional transfer, email is probably quickest, but if
you can track down how your iOS version can be persuaded to allow USB
file transfer, it will be easiest in the long term.

-- 
Joe

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Re: how to transfer files to/from iPhone? Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2026-05-13 21:00 +0200

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