How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Windows: Complete Guide

Apple users often enjoy the seamless convenience of AirDrop when moving photos from an iPhone to a Mac. Unfortunately, Windows computers are outside of that closed ecosystem, which means the process requires a different approach. Still, transferring photos from an iPhone to Windows is not only possible but also straightforward once you know your options. Below we’ll explore the four most effective methods in detail, comparing their strengths and weaknesses so you can choose the one that fits your needs best.

1. Using a Wired USB Connection

For people with hundreds or even thousands of photos, nothing beats the speed and reliability of a direct cable transfer. Cloud services and messaging apps simply can’t match the throughput of USB for large batches of files.

To start, connect your iPhone to the Windows computer using a Lightning-to-USB cable. Immediately, your phone will display a trust prompt asking if you want to allow the computer to access your photos and files. Tap Allow. This authorization is necessary for Windows to communicate with your device.

On your PC, a notification will pop up, giving you options to either Import photos and videos or Open device to view files. The import function is generally the most user-friendly. It gathers your iPhone’s media into a gallery-like interface where you can preview, select, and transfer chosen photos with a single click on the Import button. By default, everything will save into your Windows Pictures folder, though you can redirect them elsewhere via the Change Destination option.

The second option, Open device to view files, gives you manual control but is less intuitive. Inside This PC (also known as Computer on older Windows versions), you’ll see your iPhone listed. Navigating into Internal Storage → DCIM reveals your images scattered across multiple subfolders, typically named with year and month codes. Each contains the corresponding month’s media: snapshots, videos, even screenshots. You can copy these manually to any folder on your hard drive, but this takes more effort to sort and organize.

While less elegant, the manual browsing approach can be useful if you only need to grab specific files without importing everything.

2. Using iCloud or Other Cloud Storage Services

If you prefer not to use a cable, cloud storage is the next best solution. Apple’s built-in iCloud Drive integrates smoothly with iOS, though Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive work just as well. Let’s use iCloud as the main example.

First, open the Photos app on your iPhone, head into My Albums → Recent, and tap Select in the top-right corner. Choose the photos you’d like to transfer, then tap the Share icon (a square with an upward arrow). Scroll until you find Save to Files. Pick iCloud Drive, choose a folder (for instance, Documents), and tap Save.

Next, open a web browser on your Windows computer and visit icloud.com. Sign in with your Apple ID. From the main dashboard, click iCloud Drive and navigate to the folder where you saved your photos. Note that folder names may appear in English by default (e.g., Documents instead of localized equivalents).

To download multiple images, hold Ctrl while selecting them, then click the Download icon in the toolbar. Your browser will either prompt you to choose a location or automatically save them to your default Downloads folder.

One caveat: iCloud offers only 5 GB of free storage. If you shoot a lot of high-resolution photos or videos, this limit fills up quickly. Apple offers paid upgrades – 50 GB costs around 59 ₽ per month – or you can periodically clean up your iCloud storage to free space.

Other cloud services like Google Drive offer similar functionality, sometimes with more generous free storage tiers, so if you are already embedded in the Google ecosystem, you may find it a better choice.

3. Sending Photos via Messenger Apps

Messaging apps can double as surprisingly efficient transfer tools, especially if you only want to move a small set of images quickly. Among them, Telegram stands out because of its Favorites (or Saved Messages) chat, which acts as personal storage accessible from any device.

Here’s how it works: open Telegram on your iPhone and go to Favorites. Tap the paperclip icon to attach files, then select File → Photo or Video. This step is critical – sending as File ensures that Telegram won’t compress the images, preserving full quality. Browse your gallery, pick as many images as needed, and tap Send.

On your Windows computer, open Telegram Web in a browser or install the desktop app. Open your Favorites chat, where your uploaded photos will appear. By default, they will download automatically into your Downloads → Telegram Desktop folder. To quickly access them, right-click any photo in the chat and select Open file folder. If you’d rather store images elsewhere, right-click a picture and choose Save as… to manually designate a new folder. Be aware, though, that this requires saving each file individually.

Telegram’s only real limitation is its 2 GB per-file size cap. That’s more than enough for photos, though video transfers may run into this boundary.

Other messengers like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger can also work, but they compress files by default, so Telegram remains the preferred option if you care about image quality.

Which Method Should You Choose?

Each method has its place depending on your scenario:

• Wired connection: best for bulk transfers, large archives, or if you want everything neatly saved without cloud limits.
• iCloud or cloud services: ideal for smaller transfers or when you don’t have a cable at hand. Great if you want files available across devices instantly.
• Messenger apps: quick and convenient for small batches of images, especially if you need them only temporarily on your computer.

If you’re migrating years of photos – say, three to five years’ worth – the wired option is the most practical. Such an archive can weigh tens of gigabytes, which would be painfully slow to move over Wi-Fi and likely exceed cloud storage quotas. On the other hand, if you’re only moving 20 recent shots from a weekend trip, using Telegram or iCloud might save you the hassle of digging out a cable.

Final Thoughts

Transferring photos from iPhone to Windows isn’t as seamless as between Apple devices, but with these methods, you have flexibility. Whether you prefer speed, convenience, or accessibility, you’ll find a solution that fits your workflow. For the fastest, most complete archive transfer, a USB cable remains unbeatable. For quick cross-platform convenience, cloud storage or Telegram provides a solid backup plan. The key is knowing when to use which method so your photos are always where you need them, without unnecessary hassle.