photo organizing co

How to transfer photos from iPhone to a Windows PC

Updated

The simplest way to move iPhone photos to a Windows PC is a USB cable and the Photos app that comes with Windows. It copies the files to a folder on your PC. If you would rather not use a cable, iCloud for Windows can do it wirelessly. Both are below.

One catch comes first. If you use iCloud Photos, the full-size photos may not be on your phone, and the import will only get what is there.

Before you start

  • A USB cable that carries data, not just power. Some cheap cables only charge.
  • Enough free space on the PC. A large library with videos can run to tens or hundreds of gigabytes, so check Settings > System > Storage on the PC.
  • Your iPhone passcode.
  • If iCloud Photos is on, Apple says you must first download the full-resolution originals to your iPhone before you import. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and choose Download and Keep Originals. The phone needs enough free space to hold them.

Over USB with the Photos app

  1. On the PC, install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. Apple recommends this for the PC to recognize the iPhone.
  2. Connect the iPhone to the PC with the USB cable.
  3. Unlock the iPhone. If it asks Trust This Computer?, tap Trust (Apple notes you may see Allow instead on some prompts) and enter your passcode.
  4. On the PC, click Start and open Photos.
  5. Select Import and choose your iPhone.
  6. Choose the photos and videos to bring in, and where to save them. Then start the import.

Wait for it to finish before unplugging. A big library can take a long while.

HEIC files and the transfer setting

Newer iPhones save photos as HEIC, and video as HEVC. Older Windows setups can’t always open these. Apple says that when you import them to a PC, they may be converted to JPEG or H.264.

You can control that on the phone. Go to Settings > Apps > Photos, scroll down, and tap Keep Originals. Apple says this sends the files as they were captured, without converting them.

If you are making a copy for safekeeping, choose Keep Originals. You can always convert later. On iOS 17 and earlier, the setting is under Settings > Photos.

To make new photos easier for other devices, go to Settings > Camera > Formats and tap Most Compatible. This only affects new photos and videos, not the ones you already have.

If the PC can’t see your iPhone, or the import stalls

A message such as “Please reconnect your device and try again” or “device unreachable” is common. Work through these in order:

  1. Unlock the iPhone and keep the screen on. Tap Trust if the prompt shows.
  2. Try a different cable that supports data and charging.
  3. Try a different USB port, preferably one directly on the PC and not a hub.
  4. Open the Apple Devices app and check that your iPhone appears in its sidebar.
  5. Update Windows and update iOS.
  6. If the Trust prompt never appears, or you tapped Don’t Trust, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. The prompt will return the next time you connect.
  7. Restart both the iPhone and the PC.

If none of this works, Apple says to contact Apple Support for service. Microsoft also notes that photos which exist only in iCloud may not transfer from the device, and recommends iCloud for Windows in that case.

Wirelessly with iCloud for Windows

If you use iCloud Photos, iCloud for Windows puts your library in an iCloud Photos folder in File Explorer. You can double-click a photo to download it, or hold Ctrl to select several. Follow the steps in how to download all your iCloud photos.

If you’re a Photo Organizing Co client

Please don’t delete anything from the phone after copying it. Keep the phone, as it is, until the job is done. If the import keeps failing, tell me which message you see. I will send you a link for the photos instead.

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