Method 1: How to Transfer Files from iPhone to Windows Machines Using Just a USB Cable
Step 1: Note — this method only works for transferring media like photos and videos. If you want to transfer other types of files, move straight to Method 2.
Plug the iPhone into the Windows PC using the appropriate cable. You’ll see your iPhone under “Devices and Drives” in File Explorer.
Step 2: Double-click the Apple iPhone icon and you’ll see “Internal Storage.”
Step 3: Double-click “Internal Storage” and the next icon, “DCIM” to open a page containing multiple folders. Each of these folders has a date and contains images and videos you took in that month.
Step 4: Double-click the folder of your choice to access the photos and images within.
Step 5: Select the files you want to transfer from iPhone to Windows and right-click anywhere in the same panel to access the “Copy” function.
Step 6: Click “Copy” and then open a folder you want to move the files to. Click Ctrl and V together to paste in the copied files.
Method 2: Wirelessly Transfer Files from iPhone to Windows Devices
Step 1: Make sure you have a cloud storage account and a corresponding app that you can get for both your Windows device and your iPhone, e.g., OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Step 2: Sign in to the app using the same login details on both devices. Then, on your iPhone, save any files you want to access on your Windows device in the same Cloud storage app. In this example, we’re saving a screenshot of some text directly from the Photos app:
Select the photo you want
Select “Share” then “Save to Dropbox” (or the Cloud storage app of your choice).
Choose the folder you want to use and click “Upload.”
Step 3: Open the same app on your Windows device. (Note: It’s best to wait 10-15 minutes to ensure the file has had time to upload to the cloud service.) Navigate to the same folder and the file you saved should be there. You can now access the file or copy it to your Windows PC or laptop as needed.
Bonus Tips and Troubleshooting
Here’s how to deal with common issues that crop up when using these methods:
iPhone won’t connect by USB cable: This is usually a problem with the cable itself or the USB slot. Try the cable in a different USB socket or use a different cable.
Files appear in the Cloud storage app on one device but not the other: Check that both devices have an active internet connection. Wait 10-15 minutes, reboot both devices and check again.
As long as both devices have a strong Wi-Fi connection, the wireless method is usually the most reliable. Just double-check you have enough storage for any larger files you may want to transfer, such as long videos.
As an avid gamer, I’ve run into my fair share of error codes and weird faults that have forced me to find fixes to problems I never anticipated. That gave me a passion for sharing those fixes with others so we can all game without feeling like our hardware is rebelling against us.
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