How to send photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC

By Thavasi · Updated 30 October 2026

AirDrop only works between Apple devices, so iPhone users with a Windows laptop need another way. Here are the options that work, and how to deal with Apple's HEIC photo format.

Option 1: From Safari, with no app (fastest to set up)

Put both on the same Wi‑FiOr turn on the iPhone's Personal Hotspot and connect the PC to it.
On the iPhone, open wifloshare.com in SafariTap Tap to choose files, then Photo Library, and select your photos and videos.
On the PC, open the same siteEnter the 6‑character code in the Receive tab, then tap Download.
DoneMany photos arrive as one ZIP file. Right‑click it and choose Extract All.

Keep Safari open and the iPhone screen on until the transfer finishes. iPhones pause web pages in the background.

Try it now: open wifloshare.com on both devices. It's free, with no sign-up and no size limit.

Open WifloShare

Option 2: USB cable and the Windows Photos app

If you do have a cable: connect the iPhone, unlock it and tap Trust when asked. Then open the Photos app on Windows and choose Import. This is good for importing a whole camera roll at once.

Option 3: iCloud for Windows

Install iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store, sign in with your Apple ID, and turn on iCloud Photos. Your photos then sync to the PC automatically. It needs enough iCloud storage, and the photos go through the internet.

What are HEIC photos, and how do I open them?

To save space, iPhones usually take photos in the HEIC format instead of JPG. Depending on how you send them, they may arrive on the PC as HEIC.

To open HEIC on Windows: install Microsoft's free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. The Photos app can then open them.
To take JPG photos from now on: on the iPhone, go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. Photos will be larger but open everywhere.
For videos: iPhone videos often use HEVC. If one won't play, try the free VLC player.

Live Photos

A Live Photo is a still image plus a short video. Most transfer methods send only the still image unless you share the video part separately.