[6 Solutions] Fix iPhone Files Not Showing Up on PC Easily

Problem: iPhone Files Not Showing Up on PC

Now you want to transfer some data from iPhone to PC, however, when you connect your iPhone to PC, you find that iPhone not showing any files on PC. Your iPhone appears on computer as a portable device but you cannot find the data you need.

● DCIM folder is empty. You can't check your photos in File Explorer, so you can't transfer photos from iPhone to computer.
● Not all photos and videos are displayed on the PC. You can’t find certain photos or videos that you want to transfer.
● iPhone not connecting to PC only charging: Your Windows computer just can't detect the iPhone, but the iPhone can be charged.
● There's no data other than photos. You can’t find the music files, contacts, documents, etc. saved on your iPhone.

Are you in one of the above situations? Don’t worry too much, this guide will tell you why iPhone files not showing up on Windows 11/10/8/7 computer and how to fix it.

Why iPhone data not showing on Windows PC?

There are many causes to can't see iPhone files on Windows 10/11/8/7 computer. Here we list some common reasons below.

• Connection issue: There could be some problem with your USB and USB port.
• Your iPhone is unlocked: You need to unlock your iPhone and trust the connected computer. So the PC can access your device.
• iOS issue: Sometimes, an iOS can have some unknown bug cause issues.
• Outdated Apple Device Service or it is corrupted: Apple device service is an important driver to connect your iPhone and Windows.

How to fix the "iPhone files not showing up on PC" issue

When you can't see iPhone files (photos, live photos, videos), you can try the following methods to fix it. Or you can turn to the Bonus Tip to get an alternative way to easily access and transfer files between iPhone and PC.

Solution 1. Use another USB port and certificated USB cable

A connection issue can be the reason why your iPhone files not appear on your PC. You can change another USB port on your computer. In addition, Please make sure your are using the official or certificated USB cable  

Solution 2. Unlock your iPhone 

You can unlock your iPhone before you connect your iPhone to your computer. You will need to use your Touch ID, Face ID, or passcode to unlock your device then you can access your iPhone files on your PC. After unlocking the device, you can go to "This PC" > "DCIM" folder to see if you can see your iPhone files. 

Solution 3. Trust your computer

Once you connect your iPhone and computer, it prompts a message to ask if the computer can be trusted. So the PC can access your computer. If you ignore it or don't trust it, your iPhone file not showing up on PC.

If you don't see the message, you can unplug and connect your iPhone to computer again. Then the message will appear, and just tap Trust.

Solution 4. Update iOS version

There is the possibility that an unknown iOS bug causing this "iPhone files not showing up on PC" issue. So when you are unable to see your iPhone data on your computer or not all iPhone photos and files appear on your computer, you can see if there are any newer iOS versions. It iOS glitch may be fixed on the latest version. 

Here are the steps to update your iPhone.

Step 1. Go to the "Settings" app on your iPhone.

Step 2. Tap "General" > "Software Update".

Step 3. Wait for a while. Then the device will search for any new available iOS. If there is, you can tap the "Download and Install" button to update your iOS.

Solution 5. Enable the original format of iPhone photos

iPhone gives you the option to change iPhone photo format when you transfer iPhone photos to computer. But sometimes, it may cause your photo unable to be viewed on your computer. Here are how to use the original photo format.

Step 1. Go to the "Settings" app on your iPhone and choose "Photos".

Step 2. Make sure "Keep Original" is selected under Transfer to Mac Or PC.

Solution 6. Use the most compatible format 

You can store your taken photos in High-Efficiency or Most Compatible format. Usually, High-Efficiency called HEIC are not compaitble with Windows. So you may encounter "Can't view iPhone photos on PC" issue.

To change the format, go to Settings on your iPhone > Choose Camera > Formats > Most Compatible.

Solution 6. Update or reinstall Apple Device Service

To view iPhone photos, Apple device service (driver) is necessary. It build connection between your iPhone and computer. If 

Step 1. Run the Device Manager, locate the Portable Devices.

Step 2. Righ-click on the Apple iPhone, and choose Update Driver.

Step 3. Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software".

Bonus tip: Easily and quickly transfer files between iPhone and PC

After trying all the solutions below, but still can't fix the problem? Maybe you can try an alternative way to transfer files between iPhone and Windows computer.

When your iPhone files not showing up on PC when connected, you can turn to FoneTool. It is a professional and popular iPhone data transfer software letting you view and transfer iPhone photos, videos, songs, and contacts on PC and you can transfer them to computer, flash drive, or external hard drive.

Key features of FoneTool

• Fast transfer speed: It gives you a fast speed to share files between iPhone and PC to save you time.
• Select and preview: You can transfer all photos, videos, music, contacts, etc. to PC. or just transfer selected items.
• Easy-to-use software: With a user-friendly interface. Anyone can easily share data between iOS device and Windows PC. 

Here you can click the button to get FoneTool. And we will show you how to use it this tool.

3. On the Home interface, click Phone Transfer. Go to iPhone to PC and click Start Transfer.

Tip: FoneTool also supports transferring files from PC to iPhone. You choose "PC to iPhone" to transfer photos, videos, contacts, music from PC to iPhone.

4. Click the plus icon and then you can access all iPhone photos, music, videos and contacts. If you want to transfer some of them to computer, please select the specific files and click OK.

5. Click Start Transfer > Choose a folder to save your files and click Transfer to start.

Note: Probably your photos are saved in HEIC format. If you need to convert HEIC to JPG/JPEG/PNG, you can let HEIC Converter do the conversion for you.

Final Words

That’s all about iPhone files not showing up on PC. If you can't access and view iPhone files on Windows, you can try the solutions in this post. In addition, FoneTool can be a good alternative way to transfer data between iPhone and computer. 

For more queries, suggestions, and feedback, please feel free to contact us.