How to Transfer Photos and Videos From iPhone to a Windows PC (4 Methods)
Move your iPhone photos to a Windows 10 or 11 PC with a cable, iCloud, or wirelessly, without losing quality. Plus fixes for the common 'device unreachable' and HEIC problems.
Your iPhone is full of photos and you want to keep them on your computer? Here are four reliable methods for Windows 10 and 11, from the simplest to the most automatic.
Method 1: USB cable and the Windows Photos app
- Connect the iPhone to the PC with a data cable and unlock it.
- Tap Trust on the iPhone if asked.
- Open the Photos app on Windows and click Import > your iPhone.
- Select the photos and import them.
If Windows does not see the iPhone, install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store and read iPhone not recognized by computer.
Method 2: File Explorer
Open This PC > Apple iPhone > Internal Storage > DCIM. Photos are in folders by month; copy and paste them.
Method 3: iCloud for Windows
- On iPhone, turn on Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos.
- Install iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store, sign in, and turn on Photos.
- Photos appear automatically in File Explorer (iCloud Photos).
Note: this uses your iCloud storage. If it is full: iCloud storage full.
Method 4: Wirelessly
- Phone Link (Microsoft) can show recent photos from iPhone on supported PCs.
- Google Photos or OneDrive apps can back up photos and make them available on the PC.
Common problems
"A device attached to the system is not functioning" / "device is unreachable"
On iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Photos and, under Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Keep Originals or Automatic; switching the option often fixes interrupted imports. Import smaller batches.
HEIC files will not open
iPhone saves photos as HEIC. Install the free HEIF extension for Windows, or convert them: convert HEIC to JPG.
Videos stutter on the PC
Install the HEVC video extension from the Microsoft Store, or set the iPhone camera to Most Compatible format for future videos.
After the transfer
Delete the photos from the iPhone only after checking the copy on the PC, then empty Recently Deleted to really free space. Lost a photo? recover deleted photos.
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