I’m trying to transfer a bunch of photos from my iPhone to my Windows 10 computer, but I’m having trouble figuring out the easiest way. I’ve tried connecting my phone with a USB cable, but the photos aren’t showing up properly. I want to keep the original quality and not lose any pics. Can someone guide me through the process or suggest the best method?
Honestly, the Windows Photos app is SUPPOSED to make this easy but it’s a hot mess half the time. Half the time you plug your iPhone in and Windows acts like it’s never seen Apple tech before—it’s just confused and scared and pretending not to see your pics at all. Here’s what sometimes works: unlock your iPhone, plug it in, and make absolutely sure you tap “Trust” on the phone if that message pops up. Otherwise Windows shrugs and shows you nothing. Next, crack open This PC in File Explorer. Your phone should show up as something like “Apple iPhone” or “Internal Storage.” Dive into DCIM and there are your actual photo folders.
Now, prepare for Windows to make weird decisions about which photos it shows. Sometimes you gotta copy small batches at a time because otherwise it just stops and throws an error about device not reachable. And heaven help you if your phone locks during this process.
If that fails or just sounds exhausting, upload everything to iCloud (enable Photos in iCloud settings), go to icloud.com on your PC browser, and straight up download the pics. Yes, it’s slower if you have tons of photos, and no, the interface is not always user friendly, but at least it usually works.
If you want zero hassle and you’re kinda techy, try Google Photos, upload on iPhone via the app, then download from the web on your PC. It’s way less crash-prone than the official Apple/Windows route.
Sorry, but for some reason Apple and Microsoft act like they’re bitter exes when it comes to photo transfers: they barely talk, they don’t play nice, and you end up cleaning up the drama. Get ready for some copy errors and a few curse words, but hey, at least your pics will eventually make the trip. Mostly.
Honestly, reading @hoshikuzu’s comment made me laugh, because seriously, why is Apple ↔ Windows photo transfer still stuck in 2009? But here’s something a bit different: skip the desktop mess and try plain old AirDrop—wait, yeah, that doesn’t work on Windows (thanks, Apple).
Here’s what I’d actually recommend that isn’t just USB slog or iCloud clunkiness: if you have a LOT of photos and want less cloud drama, use a third-party transfer app like SHAREit or Documents by Readdle. Both have Wi-Fi transfer modes that turn your iPhone into a little server and let you grab photos straight to your Windows PC using a browser, no iTunes, no cable. I’ve personally moved like 5k photos at once this way, and only lost my mind a little. Bonus: you can be lazy on the couch while you upload v. praying over the USB cable.
Alternatively, if you’re a bit old-fashioned but hate all Apple/Windows drama, scrounge up a big enough USB flash drive + Lightning-to-USB adapter and just move stuff in two hops. Not glamorous but surprisingly reliable.
One thing I disagree with @hoshikuzu on: I never trust Google Photos with my originals—they compress the hell out of stuff unless you pay. Just FYI if you care about max quality.
Main thing: USB is fine for 20-30 photos, but for 1k+ honestly try Wi-Fi transfers or you’ll end up throwing the cable across the room. Anyone else got a bulletproof method that doesn’t fill your C: drive with duplicates?
Let’s cut straight through the Apple vs Windows mudfight: transferring iPhone photos to a Windows 10 PC has been needlessly clunky for years. The USB cable thing? Yeah, sometimes it works, but the failure rate and random errors—especially with large batches—make it more a gamble than a strategy. I get where the earlier folks were coming from with their USB, iCloud, and various cloud recommendations, but honestly, for people who want something different (less cloud, fewer “trust this computer” gymnastics, and no app-store circus), it’s time to look at another method: network-attached storage, aka NAS.
Stick with me—if you have a lot of photos or want a future-proof system, setting up a simple NAS drive (like Synology or WD My Cloud) can change your life. Set it up on your home Wi-Fi, install their accompanying iOS app, and just dump camera roll assets straight onto your own drive, which any Windows machine on your network can then browse and grab with zero weirdness. The speed depends on your Wi-Fi, but it’s crazy reliable for massive photo libraries, archiving, and even auto-backup. Yes, initial setup is a hair more techy than plugging in a USB cable, but long-term, you skip every Apple/Microsoft drama.
Pros:
– No recurring cloud fees.
– Maintains file quality (no sneaky compressions like Google Photos unless you want it).
– Bypasses Lightning/USB mess entirely.
– Great for organizing and sharing across multiple PCs/phones.
Cons:
– Upfront hardware cost.
– Slight setup curve if you’ve never configured a NAS
– Not super portable if you only travel with your phone.
Of course, competitors that have been mentioned—cloud methods (iCloud, Google Photos, etc.), wi-fi transfer apps, and even brute-force USB—are fine for low-volume or casual users. But if you’re thinking long-term, want true control, or are sick of playing tech support every time Apple drops a new iOS update, a NAS is worth considering. Bonus: it works for Android, too, if you ever swap teams.
Best way? Depends on your patience and volume. But if you want out of the Apple/Microsoft thumb war, build your own bridge with a NAS, keep your files uncompressed, and avoid both companies’ bad attitudes.