The fastest way depends on what you have plugged in
The quickest route is usually a USB cable connected directly to your PC. Plug your iPhone into any available USB port, unlock your phone, and tap Trust when prompted. Then open File Explorer on your PC, find your iPhone under "Devices and drives," and navigate to Internal Storage > DCIM > Photos. You can then drag and drop the photos you want into a folder on your PC.
If you do not have a cable handy or prefer not to plug in, OneDrive or iCloud can move photos wirelessly over your home network. Both require you to turn on photo syncing in your iPhone settings first, then sign into the same account on your PC. Photos sync automatically in the background, though this takes longer than a direct cable transfer.
A third option is Windows Photos app, which can import directly from your iPhone if you have the cable connected. This method organizes photos into dated folders automatically, which some people prefer to manual sorting.
Key Takeaways
- A USB cable is the fastest method: plug in, unlock your phone, open File Explorer, and drag photos from DCIM > Photos to your PC.
- OneDrive and iCloud sync photos wirelessly but require setup in iPhone settings and take longer than a cable transfer.
- The Windows Photos app can import directly from a connected iPhone and automatically sorts photos by date.
- You need to unlock your iPhone and tap Trust the first time you connect to a new PC.
Using a USB cable and File Explorer
This method works with any USB-A to Lightning cable (the standard iPhone charging cable). Plug the cable into any USB port on your PC and the Lightning port on your iPhone. Your phone will show a popup asking whether to trust this computer. Tap Trust and enter your passcode if prompted.
Open File Explorer on your PC (press Windows key + E, or click the folder icon on your taskbar). Look for your iPhone in the left sidebar under "Devices and drives"—it will show your phone's name. Click it, then navigate to Internal Storage > DCIM > Photos. This folder holds all the photos on your phone. Select the photos you want (click one, then hold Ctrl and click others to select multiple), then drag them into a folder on your PC or right-click and choose Copy, then paste them where you want them.
If File Explorer does not show your iPhone, try unplugging and replugging the cable. If it still does not appear, restart your PC. Make sure you are using an authentic Apple cable or a certified third-party cable—some cheap knockoffs do not transfer data, only charge.
Syncing photos wirelessly with OneDrive
OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service and comes built into Windows. To sync your iPhone photos to OneDrive, first open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and turn on Photos. Choose iCloud Photos (not iCloud Photo Library, which is different). Your phone will begin uploading photos to iCloud in the background.
On your PC, sign into OneDrive with the same Microsoft account you use for Windows. Open File Explorer and click OneDrive in the left sidebar. Your photos will appear in a folder called Photos once they finish uploading from your phone. This can take hours or days depending on how many photos you have and your internet speed. You can then copy these photos to any folder on your PC.
The advantage of OneDrive is that photos sync automatically whenever you take a new photo and your phone is on WiFi. The disadvantage is that it is slower than a cable and requires you to have enough OneDrive storage space (free accounts get 5 GB).
Using iCloud to move photos
iCloud is Apple's cloud service. To use it, open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then iCloud. Turn on Photos and select iCloud Photos. Your photos will upload to iCloud in the background whenever your phone is on WiFi and plugged in or has good battery.
On your PC, visit iCloud.com in your web browser and sign in with your Apple ID. Click Photos. You will see all your synced photos. Select the ones you want, click the read button (a cloud with a downward arrow), and they will save to your Downloads folder. You can then move them to any folder you prefer.
iCloud is useful if you already have an Apple ID and use other Apple services, but it requires a web browser step on your PC rather than syncing directly to a folder. Free iCloud accounts include 5 GB of storage, which fills quickly if you have many photos.
Importing photos with the Windows Photos app
The Windows Photos app is built into Windows 10 and 11. Plug your iPhone into your PC with a USB cable, unlock it, and tap Trust. Open the Windows Photos app (search for "Photos" in the Windows search bar). Click the three dots in the top right corner, then select Import. The app will detect your iPhone and show you all available photos.
Select the photos you want to import or click Select all to import everything. Click Import. The app will copy the photos to a folder in your Pictures directory, organized by the date they were taken. This is faster than manually navigating File Explorer and keeps your photos sorted automatically.
The Photos app also marks which photos you have already imported, so if you import again later, it will not duplicate photos you have already moved. This makes it a good choice if you regularly transfer photos from your phone.
What to do if your iPhone does not appear on your PC
If you plug in your iPhone and it does not show up in File Explorer or the Photos app, first check that you tapped Trust on your phone and entered your passcode. If you did not see the Trust prompt, unplug the cable and plug it back in.
Try a different USB port on your PC. Some ports are faster or more reliable than others, especially if you are using a hub. If you have a different USB cable available, try that—damaged cables are common and may charge your phone but not transfer data.
Restart both your iPhone and your PC. On iPhone, hold the side button and volume button together until the power-off slider appears, then slide to power off. Wait 10 seconds and turn it back on. On your PC, click the Windows menu and select Restart. After both devices restart, plug in again and try the transfer.
If your iPhone still does not appear, you may need to update iTunes or install the latest drivers. Visit Apple's website and read the latest version of iTunes for Windows, then restart your PC.
Comparing the four methods
| Method | Speed | Setup time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB cable + File Explorer | Fastest | None (if cable is handy) | Moving many photos at once |
| Windows Photos app | Fast | None | Automatic date-based organization |
| OneDrive | Slow | 5 minutes (one-time) | Automatic ongoing sync |
| iCloud | Slow | 5 minutes (one-time) | If you already use iCloud |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer photos without a cable?
Yes. OneDrive and iCloud both sync photos wirelessly over WiFi. Turn on photo syncing in your iPhone settings, sign into the same account on your PC, and photos will sync automatically in the background. This is slower than a cable but requires no physical connection.
Will transferring photos delete them from my iPhone?
No. Transferring photos to your PC creates a copy; the originals stay on your phone. If you want to delete them from your phone after transferring, you must do that manually in the Photos app on your iPhone.
What if I have thousands of photos?
A USB cable is your best option. Plug in, open File Explorer, and select all photos at once (Ctrl + A), then drag them to a folder on your PC. This is much faster than syncing through OneDrive or iCloud, which would take many hours. If your PC storage is limited, consider moving photos to an external hard drive after transferring.
Do I need to buy special software to transfer photos?
No. File Explorer, the Windows Photos app, OneDrive, and iCloud are all free and built into Windows or available at no cost. You do not need to buy third-party software unless you want advanced editing or organization features.
Why does my PC ask me to trust my iPhone every time I plug it in?
This usually means you did not tap Trust the first time, or you tapped Don't Trust by mistake. Unplug the cable, plug it back in, and tap Trust this time. If the prompt keeps appearing, try restarting both devices and using a different USB port.