How to Transfer Photos From iPhone to PC With Windows 11

The fastest way: Use the Photos app built into Windows 11

Windows 11 has a Photos app that can pull images directly from your iPhone over USB. Plug your iPhone into your PC with a USB cable, unlock your iPhone, and tap Trust when prompted. Open the Photos app on your PC (search for "Photos" in the Start menu), select the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left, then choose Settings > Import. The app will detect your iPhone and show you thumbnails of photos and videos. Select the ones you want or click Select all, then click Import. Windows will copy them to your Pictures folder by default.

This method works reliably and requires no third-party software. The trade-off is that you cannot choose where files land — they go into Pictures — and the import window can be slow if you have thousands of photos.

Key Takeaways

The Windows 11 Photos app is the simplest built-in option: plug in your iPhone, unlock it, tap Trust, then use Photos > Settings > Import to copy images to your PC.
File Explorer lets you browse your iPhone like a folder if you enable iCloud Photos on your iPhone first, giving you more control over where files land.
You must unlock your iPhone and tap Trust the first time you connect it to a new PC, or Windows will not see your photos.
If your iPhone is password-protected or you have not synced with this PC before, Windows may ask for your Apple ID or device passcode during import.
Photos imported this way are copies; they remain on your iPhone until you delete them there.

Using File Explorer for more control over file location

If you want to choose exactly where your photos land on your PC, use File Explorer instead. Connect your iPhone with a USB cable, unlock it, and tap Trust. Open File Explorer (the folder icon on your taskbar), and your iPhone should appear in the left sidebar under This PC. Click on it to see your phone's storage.

Navigate to Internal Storage > DCIM (the folder where iPhone stores photos). You can now drag and drop photos directly into any folder on your PC. This gives you full control but requires you to manually select which photos to move. If your iPhone does not appear in File Explorer, make sure iCloud Photos is turned on: go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos on your iPhone and toggle iCloud Photos on.

What to do if your iPhone does not appear on your PC

If Windows does not detect your iPhone after plugging it in, the most common cause is that you have not tapped Trust on the device itself. Unlock your iPhone, look for a dialog asking whether to trust this computer, and tap Trust. If you do not see this prompt, try unplugging the cable, waiting 10 seconds, and plugging it back in.

If that does not work, try a different USB cable or a different USB port on your PC. Some cables are charge-only and do not transfer data. You can also restart both devices: turn off your iPhone completely, turn it back on, then restart your PC. If you are still not seeing your iPhone after these steps, check that your iPhone is running a recent version of iOS by going to Settings > General > Software Update on the device.

Transferring videos along with photos

Both the Photos app and File Explorer will copy videos at the same time as photos. In the Photos app, videos appear in the import preview alongside still images, and you can select or deselect them individually. In File Explorer, videos are stored in the same DCIM folder as photos and can be dragged out the same way.

Be aware that videos take up much more space than photos. A single minute of 4K video from an iPhone can be 400 MB or larger. If your PC is running low on storage, you may want to import photos first and handle videos separately, or move older videos to an external drive before importing new ones.

Why your photos might not import even after trusting the device

If you have tapped Trust but Windows still will not see your photos, check whether your iPhone is locked with a passcode. Some versions of Windows require you to unlock your iPhone every time you import, or to enter your Apple ID password during the import process. Unlock your iPhone and keep it unlocked while the import runs.

Another reason imports fail is if your iPhone storage is nearly full. When storage is critically low, some iPhones restrict file access to the PC. Check your iPhone's storage by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. If you are above 90% capacity, delete some photos or videos on the iPhone itself, then try importing again.

Moving photos to cloud storage after import

Once your photos are on your PC, you may want to back them up to the cloud. Windows 11 includes OneDrive, which is built into File Explorer. Right-click any folder containing your imported photos, select Always keep on this device or Free up space depending on whether you want a local copy. You can also manually drag photos into your OneDrive folder (usually at C:\Users\[Your Name]\OneDrive) to sync them to Microsoft's servers.

Other options include Google Photos, Amazon Photos, or Dropbox. These services have their own apps or web interfaces where you can upload photos in bulk. The advantage of cloud backup is that your photos are protected if your PC fails, and you can access them from any device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use a cable, or can I transfer photos wirelessly?

Windows 11 does not have a built-in wireless transfer method from iPhone. You must use a USB cable. However, you can use iCloud.com to download photos from your iPhone to your PC through a web browser, or use third-party apps like AnyTrans or Syncios, though these require purchase or a subscription.

Will importing photos delete them from my iPhone?

No. Importing creates copies on your PC. Your photos remain on your iPhone until you delete them manually. If you want to free up space on your iPhone after importing, you must delete them in the Photos app on the device itself.

Can I import photos from multiple iPhones to the same PC?

Yes. Each time you connect a different iPhone, Windows will ask you to trust it. After you tap Trust, you can import from that device. Photos from each iPhone will go into the same Pictures folder unless you manually organize them into separate subfolders.

What if I see a "This device is not recognized" error?

This usually means the USB cable is not making a proper connection or is charge-only. Try a different cable, a different USB port, or restart both devices. If you have recently updated Windows, restart your PC. If the error persists, your iPhone may need a software update.

Can I import photos directly to an external hard drive?

Using the Photos app, no — it always imports to your Pictures folder first. Using File Explorer, yes — you can drag photos from your iPhone directly into a folder on an external drive, as long as the drive is connected and formatted so Windows can read it.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.