How to transfer files from iPhone to Windows PC
Last updated: July 29, 2026
Apple and Microsoft have never made this pairing pleasant. AirDrop stops at the edge of the Apple ecosystem, iTunes for Windows is a file transfer tool in name only, and plugging the phone in gets you a folder structure that hides everything except camera photos — if Windows recognises the phone at all.
The reliable way around all of it is the browser. Both devices already have one, neither needs software installed, and it does not care that one end is Apple and the other is Microsoft.
Why the usual methods disappoint
- The cable. Windows shows you a DCIM folder over MTP. You get camera roll photos, sometimes. You do not get documents, app files, or anything you saved from another app. The connection also drops if the phone locks.
- iTunes / Apple Devices. Built around syncing a library, not moving one file. File Sharing only works for apps that opted into it.
- iCloud. Works, but it means uploading everything to Apple, waiting for the sync, then downloading it again on the PC. You also need enough iCloud storage, and the free 5 GB disappears fast.
- Email to yourself. Caps out around 25 MB. Useless for video.
- AirDrop. Apple to Apple only. There is no Windows client and there never has been.
The browser method, step by step
iPhone to PC
- On the iPhone, open sharebetweendevices.com in Safari and tap Send.
- Choose the photos, videos or files you want. You can pick several at once.
- A QR code and a short PIN appear. On the PC, open the same site and type the PIN — or scan the QR code if you have a webcam handy.
- The PC shows what is coming and starts receiving. The file goes straight from the phone to the PC; it is not uploaded anywhere first.
PC to iPhone
Same flow in reverse: start on the PC, pick the file, and open the link or PIN on the phone. When the transfer finishes, the iPhone shows a Save button. Tapping it opens the iOS share sheet, where you choose Save to Files for documents or Save Image / Save Video for media. That extra tap exists because iOS will only write a file to storage in response to a deliberate action — it is a platform rule, not a quirk of the site.
The HEIC problem, and what to do about it
Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC rather than JPEG. It is a better format — roughly half the file size at the same quality — but Windows does not open it out of the box, and older software may never open it.
You have three options:
- Convert on the phone before sending. Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic. The phone then hands over JPEG copies when you export. Note this affects exports, not the originals.
- Shoot JPEG from now on. Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. Photos take about twice the space but open anywhere.
- Install the codec on Windows. The HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store let Windows Photos open HEIC directly. Keeps the smaller files.
The same applies to video: iPhones record HEVC (H.265) by default, which Windows 11 handles but older systems may not. The Most Compatible setting switches recording to H.264.
Live Photos, edits and metadata
A Live Photo is really two files — a still image and a short video. When you share one to a non-Apple destination you generally get the still frame only. If you want the motion, share the video component explicitly, or accept the still.
Edited photos behave differently depending on how you export. Sharing through the iOS share sheet gives you the edited version, flattened. That is usually what you want; if you need the untouched original, revert the edit first or export from a Mac.
Large videos
A minute of 4K60 video from an iPhone is about 400 MB. Ten minutes is 4 GB. This is exactly where email, messaging apps and free cloud tiers give up, and where a direct browser transfer is at its best: there is no upload step, so the file moves at the speed of your local network rather than the speed of your internet upload.
Two practical notes for big transfers from an iPhone:
- Keep the screen on. iOS aggressively suspends background tabs. Leave the browser in the foreground until the transfer completes, and set Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock to a longer interval if you are moving several gigabytes.
- Prefer sending from the phone. When the iPhone is the sender, the file streams out of storage as it goes. When it is the receiver, it has more work to do to hold the file before you save it.
If it does not connect
Nearly every failure here is a network one, not an Apple-versus-Microsoft one:
- Both devices should be on the same Wi-Fi, and not a guest network. This is also what makes it fast — see why file transfers are slow.
- Turn off any VPN on either device.
- On iOS, allow the browser Local Network access under Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network.
- Corporate laptops often block peer-to-peer connections outright. Use a personal hotspot for the transfer if you are allowed to.
More symptoms and fixes are collected in the troubleshooting guide.
What about the other direction, or other platforms?
Nothing above is specific to iPhone and Windows — the same method works for Android to Mac, iPhone to Linux, tablet to phone, or two computers. See transferring files between phone and computer for the general version, or Android to iPhone for phone-to-phone.
Start a transfer — nothing to install on either device.