How to Get Photos from an iPhone onto a Windows PC

A USB cable is the fastest way to move photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC, and no extra software is required. iCloud for Windows handles it wirelessly if you would rather not plug in.

Connect the iPhone and tap Trust

Unlock the iPhone and connect it to the PC with a USB cable. When the iPhone asks Trust This Computer?, tap Trust and enter your passcode. Keep the iPhone unlocked while the PC reads it.

Open the iPhone in File Explorer

On the PC, open File Explorer and click This PC. Double-click Apple iPhone, then Internal Storage, then DCIM. Photos and videos sit inside numbered folders such as 100APPLE. Select the folders or files you want and drag them to a folder on the PC, or copy and paste them. Large libraries take a few minutes, so leave the cable in until the copy finishes.

Import with the Windows Photos app instead

For a guided import, open the Photos app on Windows, click Import in the top right corner, and choose From a connected device. Select the iPhone, tick the photos you want (or select all), pick a destination folder, and click Import. The Photos app skips items it has already imported.

Fix HEIC photos that Windows will not open

iPhones shoot in HEIC by default, and older Windows setups cannot open it. To convert on transfer, open Settings, Apps, Photos (on iOS 17 and earlier, Settings, Photos), scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC, and choose Automatic. The iPhone then hands over JPEG copies when you copy through File Explorer. To shoot JPEG going forward, open Settings, Apps, Camera, Formats, and choose Most Compatible.

Sync wirelessly with iCloud for Windows

Install iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store, sign in with your Apple Account, and turn on Photos. On the iPhone, make sure Settings, your name, iCloud, Photos, Sync this iPhone is on. An iCloud Photos folder appears in File Explorer and fills in as the library downloads. OneDrive or Google Photos work the same way: upload from the iPhone app, then open the photos on the PC in a browser or desktop app.

If the iPhone does not appear on the PC. Unlock it, unplug and reconnect the cable, and tap Trust again if the prompt returns. Try a different cable or USB port, since charge-only cables carry no data. If it still does not show up, install Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store, which includes the drivers Windows needs to see an iPhone.