How to Transfer Photos From iPhone to PC [Windows 10]
Moving photos from an iPhone to a PC is a fairly simple process. In fact, it’s much, much simpler than it is on macOS where photos have to be imported first. On a Windows 10 PC, you can connect your iPhone to it, and access the camera roll like you would access the storage of an Android phone or a USB drive.
Transfer photos from iPhone to PC
If you use a photo management tool on your Windows 10 PC, you can import photos from an iPhone directly from within the app.
The stock Photos app on Windows 10 isn’t the most feature-rich photo app and it’s hardly a photo management tool but it too can import photos from an iPhone.
How to transfer photos from iPhone to computer [Step-by-step]
If you’ve connected your iPhone to your PC but are unable to access the photos on it, here are a few things you can try.
1. Unlock iPhone
Before you connect your iPhone to your computer, it is important to unlock it first. You should generally do this even if you’ve connected the phone to your PC before.
- Swipe up on your iPhone and unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
- Once the iPhone has been unlocked and you can see your home screen, connect it to the PC via the data cable.
- On your Windows 10 PC, open File Explorer and wait a few seconds.
- The iPhone will show up under Device and drives. Wait a few more seconds and then open it. You will be able to access the photos in the camera roll.
2. Trust this computer
When you update iOS on your iPhone, or if you connect it to your PC after a long time, some of the permissions on it may reset or require authentication again.
- Unlock your iPhone and connect it to your Windows 10 PC.
- On your iPhone, check if you see a ‘Trust this computer’ prompt.
- Tap ‘Trust’ and enter the passcode to your iPhone.
- Wait for the iPhone to show up in File Explorer on your Windows 10 PC.
- Disconnect it from the PC, and connect it again while the screen is unlocked.
- Wait 10 seconds and then access the device from File Explorer.
3. Reset permissions on iPhone
Normally, an iPhone only requires permission to connect to a PC once but sometimes, granting the permission doesn’t work. You have to reset permissions and grant them again.
- On your iPhone, go to the Settings app.
- Go to General>Reset>Reset Location and Privacy.
- Connect the iPhone to your PC. Make sure the phone is unlocked.
- You will see the Trust this Computer prompt on your phone.
- Tap Trust.
- On your PC, open File Explorer and you will be able to access the phone.
4. Install/Update iTunes
iTunes is necessary if you want to put music on your iPhone or back it up. A lot of users still manage to do without it but if you’re having trouble accessing photos from iPhone, installing iTunes is a good idea.
- You can install iTunes from the Microsoft Store.
- Connect your iPhone to your PC once the app has been installed.
- Wait for the device to be detected in iTunes.
- Open File Explorer and access your phone’s storage and photos.
- If you already have iTunes installed, check if it needs to be updated. Open the app and go to Help>Check for Updates. Install any available updates.
5. Open iTunes
You may need to allow the PC access to the iPhone from iTunes.
- Unlock the iPhone and connect it to your Windows 10 PC.
- Open iTunes.
- If a prompt asking for permission to access files on the iPhone appears, accept/allow it.
- Open File Explorer and try to access your device and the photos on it.
6. Change iTunes version
At present, there are two different versions of iTunes. Having either one should work but there are always exceptions. If you’re unable to access photos from your iPhone, remove the version of iTunes that you have, and install the other one.
7. Check hardware
You don’t have to use Apple-approved data cables to connect your iPhone to a PC. Knock-offs will work but not always. If you’re unable to access your iPhone’s storage, change the cable that you’re using. It’s also a good idea to change the port that you’re connecting the phone to.
If you’re using an Apple-approved cable, check it for damage. Apple’s own cables damage rather easily so check if the cable is damaged and swap it out for one that isn’t.
If you have a different cable on hand, try using that instead.
Conclusion
The photos and videos on an iPhone can be copied, imported, and deleted quite easily from a Windows 10 PC.
Any drivers that are needed are installed automatically when you connect the iPhone to your computer for the first time. Despite that, OS updates, whether they’re for iOS or for Windows 10, can cause problems between the two devices.
In most cases, disconnecting an iPhone and reconnecting it again will fix or reset whatever is broken. If the underlying cause of the problem is something else, iTunes should be able to rectify it.
