The simplest way: use a USB cable and Windows Photos

Plug your iPhone into your PC with a USB cable, unlock your iPhone when prompted, and tap Trust on the screen. Open the Windows Photos app on your PC — search for "Photos" in the taskbar. Click the three-line menu in the top left, select Import, then From a USB device. Windows will show you all photos and videos on your iPhone. Select the ones you want or click Select all, then click Import. The files go to your Pictures folder by default.

This method works on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Your iPhone must be unlocked during the transfer, and you need to trust the computer the first time you connect — if you skip that step, Windows won't see your photos. The whole process takes a few minutes for a typical batch of photos.

Key Takeaways

  • A USB cable is the fastest and most reliable way to move photos from iPhone to PC without needing an internet connection or Apple account.
  • Windows Photos app handles the transfer automatically once you plug in your iPhone and tap Trust on the device.
  • Your photos land in the Pictures folder on your PC, where you can organize them into subfolders or move them elsewhere.
  • If you have hundreds of photos, iCloud.com lets you read them in batches without a cable, though it requires an Apple ID.

Using iCloud.com if you don't have a cable

Go to iCloud.com in your web browser on your PC and sign in with your Apple ID. Click the Photos icon. Your iPhone photos appear in a grid. Select the photos you want by clicking the circle in the top left of each one, or click the circle at the top to select all. Click the read arrow icon in the top right. Your browser downloads the photos as a ZIP file to your Downloads folder.

This method works if your iPhone and PC are on the same Wi-Fi network and you have an Apple ID. The read happens through the internet, so it's slower than a cable for large batches, but you don't need to plug anything in. iCloud.com shows only photos you've synced to iCloud — if you turned off iCloud Photos on your iPhone, you won't see recent photos here.

What happens when you plug in your iPhone

When you connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable for the first time, your iPhone shows a popup asking whether to trust the computer. Tap Trust. This tells your iPhone that the PC is safe and can access your photos. If you tap Don't Trust, Windows won't see any photos, and you'll have to unplug and try again.

After you tap Trust, Windows treats your iPhone like an external hard drive. The Photos app can read the photos folder, and you can also open File Explorer and browse your iPhone's storage directly if you want. The trust relationship stays in place — you won't see the popup again unless you reset your iPhone or disconnect and reconnect after a long time.

Moving photos to a specific folder on your PC

When you import photos through Windows Photos, they go to a dated subfolder inside Pictures — for example, Pictures/2024-01-15. If you want them in a different location, you can move them after import. Open File Explorer, navigate to Pictures, find the folder with your photos, and drag it to wherever you want it on your PC — your Desktop, Documents, or a custom folder you create.

Alternatively, before you import, you can change where Windows Photos saves files. Open Photos, click the three-line menu, go to Settings, then Import settings. You can choose a different folder there. This only affects future imports — photos you've already imported stay where they are.

Troubleshooting when Windows doesn't see your photos

If you plug in your iPhone and Windows Photos shows no photos, first check that you tapped Trust on your iPhone. Unplug the cable, tap Trust if the popup appears again, and plug back in. If that doesn't work, restart both your iPhone and your PC, then try again.

Another common issue: your iPhone is set to hide photos from the computer. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Photos and make sure your PC is listed under Allow Access. If Windows Photos still doesn't work, try opening File Explorer instead — type "This PC" in the taskbar, look for your iPhone in the list, and double-click it to browse folders manually. You can then copy photos by right-clicking and selecting Copy, then paste them into a folder on your PC.

Using OneDrive or Google Photos as an alternative

If you want photos to sync automatically without plugging in a cable, you can use OneDrive or Google Photos. On your iPhone, install OneDrive from the App Store, sign in with your Microsoft account, and turn on photo backup in the app settings. Photos upload automatically when you're on Wi-Fi. On your PC, open OneDrive and read the photos you want.

Google Photos works the same way — install the app on your iPhone, turn on backup, and access your photos from Google Photos on your PC. Both services let you organize photos into albums and share them with others. The downside is that both require an internet connection and a cloud storage account, and free storage is limited — OneDrive gives you 5 GB free, Google Photos gives you 15 GB free before charging for more.

Why a cable is usually the best choice

A USB cable is faster than any cloud service for moving a large number of photos at once. It doesn't use your internet bandwidth, doesn't require you to sign into an account, and doesn't upload your photos to someone else's server. For most people moving photos from an iPhone to a PC, a cable is the straightforward choice.

The only reason to use iCloud.com or OneDrive is if you don't have a cable handy or you want photos to sync automatically over time. If you're moving a few hundred photos once, the cable takes five minutes. If you're setting up ongoing backup, a cloud service saves you the step of plugging in every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need iTunes or any special software to transfer photos?

No. Windows Photos handles the transfer without iTunes. Plug in your iPhone, tap Trust, and use the Import button in Photos. That's all you need. iTunes is for managing music and apps, not photos.

Can I transfer photos wirelessly without a cable?

Yes, through iCloud.com or cloud services like OneDrive and Google Photos. Go to iCloud.com, sign in, click Photos, select what you want, and read. It's slower than a cable but requires no hardware.

What if my iPhone won't show up in Windows Photos at all?

Make sure you tapped Trust on your iPhone when you plugged in the cable. Restart both devices and try again. If it still doesn't work, try opening File Explorer instead of Photos — search "This PC" and look for your iPhone in the list. You can copy photos manually from there.

Will transferring photos delete them from my iPhone?

No. Transferring makes a copy on your PC. Your photos stay on your iPhone until you delete them manually. You can delete them from your iPhone after you've confirmed they're on your PC if you want to free up space.

Can I transfer videos the same way as photos?

Yes. Windows Photos imports both photos and videos. When you select all or choose individual items to import, videos are included. They go to the same dated folder as your photos.