How to Send Files from an iPhone to a Windows PC

AirDrop only works between Apple devices, so it will never show a Windows PC. These are the closest replacements, from the most reliable to the most convenient.

Plug in a cable for photos and videos

Connect the iPhone to the PC with a USB cable, unlock it, and tap Trust on the phone. In File Explorer, open This PC, the iPhone, Internal Storage, DCIM and copy the folders you want. For a guided import, open the Photos app on Windows, click Import, and choose the iPhone. This is the fastest way to move a large camera roll.

Install iCloud for Windows for ongoing sync

Install iCloud from the Microsoft Store, sign in with your Apple Account, and turn on Photos and iCloud Drive. Photos taken on the phone appear in the iCloud Photos folder in File Explorer, and anything saved to iCloud Drive on the phone shows up in the iCloud Drive folder. It needs the same options on in Settings, your name, iCloud on the phone.

Link the phone with Phone Link on Windows 11

On the PC, open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mobile devices and click Manage devices to pair the iPhone. Recent versions of Windows 11 let you browse the iPhone's photos from the PC over the link. Messages and calls also come through, but file transfer is limited to photos.

Share through a cloud folder for documents

For a PDF or any other file, open it in Files on the iPhone, tap the share button, and choose Save to Files under a OneDrive or Google Drive location, or use the OneDrive or Drive app's own upload button. The file appears on the PC in the matching desktop app or in a browser within a minute.

Use LocalSend for AirDrop-style transfers

Install LocalSend (free and open source) on both the iPhone and the PC, connect both to the same Wi-Fi network, and open the app on each. Pick the PC from the list on the phone, choose the files, and accept on the PC. Nothing goes through the internet.

If it is a single file. Email it to yourself or drop it in a chat app you use on both devices. Slower for many files, but nothing to install.

If Windows cannot open the photos. They are HEIC. On the iPhone, go to Settings, Camera, Formats and pick Most Compatible for future shots, or go to Settings, Photos and set Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic so the cable transfer converts them to JPEG.