How to transfer photos from iPhone to a Windows PC

Getting photos off an iPhone and onto a Windows computer is one of the most common reasons people search for help, usually because the iPhone or iCloud is full, or because they want a safe copy of years of memories. There are three good ways to do it. Which is best depends on whether you use iCloud Photos and how big your library is, and all three are free.

Which method should you use?

• USB cable and Windows Photos: fastest for photos stored on the iPhone, and the best for a one-time full copy.
• File Explorer: for people who like to manage folders themselves.
• iCloud for Windows: best if you use iCloud Photos, since it reaches photos that are only in iCloud, and keeps syncing new ones automatically.

How to transfer photos from iPhone to PC

How the iPhone folders are organized

In File Explorer, the DCIM folder on an iPhone contains folders named by year and month, such as 202509__, or older style folders like 100APPLE. Each holds the photos and videos taken in that period. Copying the whole DCIM folder gets everything on the phone; copying single month folders is handy for doing it in stages. The Windows Photos app hides these folders and simply shows every item with a date, which is easier for most people.

Other wireless options

• Windows 11 Photos app: with iCloud for Windows installed and Photos turned on, your iCloud Photos can appear right inside the Windows Photos app.
• OneDrive: the OneDrive app for iPhone can upload your camera roll automatically, and the photos then sync to any Windows PC signed in to the same Microsoft account.
• Google Photos: back up the iPhone with the Google Photos app and download from photos.google.com on the PC.
• Phone Link: Windows’ Phone Link app is limited with iPhone and is not a full photo transfer tool, so use one of the methods above for your library.

Photos missing? Check iCloud Photos first

If iCloud Photos is on and Optimize iPhone Storage is selected in Settings › Photos, your iPhone keeps only small versions of many photos and the full-size originals stay in iCloud. A cable import only sees what is actually on the phone, so older photos can be missing or low resolution. Use Method 3 to download from iCloud, or switch to Download and Keep Originals on the iPhone and wait for it to download everything before importing, which needs enough free space on the phone.

Videos, Live Photos and AAE files

• Videos: iPhones record in HEVC. Windows may need HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store to play them, or you can use a free player such as VLC.
• Live Photos: copy across as a photo plus a short video file with the same name. Keep both if you want the motion.
• AAE files: small files that hold edits made in the Photos app. Windows ignores them, so edited photos may appear in their original, unedited form. Export edited photos from the iPhone, or use iCloud, to keep the edits.

“A device attached to the system is not functioning”

This Windows error often appears halfway through copying from an iPhone. The usual fix is on the iPhone: go to Settings › Apps › Photos (or Settings › Photos), scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC, and choose Keep Originals. Then unplug, reconnect, tap Trust and copy again. If you choose Keep Originals, install the HEIF and HEVC extensions so Windows can open the files. Copying in smaller batches, for example one month folder at a time, also helps.

Very large photo libraries

• Make sure the PC has enough free space; a large library can be well over 100 GB.
• Import straight to an external drive if the PC is short of space, by choosing it as the destination in Photos.
• Keep the iPhone plugged in, unlocked and with Auto-Lock set to Never during the import, then set it back.
• Use the Photos app’s option to import only new items next time, so you do not duplicate photos.

Deleting photos from the iPhone afterwards

Open a few imported photos and videos on the PC to make sure they work before deleting anything. If iCloud Photos is on, deleting a photo on the iPhone also deletes it from iCloud and your other devices after 30 days, so only delete what you are happy to lose everywhere, or turn off iCloud Photos first. Then empty Recently Deleted to free the space. See how to free up iPhone storage.

PC still cannot see the iPhone?

Once the PC sees the iPhone in File Explorer as Apple iPhone, the import should work. If Internal Storage appears empty, the iPhone is locked; unlock it and refresh the window.

Convert HEIC to JPG when needed

HEIC photos are smaller than JPG with similar quality, so there is no need to convert your whole library. When a website or older program needs JPG, open the photo in the Windows Photos app and choose Save as, then pick JPG. To have the iPhone send JPGs automatically during cable transfers, set Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic. For new photos, you can also choose Most Compatible in Settings › Camera › Formats on the iPhone, which saves future photos as JPG and uses more storage.

Keep a second copy

A computer can fail too. For photos you cannot replace, such as family pictures, keep a second copy on an external drive or in a cloud service such as iCloud, Google Photos or OneDrive. That way a single broken drive or lost phone never takes your memories with it.