How to transfer your iPhone photos to Windows PC

So you would Want to transfer photos and videos from your Apple smartphone to your computer? Let’s start by putting away those USB cables. Updates in Windows 11 let you set up iCloud on your PC for constant access to your collection of snappy memes, selfies and blurry vacation photos.

Apart from your iPhone, this method will also work for other Apple devices connected to your iCloud account such as iPad or Macbook. To use iCloud, you’ll need to sign up for Apple IDif you don’t already have an account.

To double-check that the photos and videos on your smartphone are iCloud-enabled, open your phone Settings. Then tap your name at the top. Choose iCloudthen Photographs. For this to work, the slider needs to be moved to the right.

Be sure to remember your Apple ID password! It’s probably not a password you use often. Once that’s all taken care of, go ahead and open the Microsoft Store download iCloud for Windows. Sign in using your Apple ID. You may need to enter a verification code from your phone into your computer.

You’ll see options to share the contents of your iCloud Drive, photos, contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and passwords. Leave the checkmarks next to the ones you want to access on your computer. Look to the right of the photos section, tap Optionsand make sure the box next to is checked iCloud Photos before clicking Apply. You’ll also see an option to access shared albums from your smartphone.

Then choose whether or not you want to automatically send diagnostic information to Apple and the setup will begin downloading.

How do you locate media on your computer? Photos and videos you take on an Apple device that supports iCloud can be viewed by clicking File Explorer icon and selecting it iCloud Photos tab on the left side of the screen. You can now view thumbnails of all your pictures and videos on your PC as part of iCloud. If you want to upload a copy of the media, double-click the thumbnail to open a preview in Microsoft Photos. Then wait CTRL+S to download a copy of the media to your PC.

Pro tip: This immediate approach has the potential to be helpful, but take a second to really digest what you’ve just done, especially if you share a home computer. Every picture you take on your smartphone is available in a few quick clicks on your computer. Everything From them.

Only 5 GB of storage space is available for free through iCloud. Users who need more space than that small space have the option to subscribe to Apple iCloud+ service, which offers several tiers of storage depending on what you’re willing to pay. Use most Apple products other than your computer? You might consider applying for Apple One subscriptionbundle that includes iCloud storage, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade.

For even more options for preserving your unique smartphone photo collection, check out Whitson Gordon’s helpful article on this supporting everyone. Additionally, anyone using iCloud should consider reading David Nield’s tips to make sure you can recover all.