How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 PC

This post offers 5 methods of how to transfer photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 desktop or laptop easily. You can use FoneTool, Photos app, File Explorer, iCloud or iTunes to export iPhone photos to PC.

Dylan

By Dylan / Updated on February 1, 2024

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What is the best way to move my iPhone photos and videos to Windows 10?

How can I transfer any pics/video from iPhone 15 to Windows 10 laptop? I need to make a physical copy of my photos and movies on a backup drive via the Windows computer. I tried to connect my iPhone to my laptop. It detected iPhone. But once I started it, I got "something wrong" error. How can I perform this easily? Thanks!

- Question from Apple Community

transfer photos from iphone to windows 10

iPhone is a good device to take photos with great quality. You may love to take selfies or record your life via photos. But soon, you will find your iPhone is running out of space and need to send your photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 computer. Then you can free up storage space on your iPhone. 

Besides, having a copy of important photos on PC is a good way to avoid data loss. Once your iPhone has an issue causing data loss, you can still restore the backup to your iPhone to keep the photos. In addition, when you buy a new iPhone, the photo backup quickly helps you transfer photos from old iPhone to new iPhone.

In this post, we provide 5 ways for you to save pictures to a Windows 10/11 computer/laptop easily. 

Method 1. Easiest way to transfer iPhone photos to Windows 10/11 computer

What is the fastest way to transfer photos from iPhone to PC? The professional FoneTool can be your ideal choice.

FoneTool
Fast iPhone Data Transfer Software

Now you can download FoneTool and connect your iPhone to computer with a USB cable. We will guide you on how to import photos from iPhone to PC (Win11/10/8/7) for free.

Step 1. Run FoneTool > Go to Phone Transfer on the left pane > Move the mouse to iPhone to PC > Click Get Started to continue.

Transfer to Computer

Step 2. Click the Photos or Videos icon > Preview and select the files you need to move > Click OK.

Choose Photos

Step 3. Set the storage location from the Transfer Settings option > Click Start Transfer to begin the task.

Transfer

Method 2. How to transfer photos from iPhone to computer using iTunes

iTunes software can back up the whole iPhone to your computer. If you want to move photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 with iTunes, follow the guide below.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer, and run iTunes. 

Step 2. Click the phone icon from the top. Under the Summary tab, choose Back Up Now to back up your iPhone.

backup using itunes

iTunes backup file is defaultly located in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup.  Your iPhone photos will be saved here as backup image files, but you can't view these photos directly. You can use backup extract software to view iTunes backup photos.

Method 3. How to import pictures from iPhone to Windows 10/11 PC via Photos app

Microsoft Photos or Windows Photos app, which is a Windows built-in tool, helps you get photos from your devices. You can connect your iPhone to your PC and use it as a USB external storage device. Then move photos to your PC. 

Step 1. Connect your iPhone computer with a USB cable. Usually, the Windows Photos app will be automatically opened. 

🌟Tip: How to manually open Microsoft Photos?

If it does not appear, you can click the Windows start button to look for it on the right, or you could also type Photos in the Windows search bar. If you open the application, but cannot transfer photos, just find answers in this page: Fix iPhone Not Importing Photos to Windows 11/10/8/7

Step 2. Click Import in Microsoft Photos and then select From a USB device.

From a Usb Device

Step 3. Preview and select the photos on your iPhone and click Import Selected.

Import Selected

After the process is completed, you can go to File Explorer > Photos to find pictures on your computer.

Method 4. How to copy photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 PC using File Explorer

Windows Files Explorer is a Windows tool that can help you easily and quickly access your iPhone files and export photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 computer. 

Step 1.  Connect your iPhone to your computer. Double-click This PC or Press the Win + e keys to open Windows File Explorer.

Step 2. Open your Apple iPhone under the Devices and drives option. And find the DCIM folder.

Step 3. In the folder, you can copy and paste or drag and drop the photos you need to the targeted location on your computer.

file explorer

Method 5. How to get photos off iPhone to Windows 10/11 wirelessly

If you don't have a USB cable, iCloud is another way to download photos from your iPhone to Windows 11/10/8/7 PC wirelessly. It is a cloud storage service provided by Apple. You can upload your iPhone to iCloud, and download photos from iCloud to your computer.

Part 1. Upload iPhone photos to computer

Please make sure your iCloud has enough space and enable iCloud Photos on your iPhone. Then your photos will be automatically uploaded to your iCloud.

Step 1. Open the Settings app on your computer. Scroll down and tap Photos.

Step 2. Toggle on the iCloud Photos / iCloud Photo Library.

 

turn on iCloud photos

Part 2. Download iPhone photos from iCloud to PC

When it comes to getting iCloud photos to Windows PC, there are 2 ways to make it. You can go to the iCloud official web mentioned in Option 1 or use the professional iCloud manager - FoneTool mentioned in Option 2 to download. FoneTool's fast download speed can help you shorten the process as much as possible.

Option 1. Access iCloud photos from the official web

Step 1. Go to the iCloud site on your Windows 10/11 PC. Sign in with your Apple account. Click the Photos icon to continue.

Step 2. Here you can view all uploaded photos. Choose what you need, and click the download icon from the top to store them on your computer.

download from icloud windows

Option 2. Save iCloud photos to PC via professional FoneTool

Except for iPhone data management, FoneTool can also help you upload, download, delete or sync iCloud data from a Windows PC. It uses two-factor authentication to protect your iCloud data which is same as the encryption used by Apple. So you don't need to worry about your data security.

Now just download it on your Windows 11/10/8/7 PC to experience its fast transfer speed.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. Launch FoneTool > Go to My iCloud > Log in with your Apple ID > Choose Manage iCloud.

manage icloud

Step 2. Select the photos you need under the Photos option > Click the Download button from the top of the page.

choose photos to download

Step 3. Change the download settings from the pop-up window > Click Download to start.

confirm download photos

Conclusion

This is how to transfer photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 laptop/desktop. You can perform this operation with FoneTool, iTunes, File Explorer, Photos app, and iCloud.

If you have a USB cable, FoneTool is the best choice to export photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11. It is fast and easy to use. If you don't have a USB cable, you can use iCloud to transfer iPhone photos to PC wirelessly.

Besides photos, you can also let it help you transfer videos, music, messages and more as you like.