How to transfer iPhone photos to Windows 10 PC - with/without cable

Looking to import photos from your iPhone to a Windows 10 PC? Here are 5 easy ways to transfer your iPhone pictures instantly, whether using a USB cable or wirelessly.

Transferring photos from iPhone to Windows 10 allows you to access your iPhone pictures on PC for local viewing and editing on a larger screen. Whether you prefer to free up space on your device, back up important photos and videos, or manage your Photos Library in one place, there are multiple ways to help you transfer iPhone photos to Windows 10 seamlessly.

It's extremely easy to get photos off iPhone to a Windows 10 PC or laptop, either wired or wirelessly.

Typically, there are two common ways to transfer photos from iPhone photos to Windows 10: use a cable or wirelessly.

• With a USB cable connection, the built-in File Explorer and Photos app on Windows 10 lets you import photos and videos from iPhone directly.
• Apple's iCloud Photos enables wireless iPhone photo transfer to Windows 10 by syncing the entire Photos Library, so you can download your desired pictures locally.

Let's explore these reliable ways to get photos from your iPhone to Windows 10 PC quickly:

Table of contents:

• How to transfer photos from iPhone to Windows 10 with USB cable
• How to import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 with iPhone Data Transfer
• How to transfer iPhone photos to Windows 10 wirelessly using iCloud
• FAQ: Why can't I transfer my photos from iPhone to Windows 10?
• FAQ: How can I get all my photos off my iPhone to Windows 10 PC?

Compatible with all iOS-format pictures and videos, iPhone Data Transfer allows for bulk and selective photo transfer from iPhone to Windows 10 and vice versa, all in their full quality.

How to transfer photos from iPhone to Windows 10 with USB cable

Using a proper USB cable or Lightning cable, you can securely connect your iPhone to Windows 10 for direct photo transfer, without using iCloud or other services.

Import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 via Photos app

The pre-installed Windows Photos app on Windows 10 allows you to import photos from iPhone directly via a wired connection. Once connected, you can preview the current pictures and videos on your device and transfer specific iPhone photos to a local Windows 10 folder. Preparing a USB cable, here's how to import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 PC via Photos app:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to PC with a USB cable.

Plug your iPhone to your Windows 10 PC using a compatible USB cable. If asked, enter your passcode and tap Trust for access permission.

Step 2. Open the Photos app on Windows 10.

If the Photos app doesn't open automatically, click the Start button, type Photos, and select the Photos app to open it.

Step 3. Preview and select the photos on iPhone.

In Photos app, click the Import button in the top-right corner, select From a connected device and target your iPhone; when it loads the pictures on your iPhone, preview and select the photos you want to transfer.

Step 4. Import iPhone photos to Windows 10 folder.

Click on Import, select an Import to folder, and confirm with Import items button. These iPhone photos will transfer and save to your Windows 10 PC instantly for local access.

You may choose to keep or delete the original items on your iPhone after import. If you accidentally delete some pictures, check this to recover permanently deleted photos on iPhone.

Copy photos from iPhone to Windows 10 via File Explorer

File Explorer is another built-in tool on Windows 10 for photo transfer from iPhone. Based on a cable connection, it enables you to copy photos from iPhone to Windows 10 local folder easily.

The process is quite simple and straightforward. However, note that File Explorer will sort iPhone photos by month instead of by your current albums, which takes some time to find your desired pictures. Steps to transfer iPhone photos to Windows 10 via File Explorer by copy-n-paste:

1. Connect your iPhone to Windows 10 PC using a USB cable. If required, agree with Trust on Trust this computer prompt.

2. Open a File Explorer folder and navigate to This PC from the left side.

3. Under Devices and drives, select Apple iPhone to access your iPhone pictures.

4. Double-click to open Internal Storage > DCIM folder, where your iPhone photos will be stored separately in different folders from month to month.

5. Locate the images or picture folder you want, press Ctrl key and click to select them.

6. Right-click on the selected photos and choose Copy from the expanded menu.

7. Open a local folder on Windows 10 to paste the iPhone photos you just copied.

TIP: The photos not taken by your iPhone will NOT appear in the File Explorer. To transfer other downloaded and extracted pictures, check the next method.

How to import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 with iPhone Data Transfer

Whether you're looking to import your entire Photos Library or just some selected pictures and albums, the reliable tool - iPhone Data Transfer enables bulk transfer of photos from iPhone to Windows 10 / 11 or vice versa in their original quality.

This cross-platform data transfer tool is compatible with all iOS-format pictures and videos, including HEIC, JPEG, PNG, Live Photos, and more. Plus, it has a built-in HEIC Converter that converts iOS photos to common JPEG and PNG formats, so you can enjoy better compatibility and wider use after transferring the iPhone photos to your Windows 10 PC or laptop.

With simple clicks, here's how to transfer iPhone photos to Windows 10 without iCloud or iTunes, supporting all iOS versions and models:

Step 1. Open iPhone Data Transfer on Windows 10 and connect your iPhone.

Link your iPhone using a proper USB cable. If your iOS device prompts with Trust This Computer message, tap Trust and follow the instructions to verify your passcode.

Step 2. Access iPhone Photos for preview and selection.

From the left menu, navigate to Photos where you'll view all current photos and videos in your iPhone Photos Library; select the photos you want, or simply click Check All at the top.

Step 3. Import photos from iPhone to Windows 10.

Click the computer icon for Export to PC option; in the pop-up window, select a location to save the transferred iPhone photos on your Windows 10 PC.

Once done, these iPhone photos will get to your Windows 10 seamlessly, allowing for local access, viewing, editing, and sharing. If necessary, you may delete the original photos after transfer to free up iPhone storage. It also helps to import photos from iPhone to Windows 11 PC.

How to transfer iPhone photos to Windows 10 wirelessly using iCloud

Aside from wired transfer, there are cloud-based services like iCloud Photos that support wireless photo transfer from iPhone to Windows 10 without a cable.

Preset on Apple ecosystem, iCloud Photos can automatically sync your entire iPhone Photos Library with your Windows 10 PC / laptop, and all devices linked to the same Apple ID, including iCloud.com. That is, you can access your iPhone photos from your Windows 10 PC in real time as long as there's a stable Wi-Fi network and enough iCloud storage space.

Enable iCloud Photos on iPhone

To share iPhone photos with your Windows 10, turn on iCloud Photos syncing first:

• Unlock your iPhone and go to Settings > your Apple ID > iCloud.
• Select Photos and toggle on Sync this iPhone option.
• Since now, all photos, videos, and albums on your iPhone will sync to iCloud Photos securely.

Next, link your Windows 10 machine to iCloud Photos for full access to your iPhone pictures. There are two ways to make it:

Download photos from iPhone using iCloud for Windows app

The iCloud for Windows app helps you download iPhone photos to Windows 10 wirelessly.

1. Download and install the latest version of iCloud for Windows on your computer.

2. Open iCloud for Windows and sign in to your iCloud account with the same Apple ID and password used on your iPhone. It may ask you to verify your identity for security.

3. Select the checkbox next to Photos, and click the Options button.

4. Check iCloud Photos Library box to enable it.

5. Tick Download new photos and videos to my PC option and set a Windows 10 location to save your iPhone photos. If needed, tick Keep high efficiency original if available as well.

TIP: If you also want to transfer photos from PC to iPhone through iCloud, tick Upload new photos and videos from my PC option.

6. Hit Done > Apply to save the settings.

After that, open This PC on File Explorer and double-click iCloud Photos > Downloads. Here, you can access all downloaded iPhone photos on your Windows 10 for any future use.

Download iPhone photos to Windows 10 PC from iCloud.com

Besides the automatic syncing with iCloud for Windows app, it's also possible to manually get photos off iPhone to Windows 10 using iCloud.com.

• Open a browser on your Windows and visit iCloud.com.
• Log in to your iCloud with your iPhone's Apple ID and password.
• When you're in, select Photos to access your iCloud Photos Library.
• Click to select the pictures you wish to get onto your Windows PC.
• Hit the Download button from the upper-right corner.

Note: While iCloud Photos supports wireless iPhone photo transfer to Windows 10, keep in mind that the free iCloud storage you can use is 5 GB only. To move a large Photos Library, consider upgrading to iCloud + for additional storage.

FAQ: Why can't I transfer my photos from iPhone to Windows 10?

With these wired and wireless options, you now have the ability to transfer your photos from iPhone to Windows 10 computer easily and quickly. If your iPhone photos cannot transfer to your Windows PC successfully, check these potential causes and fixes:

Check USB cable connection

Ensure your iPhone is connected with a correct USB or Lightning cable. Additionally, enter your passcode and trust this computer when you're asked to. If failed, unplug your iPhone and re-connect it later or use a different data cable.

Check network connection

When transferring iPhone photos via iCloud or other cloud-based solutions like Google Photos or Dropbox, make sure both the iOS device and Windows 10 machine are connected to an active and stable Wi-Fi network.

Check storage space

If you're moving a large number of pictures and videos, ensure your Windows 10 computer has enough storage space to save them all.

If you're using cloud services like iCloud Photos or Google Photos to transfer your iPhone photos across platforms, sufficient cloud space is also required to ensure seamless syncing.

FAQ: How can I get all my photos off my iPhone to Windows 10 PC?

To import all photos from an iPhone to a Windows 10 PC, you can do it with a cable or wirelessly:

Use iCloud Photos to sync iPhone Photos Library wirelessly

Enable iCloud Photos on iPhone to sync your whole Photos Library across iOS and Windows wirelessly, without needing a cable:

• Go to iPhone Settings > your name > iCloud > Photos and turn on the toggle next to Sync this iPhone.
• Sign in to iCloud.com on your Windows PC with the same Apple account.
• Choose Photos and you'll get full access to your iPhone Photos Library.

Use a cable to import all iPhone photos in one click

The cable-based tool iPhone Data Transfer offers a one-click shortcut to get all photos off your iPhone to a Windows PC directly without iCloud or iTunes:

• Run iPhone Data Transfer on computer and connect the source iPhone via a cable.
• At the bottom, choose Device to PC from One-click Operation.

• Check Photos box on the next screen and choose a destination folder on the right side.
• Hit Start button to import all iPhone photos to your Windows 10 PC.