Top 7 Ways to Transfer Photos from Computer to iPhone

Are you looking for the best ways to transfer photos from computer to iPhone? Luckily, follow this post to learn 7 effective ways to transfer photos from PC to iPhone with/without iTunes.

Dylan

By Dylan / Updated on March 6, 2024

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How can I transfer photos from PC to iPhone without iTunes?

Is it possible to transfer pictures taken by a digital camera, stored on my HP computer, onto my iPhone 15? I have 1K+ photos on my computer. I want to know the fastest way to import photos from PC to iPhones, apart from using iTunes. Thanks.

- Question from Apple Community

We often need to move photos or videos from a computer to an iPhone. For instance, when switching to a new iPhone or sharing edited photos. While iTunes is a common choice, there are better methods available. Explore this article to discover efficient ways to copy pictures from Windows PC to iPhone.

Transfer Tools Main Features        
FoneTool (With USB)
  • Fast transfer without Internet
  • Unlimited storage space
  • Support various file types
iCloud (Wirelessly)
  • 5GB free storage space
  • Need Internet connection
File Explorer (With USB)
  • Not required Internet
  • No need to download third-party tools
Google Photos (Wirelessly)
  • 15GB free storage space
  • Need Internet connection
Bluetooth (Wireleely)
  • Not suitable for massive data transfer
  • Transfer without USB and Internet connection
Email (Wireleely)
  • Not suitable for massive data transfer
  • Need Internet connection but without USB
iTunes  (With USB)
  • Need Internet connection
  • Run unsteadily

Part 1. How to Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone Without iTunes

More and more users report that iTunes performs poorly when it comes to data transfer, especially since it can't transfer flexibly and is slow. Don't worry, you still have a lot of good options for transferring photos from computer to iPhone withou iTunes.

Way 1. Move photos from computer to iPhone with FoneTool

We highly recommend users transfer data between PC and iPhone with FoneTool, which is a professional iOS data transfer tool that can help you easily copy pictures from Windows to iPhone without worrying about data loss on the target iPhone.

FoneTool
Best PC to iPhone Transfer Tool
  • Support all photo formats and multiple file types like videos, etc.
  • Fully/selectively transfer photos from PC to iPhone and back.
  • Transfer data safely without erasing data on your iPhone.
  • Intuitive interface: transfer with a few clicks (or drag-and-drop).
  • Fully compatible with all iOS devices, including iPhone 15.

Next, follow the steps below to see how to transfer photos from Windows 11/10 to iPhone without iTunes easily.

Step 1. Download FoneTool and connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable.

Step 2. Click Phone Transfer > Select PC to iPhone and click Get Started.

Transfer to iPhone

Step 3. Click the blank box to add photos from computer.

Select Photos

Step 4. You can preview the photos you want to move, and then click Start Transfer to send photos to your iPhone.

Transfer Photos

Wait for a while, you can go to your Photos app on your iPhone to check your photos. 

❌ Disadvantages:

Mac OS is not supported currently.

Way 2. Sync photos from computer to iPhone using iCloud

iCloud Photos allows you to upload photos and videos from your Windows PC to iCloud Photo Library so you can view them in the Photos app on your iPhone. If you want to know how to transfer computer photos to iPhone.Follow the guidance below to wirelessly transfer photos from computer to iPhone using iCloud:

Step 1. Download iCloud for Windows. Install and run iCloud on your PC.

Step 2. Sign in to iCloud with your App.

Photos Options

Step 3. Select iCloud Photo Library, click Done,and then click Apply.

Step 4. Open iCloud Photos in File Explorer. Click Upload photos and videos to select the photos you want to transfer to your iPhone.

iCloud Upload Photos

Tip: You can also drag and drop photos and videos from your PC into the Uploads folder in iCloud Photos.

Step 5. On your iPhone, go to Settings > your name > iCloud > Photos, and switch on iCloud Photos. You can then view the photos you uploaded in the Photos app on your iPhone.

❌ Disadvantages:
  • If you disable iCloud Photo Library and turn it on after a while, all the pictures that were previously added to your iPhone will be deleted.
  • To view iCloud photos on the iPhone, you need a good Internet connection.

Way 3. Transfer photos from PC to iPhone using File Explorer

File Explorer is a built-in tool for Windows PCs, which also helps you to get photos from PC to iPhone, and the images will be copied directly to the DCIM folder on your mobile device. You can then access those pictures from the Photos app on your iPhone.

Lean and try how to transfer photos from computer to iPhone with USB.

Step 1. Connect your phone to the computer with a USB cable and trust the PC.

Step 2. Open File Explorer, select "Apple iPhone" and access the DCIM folder.

Step 3. Copy the photos folder you want to transfer and paste it into the DCIM folder so that you can access the photos on your iPhone.

Transfer Photos with File Explorer

❌ Disadvantages:
  • The transfer speed is slower compared to other methods.
  • The pictures transferred to your iPhone will be arranged out of order.

Way 4. Transfer photos from PC to iPhone online with Google Photos

Google Photos is a photo-sharing and storage service developed by Google. Each Google account is assigned 15GB of storage space. It can also help you transfer photos from Windows laptop to iPhone:

Step 1. On your computer, open your browser and go to https://photos.google.com/. Sign in with your Google account.

Step 2. Create a new album and upload the photos from your computer to Google Photos.

Google Photos

Step 3. On your iPhone, go to the App Store and install Google Photos. Sign in with the same account on your computer.

Step 4. Photos will sync to your iPhone Google Photos. Then, download photos to your iPhone.

❌ Disadvantages:
  • If you want to use photos in the iPhone Photos app, you need to export the photos from cloud storage in one more step.
  • Cloud storage space is limited, only 15GB.

Way 5. Import photos from computer to iPhone via Bluetooth

If your computer supports Bluetooth connection, you can enable Bluetooth to make the connection between your iPhone to send data. Follow the guide below to see how to send photos from computer to iPhone through BlueTooth.

Step 1. Firstly open Bluetooth on your iPhone. You can go to Settings app on iPhone > tap BlueTooth and toggle on the BlueTooth option to open it.

Step 2. To enable your PC's BlueTooth, click on the Start button > choose Settings > Choose "Devices".

Step 3. Choose Add BlueTooth & other Devices > Select the BlueTooth. Then it will start scanning the device nearby that enables Bluetooth. Choose your iPhone to pair.

pair iphone bluetooth

Step 4. Click Send or receive files via BlueTooth > Choose Send File > Browse and select the photos you want to send > Click Next >Finish

Then your pictures will be moved to your iPhone.

❌ Disadvantages:
  • Some computers do not support Bluetooth and the pairing success rate is not 100%
  • The security is low, it is not recommended to use this method in public places, hackers may steal information.

Way 6. Get pictures from Windows PC to iPhone free via Email

The last way to move photos from computer to iPhone without iTunes can be done directly through email. However, it’s worth noting that this approach is suitable for sending a few photos. If you are in this case, please follow the simple steps:

Step 1. First, create a new email address, complete with a username and password.

Step 2. Log in to your existing email account > Compose a new email using your old email account and set your newly created email address as the recipient.

Step 3. Attach these photos you want to transfer to the email you’re sending to your new email address.

Add Photos to Transfer with Email

Step 4. Grab your iPhone and log in to your new email account > Check the Inbox section and download the photo attachments to your iPhone.

❌ Disadvantages:
  • There is a limit to the size of attachments, and the number of photos that can be transferred at one time is limited.

Part 2: How to Transfer Photos from PC to iPhone with iTunes

iTunes is a traditional way to transfer music to iPhone, movies, photos, and so on. You can also use iTunes to send computer photos to your iPhone and iPad. But you should know that iTunes will sync data between your iPhone and PC, so it may cause data loss. Then you can also learn how to transfer photos from computer to iPhone with iTunes as follows:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable. Download iTunes from Microsoft Store and install it.

Step 2. Launch iTunes. Click your device icon and then click the Photos header.

Step 3. Check Sync Photos and select Choose folder from the drop-down menu. You can then choose the folder which contains the photos you want to transfer.

Tip: If the folder you choose has some sub-folders, you need to select All folders or Selected folders before you start syncing.

Step 4. Click Apply to start syncing photos from your PC to your iPhone.

Sync Photos

❌ Warning:
  • If you have turned on iCloud Photos on your iPhone, you need to turn it off before you sync photos with iTunes.
  • You’ll see “Photos Synced from iTunes will be Removed” if you have photos synced to your iPhone from iTunes. The original versions of the photos will stay on your computer and the copies will be deleted from the iPhone. If it is a matter for you, please turn to other ways to transfer photos from PC to iPhone without iTunes.

FAQ on Photos Transfer Between Computer and iPhone

Your process of copying photos from computer to iPhone may not be 100% smooth, and we've compiled some frequently asked questions and answered them for you.

#1. Why can't I transfer photos from PC to iPhone?

If you are using Windows Files Explorer to transfer data, you can't transfer photos from computer to iPhone because Windows and iPhone systems are not supported. If you are using iTunes, iCloud to transfer photos, the causes and solutions of can't transfer photos from PC to iPhone as below.

• Sync to many items at a time: If you have hundreds or thousands of photos to transfer, it is a chance that a sync error happen. They may miss some photos after syncing. In this case, you can redo the process or just use FoneTool to transfer photos.
• Internet is unstable: If you prefer a cloud server like iCloud, a stable and strong Internet or Wi-Fi environment is important. It ensures the success of uploading and downloading images between your devices. Please connect make sure your Internet is working well, then sync pictures again.
• Your iPhone storage is full: When your iPhone storage is full, you can try to delete some unimportant files from your iPhone to free up some space.
• The PC is not allowed to access your iPhone: Usually, once you attach your iPhone to your computer, it prompts a message asking you to trust the connected computer. So the computer can access your device. Just reconnect your iPhone to the computer and see if you will see the message. Then tap "Trust".

#2. How do I pass photos from iPhone to computer?

Most of the tools mentioned above can also help you transfer photos from iPhone to computer. The first choice is FoneTool, which makes it easy to transfer all or some of your photos to another device, so you can preview and select the pictures you want to transfer to save your PC's storage space before you start the transfer.

Summary

Now you know how to transfer photos from computer to iPhone with 7 effective ways. What's more, some pictures and other data can be very important, you could also make use of FoneTool to easily backup iPhone to computer to avoid any data loss because of some unexpected issues.

Besides, if you want to transfer photos from your old phone to your new phone because you have switched your phone, FoneTool can also help you. You can easily transfer photos or all data to another iPhone.