.. meta::
   :description: Overview to digiKam Import Interface
   :keywords: digiKam, documentation, user manual, photo management, open source, free, learn, easy

.. metadata-placeholder

   :authors: - digiKam Team

   :license: see Credits and License page for details (https://docs.digikam.org/en/credits_license.html)

.. _import_overview:

:ref:`Overview <import_tools>`
==============================

To use digiKam to download images directly from your digital camera, connect the camera to your computer, switch the camera to the image display mode and turn it on. To download images from your phone's camera, it may be necessary to give your computer the rights to access the phone's contents. See your camera's user manual for more information.

The Import Interface helps you to get photographs into a digiKam Album, whether it is directly from your camera or scanner, from a USB mass storage device, via a card reader, or from a local or remote folder. You can access the Import Interface from the one of the menu items under :menuselection:`Import` on the Main Menu:

:menuselection:`Import --> Cameras`

    Select one of the cameras from the submenu or choose **Add Camera Manually**.

    The latter will open the dialog described in the :ref:`Camera Settings <camera_settings>` section of this manual. If you want to have more information about how digiKam supports digital cameras, please a take a look at this section.

:menuselection:`Import --> USB Storage Devices`

    Select one of the USB devices from the submenu.

:menuselection:`Import --> Card Readers`

    Select one of the card readers from the submenu.

:menuselection:`Import --> Add Images...` :kbd:`Ctrl+Alt+I`

    Select a source folder from the dialog that opens.

:menuselection:`Import --> Import from Scanner`

    Tool to communicate with a digital scanner to import images.