How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC [2025 Latest]

Not having enough space on the iPhone? Need to back up photos from iPhone to PC? Don’t know where to start? Afraid of being too complicated to have a try? No worries, this article will lead you to transfer photos from iPhone to PC with detailed steps. With straightforward instructions and simple operation, you can easily transfer your photos from iPhone to computer even if you are a novice. Let’s dive in!

Ultimate Guide to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC

Safeguarding your cherished memories, optimizing storage, and enhancing your photo-editing experience are just a few reasons why transferring photos from your iPhone to a PC is a must. Whether you favor the reliability of a wired connection or the convenience of a wireless method, this comprehensive part explores the most efficient and hassle-free ways to seamlessly transfer photos from iPhone to PC. Check it out!

Method	USB Cable	Internet Required	Speed	Photos Quality	Best For
File Explorer	✅	❌	Fast	Original	quick photos transfer
Windows Photos App	✅	❌	Fast	Quality Loss	fewer photos transfer
iCloud Photos	❌	✅	Medium	Quality Loss	automatic sync
Bluetooth	❌	❌	Slow	Quality Loss	transfer small amounts of photos
🚀Syncios Mobile Manager	✅	❌	Fast	Original	export/import all photos with all albums preserved

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Method 1: Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC with File Explorer (USB cable is required)

One of the quickest and most direct methods for iPhone users to transfer photos to a PC is to use File Explorer. The quite easy steps are as follows.

• Step 1: Open the “File Explorer” (yellow folder icon) on your PC. Usually, you can find it on your taskbar at the bottom of your screen; you can also type File Explorer in the Windows search box in the bottom-left corner to open it.
• Step 2: Connect your iPhone to the PC via the original USB cable. Keep your iPhone unlocked in case of missing any prompt like “Trust”.
• Step 3: When connected successfully, locate your “Apple iPhone” on the left panel under “This PC”.
• Step 4: Enter the “Internal Storage” of your device and find the file folder named “DCIM” (Digital Camera Images), where your photos and videos taken by this device are saved.
• Step 5: Copy and paste this file folder to the desired folder on your PC. After it completes, you can find your imported photos from your iPhone in the corresponding path on your PC.

👉 Alternatively, when you locate your “Apple iPhone” in Step 3, you can simply right-click it, and select “Import pictures and videos” from the drop-down menu. This method can also help you effortlessly transfer photos from iPhone to PC. You can check your imported photos in your “Pictures” folder on the PC.

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Method 2: Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC with Photos App (USB cable is required)

Photos is built-in app on Windows PC, most people utilize it frequently yet don’t know how to transfer photos effectively with it. Here is what you can do.

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone to the PC via an original USB cable, remember to choose “Trust” option when “Trust This Computer” prompted from your iPhone.
• Step 2: Open the Windows Photos App. You can locate it through the search bar in the bottom-left of the screen.
• Step 3: Focus on the upper-right corner when you successfully open the Photos App and there will be a tiny “Import” icon with a down-arrow shown. Click to import and tap the “From a connected device” tab from the drop-down menu.
• Step 4: Wait for the PC to retrieve your photos from your iPhone. When the Photos window displays all your photos on your iPhone, you can select the photos you want to transfer from iPhone to PC according to your actual needs.
• Step 5: Before you confirm this import, please make sure that the “Delete original items after import” option in the bottom-left corner is not ticked, unless you decide to erase the photos on your iPhone. Click the “Import items” button, and it will automatically import your selected photos to the “Pictures” folder on the PC.

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Method 3: Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC with iCloud Photos (Wireless)

iCloud is an integrated cloud storage service for Apple users that helps sync and back up various data, including photos, messages, contacts, and more. Therefore, it’s convenient to upload photos to your iCloud account and download them to your PC and other devices. Every Apple ID includes 5GB of free iCloud storage; as for more storage space, you need to upgrade your plan. If you have your photos synced to iCloud, then this method can be very useful to transfer photos from iPhone to PC.

• Step 1: Go to “Settings” > “Your Name” > “iCloud” > “Photos”.
• Step 2: Toggle on the “iCloud Photos” to ensure that your Camera Roll photos and videos on your iPhone can be synced to your iCloud account.
• Step 3: Download and install iCloud for Windows on your PC and sign in with your Apple ID.
• Step 4: Turn on the “Photos” option, then check on “iCloud Photo Library”, “Download new Photos and videos to my PC”, “Upload new photos and videos from my PC” in the pop-up Photos Option window.

👉 Now the photos you take from iPhone will be automatically downloaded to your PC. What’s more, there is another easy method to transfer photos from iPhone to PC with iCloud Photos. Follow the same two previous steps, and for Step 3, you can just visit iCloud.com on your PC. Sign in and locate “iCloud Photos” on the left sidebar. Next, select the photos you want to transfer to the PC and click the “Download” icon on the top bar. To download numerous photos to your PC through this, please hold “Ctrl” to select the target photos.

Note: Similar transfer theory and operation can also be applied with other Cloud services, including but not restricted to Google Photos, OneDrive, and Dropbox.

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Method 4: Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC with Bluetooth (Wireless)

Using Bluetooth is another simple wireless method for you to transfer photos from iPhone to PC. However, it has an obvious weakness if you choose to adopt this method. You can only transfer photos one by one manually, which is not suitable for transferring tons of photos. The detailed steps are as follows:

• Step 1: Switch on the Bluetooth on both your iPhone and your PC.
• Step 2: Make sure these two devices are close to each other to connect successfully.
• Step 3: Open the Photos app on your iPhone and select your desired photo to transfer.
• Step 4: Share the selected picture via Bluetooth to your PC. You can see an approved request on your PC, click to authorize it.
• Step 5: Start to transfer photos from iPhone to PC via Bluetooth.

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Method 5: Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC with Photo Transfer Software (USB cable is required)

Syncios Mobile Manager is a top-notched tool for iOS and Android users to transfer and manage data between smart phone and computer. This robust software enables you to transfer photos from iPhone to PC without hassle. Furthermore, Syncios is not only proficient in export and import music, videos, apps, books, files and many more within 1 click, but also expands its capability on media conversion, wining a positive reputation among the data management community.

Steps to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC:

• Step 1: Syncios Toolkit provides you with professional and diverse data management program. Click “Mobile Manager” to download and install it on your PC.



• Step 2: After initiating Syncios Mobile Manager, connect your iPhone with the PC via a USB cable. Wait for the program to load your data. When connected successfully, you can see the below main interface.
• Note: If you encounter connection issues, refer to our troubleshooting guide here.



• Step 3: Tap the “Photos” tab on the top navigation bar. Then select the photos/albums you want to transfer to PC. Simply click the “Export” button.



• Step 4: Choose an output path to store your transferred photos from iPhone. Confirm that path, and Syncios will finish this transfer immediately.

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FAQs About Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC

1.Can I AirDrop to a PC?

No, AirDrop will not work with your PC, because it is unique to Apple devices only. Still, the above five effective methods are available to you. If you pursue the wireless ones, you can try to transfer photos from iPhone to PC with iCloud or Bluetooth; while using File Explorer, Photos App, and Syncios Mobile Manager requires a USB cable. You can choose a comfortable method according to your preference.

Otherwise, there are diverse AirDrop alternatives you can employ, including Snapdrop, Send Anywhere, and SHAREit. Simple steps are provided as follows:

• Step 1: Open Snapdrop/Send Anywhere/SHAREit on both your iPhone and PC. (Same app and same WiFi connected.)
• Step 2: Confirm your PC on the iPhone.
• Step 3: Choose the photos you want to transfer from iPhone.
• Step 4: Click the Download button on your PC to save the transferred photos.

2.Why are my iPhone photos not showing up on my PC?

Problems:	Cause:	Solution:
Photos are not showing because the PC does not detect the iPhone.	Connection failed.	1. Make sure that you have authorized your PC. Unlock your iPhone and operate according to the prompt, like tapping “Trust This Computer”. 2. Change an official Apple USB cable or use a different USB port on your PC.
PC detects my iPhone but can’t detect my photos on iPhone.	Incompatible image format.	Some PC may not support the HEIC format. Convert your photos to JPEG on your iPhone by Setting > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC > Automatic.

3.Can you directly transfer photos from PC to iPhone?

Sure. Similar with the process on transferring photos from iPhone to PC, when you wish to transfer photos from PC to iPhone, you have various options.

• Option 1: Use Windows File Explorer to copy and paste photos from your PC to the DCIM folder in the iPhone.

(It cannot always be effective because Apple limits access to the DCIM folder.)

• Option 2: Use iCloud or other cloud services to sync photos between PC and iPhone.

(Enable iCloud Photos and upload photos from your PC.)

• Option 3: Use Syncios Mobile Manager to transfer any data freely.

(Export all your photos from PC to iPhone effortlessly, with albums kept.)

Final Thoughts

That’s all about the latest and detailed guide to transfer photos from iPhone to PC, without any sophisticated operation.

If you prefer to USB cable, you can try File Explorer, Photos App and Syncios Mobile Manager, all of which can keep the original quality during the transfer process. Moreover, iCloud and Bluetooth are feasible wireless methods to transfer photos. However, it could be troublesome when transferring large amounts of photos, whether using File Explorer, Photos App, or Bluetooth. Not to mention that iCloud requires you to have enough space. Thus, among these five practical methods, it is suggested to employ Syncios Mobile Manager to transfer the whole photo library with high efficiency. Simply have a free trial to transfer photos from iPhone to PC now!

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