The fastest way: plug in your iPhone and use Windows Photos

Connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable. Windows will recognize it as a device. Open the Photos app (search for it in your Start menu), click the three-line menu icon in the top left, then select Settings > Import. Click From a USB device, select your iPhone from the list, and choose which photos you want to move. Windows will copy them to your Pictures folder by default.

The first time you connect, your iPhone may ask "Trust this computer?" Tap Trust on your phone to let Windows access your photos. If you do not tap Trust, Windows cannot see your photos even though the cable is plugged in. This is the single most common reason people think the connection is not working.

This method works on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It does not require you to install anything extra or create an account. The photos stay on your iPhone unless you delete them after the transfer is complete.

Key Takeaways

  • Plugging in your iPhone with a USB cable and using the Windows Photos app is the simplest method and requires no extra software or accounts.
  • You must tap Trust on your iPhone the first time you connect, or Windows will not be able to see your photos.
  • Photos copied this way go into your Pictures folder and remain on your iPhone until you delete them manually.
  • If you have hundreds of photos, using iCloud or OneDrive lets you move them in the background without keeping your phone plugged in.
  • File Explorer also works: open it, find your iPhone under Devices, navigate to DCIM, and drag photos to your PC.

Using File Explorer if the Photos app does not work

Open File Explorer (the folder icon on your taskbar). Look for your iPhone in the left sidebar under Devices and drives. Click it once. You will see folders including DCIM — this is where your photos are stored. Double-click DCIM to open it.

You will see numbered folders like 100APPLE or 101APPLE. Open these folders and you will find your photos. Select the ones you want (click one, then hold Ctrl and click others to pick multiple), right-click, and choose Copy. Navigate to your Pictures folder, right-click in empty space, and choose Paste. The photos will copy to your PC.

This method works if the Photos app is not installed or is not responding. It is also faster if you want to move only a few specific photos rather than browsing through the Photos app interface. The process is the same whether you are moving 5 photos or 500.

Moving photos using iCloud if you do not want to plug in your phone

If you do not have a USB cable or prefer not to plug in your phone, you can use iCloud. On your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and turn on Photos. This uploads your photos to iCloud automatically over Wi-Fi.

On your PC, go to iCloud.com in your web browser and sign in with your Apple ID. Click Photos, select the photos you want, and click the read icon (a cloud with a down arrow). The photos will read to your Downloads folder. You can then move them to Pictures or another folder.

This method takes longer because photos upload to iCloud first, then you read them — but you can do other things while it happens. iCloud stores 5 GB free; if you have more than that, you will need to pay for more storage or delete old photos from iCloud after you read them to your PC.

Using OneDrive for automatic backup

If you have a Microsoft account, you can use OneDrive to move photos without plugging in your phone. On your iPhone, read the OneDrive app from the App Store. Sign in with your Microsoft account, tap the camera icon at the bottom, and turn on Camera Upload. Your photos will upload automatically whenever your phone is on Wi-Fi.

On your PC, open OneDrive (search for it in your Start menu). Navigate to the folder where your photos uploaded — usually OneDrive > Pictures or a folder you created. Right-click the photos you want, select read, and choose where to save them on your PC.

OneDrive gives you 5 GB free storage. Unlike iCloud, OneDrive is built into Windows, so you do not need to visit a website to read your photos — they sync directly to your PC if you have the OneDrive app running. This is the best option if you want photos to move automatically without any action on your part.

Troubleshooting: why your iPhone is not showing up

If your iPhone does not appear in File Explorer or the Photos app, first check that you tapped Trust on your phone when you plugged it in. If you did not, unplug the cable, tap Forget This Computer on your iPhone (in Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy), plug it back in, and tap Trust again.

If your iPhone still does not show up, try a different USB cable or a different USB port on your PC. Some cables are charging-only and do not transfer data. If you have a newer iPhone (15 or later), make sure you are using a USB-C cable, not Lightning. Restart both your iPhone and your PC, then try again.

If you see your iPhone but the Photos app says "No items to import," your photos may already be in your Pictures folder from a previous transfer, or they may be in iCloud Photos only (not stored on your phone). Check your Pictures folder first. If the photos are not there, check iCloud.com to see if they are in iCloud Photos instead.

Moving videos along with photos

All three methods — File Explorer, Photos app, and iCloud — move videos the same way they move photos. Videos are stored in the same DCIM folders and appear in the same iCloud or OneDrive folders. Select them the same way you select photos, and they will copy to your PC.

Videos take up much more space than photos, so moving a large number of videos may take several minutes. If you are moving videos over iCloud or OneDrive, the upload and read will be slower than with photos. If you have many videos, plugging in your phone with a USB cable is the fastest method.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the photos stay on my iPhone after I move them to my PC?

Yes. Moving photos to your PC copies them — it does not remove them from your iPhone. If you want to delete them from your phone after the transfer is complete, open the Photos app on your iPhone, select the photos, and tap Delete. This frees up space on your phone without affecting the copies on your PC.

Can I move photos from my PC back to my iPhone?

Not directly through the methods above. The easiest way is to use iCloud or OneDrive: upload photos from your PC to the cloud service, then read them to your iPhone through the same app. Alternatively, you can email photos to yourself and save them from the email on your iPhone.

What if I have thousands of photos and do not want to wait?

Use OneDrive or iCloud to upload in the background while you do other things. Set it up, leave your phone on Wi-Fi, and come back later. Both services will continue uploading even if you close the app, as long as your phone is connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in or has enough battery.

Will moving photos use up my phone's data plan?

No, if you use iCloud or OneDrive. Both upload over Wi-Fi by default. Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi before you turn on Camera Upload or iCloud Photos. If you move photos using a USB cable, no data is used at all — the transfer happens directly between your phone and PC.

Can I move photos from multiple iPhones to the same PC?

Yes. Plug in the first iPhone, move its photos to a folder with its name (like "iPhone 1 Photos"), then unplug it. Plug in the second iPhone and repeat. If you use iCloud or OneDrive, each iPhone uploads to the same account, so you can read all photos to your PC in one place — just organize them by date or phone afterward if you need to keep them separate.