How to Transfer Photos from an iPhone to a PC

The Challenges of Sharing Photos

In an ideal world, moving photos from your iPhone or Android device to your PC is simple. When all your devices use the same operating system (OS) and are part of the same ecosystem—such as if you use all Apple products together—your experience may already feel straightforward. That’s because products from the same manufacturer are designed to work together.
But what happens when you have an iPhone and a Microsoft Windows PC? Or, when you don’t want to log in to your personal account on your school or work computer to access your photos?

You’ve likely gone through a photo or video transfer process at least once that involved logging in to and using multiple apps, emailing yourself and downloading attachments, or digging out a cable and adapter to send multiple photos or a video to a loved one.

And, when the image was finally shared between your phone and PC, the picture quality was likely degraded, you found yourself with a lot of e-clutter and duplicate copies, and you spent more time than you had planned.

The good news is that solutions are available to simplify the photo transfer process in all cases, regardless of whether your devices have the same or different operating systems.
Let’s walk through a few things to consider when looking for a solution and then dive into the how-to steps.

Things to Consider

Here are four key aspects to keep in mind when selecting the best photo-sharing solution for your needs. Use these tips to evaluate the options listed in the next section.

1. Setup and access. Solutions you enjoy using are easy to set up and access whenever you need them, which is especially important when configuring and using multiple devices together. Look for a solution that offers a seamless setup process that pairs and connects your phone with your other devices in just a few clicks. Also, consider options that don’t require you to log in to an account before transferring a photo or video.
2. Data security. You don’t want your personal photos floating around in the ether. Look for a solution that doesn’t store your content in the cloud and features end-to-end encryption so you can feel confident your information and privacy are protected.
3. Functionality. Get the most out of the solution you choose by making sure it offers all of the capabilities that you need. This will help you avoid finding and setting up multiple apps to get the full functionality you want.
   • Look for solutions that support bidirectional transfers, meaning you can share photos from your phone to your computer and vice versa.
   • Since you’ll be using multiple devices, make sure the option you choose supports transfers between devices with different operating systems. You don’t want to have to stop and think about which device combination can support what you are trying to do.
4. Ease of use: Sharing photos across devices doesn’t have to be complicated, and you shouldn’t have to relearn the sharing process each time you want to use it.
   • Consider a solution that works through wireless connectivity rather than a cable-based connection. This simplifies the overall process because you don’t have to keep track of one more item, making it easy to share photos anytime and anywhere. You don’t want to find yourself unable to transfer the photo if the right cable goes missing.
   • For the best experience, look for solutions that you think have a simple flow with clear options and actions so you don’t have to relearn the steps to use it each time and can feel confident while you’re working with your photos.

Transfer Photos with a USB Cable

If you want to access content other than photos on your phone or prefer to use a direct connection instead of a cloud service or wireless connection, you can connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable.

To get started, review the connection ports on your phone and your PC. You will need a cable with a connection type on each end that matches the device you will connect. In many cases, you may need an adapter to help you connect your phone to the cable and then connect the cable to your computer.

Option 1: Use Windows File Explorer

1. Connect your phone to your PC using a cable. If prompted, unlock your phone.
2. Open the File Explorer. Your phone will appear as an additional device or drive option in the left-hand column.
3. Click on your phone’s “drive” and navigate to the location of your photo files.
4. Drag and drop the photo file you want to your preferred location on the PC. If you are prompted to copy or move the file, select copy to keep your photo on your phone.
5. When done, right-click on your phone’s drive and select the option to safely eject your device before unplugging it.

Option 2: Use the Windows Photos App

1. Connect your phone to your PC using the USB cable. If prompted, unlock your phone.
2. Open the Windows Photos app.
3. Find your device by clicking the Import button in the top right of the application window.
4. Locate and select the photo you want to copy.
5. Use the move/copy option to save the photo to your preferred location on the PC.
6. When done, use File Explorer or the Windows system tray option to safely eject your device before unplugging it.

Transfer Photos Using the Cloud

There are many cloud-based photo storage options that you can use to access your photos online or through an app that you install on your PC. These services typically require you to log in to your account through a web browser or within the downloaded app to access your photos.

As an iPhone or Android user, you are likely familiar with their cloud-based photo storage services, iCloud and Google Photos, respectively, that can be configured to sync with the photos on your phone automatically.

To transfer photos between your iPhone or Android device and a PC:

1. Make sure your photos are backed up on your phone.
2. Open a web browser on your PC and search for either iCloud or Google Photos.
3. Sign in to your account and navigate to your photo library.
4. Locate and select the photo you want to copy.
5. Click on Download.
6. Open the File Explorer on your PC.
7. Locate your photo in the Downloads folder.
8. Move the photo to your preferred location on your PC.
9. When done, be sure to log out of your online account and close the browser window.

Transfer Photos Wirelessly

For more flexibility over where and how you share photos and to remove the need for a cable and adapter or to log in to an account, consider a solution that uses a wireless connection.

The Intel® Unison™ Solution

The Intel® Unison™ solution is an application you can use to transfer photos or videos between your phone and Windows PC. Have an iPhone, iPad, and a PC? Or maybe an Android phone and a PC? No problem.

The Intel® Unison™ app supports wireless, encrypted, photo and video transfer capabilities on all three operating systems and delivers a cohesive, consistent experience across your phone and PC.¹ Plus, users of Intel® Unison™ software benefit from Intel’s years of work and industry collaboration on wireless connectivity, which helps to deliver more-seamless access.

Initial, One-Time Intel® Unison™ Solution Setup

To get started with Intel® Unison™ software,

1. Download and install the Intel® Unison™ application on your PC. Some Windows-based computers, such as Intel® Evo™ laptops with Intel® Core™ Ultra processors or 13th generation and newer Intel® Core™ processors, come with the Intel® Unison™ app pre-installed.² You can skip this step if you already have Intel® Unison™ software on your PC.
2. Open the app on your PC and click on Add Phone. You will now see a page with a QR code and a button to download the Intel® Unison™ app on your phone.
   
3. Click the Get the mobile app button and follow the instructions to download and open the Intel® Unison™ application on your phone. You can skip this step if you already have Intel® Unison™ software on your phone.
4. Use the phone app you just installed to scan the QR code displayed in the Intel® Unison™ app on your PC. Note: To proceed, you will need to confirm through a permissions question that you are OK with the Intel® Unison™ software accessing your camera.
   Visually verify that the one-time code shown on your phone and your PC match. If they match, click the Confirm button to securely pair and connect your phone to your PC using wireless connectivity.
   
5. When the pairing process has been successfully completed, click the Get Started button. You can now transfer your photos between your phone and your PC.

Using the Intel® Unison™ App

Once you have gone through the initial setup process, using the Intel® Unison™ app again is as simple as opening the app on your PC or phone and clicking on Manage photos. No logging into accounts or finding cables is required!

You can use the Settings menu in either app to configure your device-specific preferences.

Do More with the Intel® Unison™ App

An added benefit of using the Intel® Unison™ app is that you automatically get access to additional functionality beyond transferring photos once your devices have been paired. You can also use the Intel® Unison™ app to transfer files between your phone and PC, take and make phone calls as well as send and receive text messages from your PC, and extend your PC screen to a connected tablet for added viewing space that you can use for multitasking.³

Learn more about Intel® Unison™ solution capabilities.