Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS)

Transfer Photos from iPhone to Computer

  • Transfers and manages all data like photos, videos, music, messages, etc. on iPhone.
  • Supports the transfer of medium files between iTunes and Android.
  • Works smoothly all iPhone (iPhone XS/XR included), iPad, iPod touch models, as well as iOS 12.
  • Intuitive guidance on screen to ensure zero-error operations.
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How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Computer?

Bhavya Kaushik

Mar 08, 2024 • Filed to: Manage Device Data • Proven solutions

Owning an iPhone, everyone swears by its excellent image quality. But, as the collection grows day by day, you lose out the free space on your iPhone, which might force your iPhone to function weirdly. For that matter, it is important to transfer photos from iPhone to computer.

Method 1: Import Any Photos from iPhone to PC using a USB cable (Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP)

Though you can import pictures from iPhone to PC, there are photo type restrictions and OS barriers that make the transfer not a good experience. To avoid this and retain the picture quality, Dr.Fone - Phone Manager is an apt option for you.

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Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS)

Transfer Pictures from iPhone to PC Faster and More Easily

  • Not only transfer pictures from iPhone to PC, but from iPhone to Android as well.
  • Transfer SMS, contacts, music, etc. between your iOS and computer as well as between
  • Import, manage, and export apps and media files can be done using this software.
  • Fully compatible with all iPhone models and all Windows / Mac versions.
Available on: Windows Mac
4,715,799 people have downloaded it

Let’s see the detailed guide on how to transfer photos from iPhone to computer:

Step 1: Install Dr.Fone - Phone Manager and launch it on your PC and then tap the "Phone Manager" tab.

export photos from iphone with drfone
Select the "Phone Manager" option

Step 2: Now, connect your iPhone using a lightning cable and hit ‘Trust’ button on your iPhone.

export photos from iphone - trust the pc
Trust the PC on your iPhone

Step 3: From the program window, hit the ‘Photos’ tab and preview your data available on your screen.

export photos from iphone - go to photos tab
Select photos in the Photos tab

Step 4: You can either choose the specific folder/album from the left panel or select the desired photos to be transferred from your iPhone to the PC.

Step 5: After selecting the photos, tap on the ‘Export’ button, and from the drop-down menu choose ‘Export to PC’.

exported photos from iphone to pc
Select the Export to PC menu item

Follow the on-screen instructions to get the photos transferred to your PC. You can then view them in the destination folder over your computer.

Watch the video to understand how to transfer photos from iPhone to PC.

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Do You Know: How to Transfer HEIC Photos from iPhone to PC?

High-Efficiency Image Container (HEIC) image is a container for HEIF photo format. Apple offers this functionality on iOS 11/12 and macOS High Sierra. These photos might not properly open on other platforms like Windows and Android (one of the greatest HEIC drawbacks).

But how to actually download HEIC pictures from iPhone to computer?

In most cases, the HEIC image can be saved to JPG when you transfer it to PC by tweaking iPhone settings: Settings > Photos > Formats > Automatic. But this way will disable your iPhone to take HEIC photos (a photo format occupying less space and having a higher definition than JPG).

With Dr.Fone - Phone Manager, you don’t need to tweak the iPhone settings, you can easily transfer photos from iPhone to PC or Android device as it automatically converts HEIC images to JPG format.

Method 2: Transfer Camera Roll Photos from iPhone to PC with Windows Services

There are multiple Windows services to download pictures from iPhone to computer. But, all the services only transfer the iPhone Camera Roll photos. To transfer other photos, you need to turn to dedicated programs like Dr.Fone - Phone Manager.

2.1 Use Windows Photos to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC (Windows 10)

Similar to Windows and Windows 8, Windows 10 supports the transfer of photos from iPhone Camera Roll photos to your PC. Here are the steps:

  1. Update your iTunes to the latest version on your computer and connect your iPhone using a lightning cable.
  2. Now, launch the Photos app on your Windows 10 PC and hit ‘Import’ from the top-right corner.
    download pictures from iPhone to PC with Windows Photos App - import
    Select the Import option
  3. Choose your preferred photos on your computer, and then tap the ‘Continue’ button. This is how to import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 PC.
    download pictures from iPhone to PC with Windows Photos App- select photos
    Choose your photos to continue

2.2 Use Windows AutoPlay to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC (Windows 7/8)

When how to import pictures from iPhone to PC is your concern, the Windows AutoPlay feature can come in handy. It automatically runs a DVD or CD inserted into the CD/DVD drive of your computer. You need to enable AutoPlay so that the DVD/CD drives can run on their own. Likewise, when you connect your iPhone to the PC, it will AutoPlay the device storage. Though this feature comes pre-enabled in computers, you can disable it as well.

How to use Windows AutoPlay to transfer photos for Windows 7 PC

  1. Get your iPhone connected through a USB with Windows 7. When the AutoPlay popup crops up, tap on the ‘Import Pictures and Videos using Windows’ option.
    transfer photos from iphone to computer - to win 7
    Import pictures and videos
  2. Now, you need to tap the ‘Import Settings’ link on the following window. Define the destination folder by tapping the ‘Browse’ button against ‘Import to’.
    transfer photos from iphone to computer - save to win 7 pc
    Select a location on PC to save photos
  3. Select a tag following the ‘OK’ button. Press the ‘Import’ button.

    Note: Sometimes the AutoPlay doesn’t start up on its own. Try disconnecting and reconnecting your iPhone in such case.

How to use Windows AutoPlay to transfer photos for Windows 8

Here is the guide to understand how to get pictures from iPhone to PC using AutoPlay on Windows 8 –

  1. On your Windows 8 PC, connect your iPhone through a USB cable. As soon as the computer detects your iPhone, you need to trust the computer to proceed.
    get pictures from iphone to win 8 pc- trust pc
    Trust the computer on your iPhone
  2. Click on ‘This PC’ and then right-click on your iPhone, followed by ‘Import pictures and videos’.
get pictures from iphone to win 8 pc- import picture
Different option to import pictures and videos in Windows 8
  • For the first time image import, choose ‘Review, organize, and group items to imports’. For later incidences of exporting photos from iPhone, tap ‘Import all new items now’.
  • Hit the ‘More Option’ link for selecting the destination folder for your iPhone videos and photos. Press the ‘OK’ button followed by ‘Next’.
  • Pick the desired photos from your iPhone and then tap the ‘Import’ button.
    get pictures from iphone to win 8 pc- pick photos
    Select and import photos to Windows 8 computer

2.3 Use Windows Explorer to Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC

Your iPhone is treated as a file system or digital camera by the Windows system. As a result, you can import/download photos from iPhone to PC. It imports only your Camera Roll photos, which are not categorically arranged on your PC. You might learn how to download photos from your iPhone to your computer to make the job easy using Windows Explorer.

Here is how to move photos from iPhone to computer using Windows Explorer

  1. First of all, get your iPhone connected using a lightning cable to your Windows PC. Launch ‘My Computer’ and locate your iPhone under ‘Portable Devices’.
    download photos from iphone- locate iphone
    Go to the Portable Devices pane
  2. Double-tap your iPhone icon and locate the ‘Internal Storage’. Open ‘Internal Storage’ by double-clicking it.
    download photos from iphone- iphone storage
    Enter the DCIM folder
  3. Find the ‘DCIM’ folder (Camera Roll folder) under ‘Internal Storage’ and open it. Open any folder to check the desired photos and then copy-paste them after selecting the preferred folder on your Windows PC.
    download photos from iphone- access photo folder
    Select iPhone pictures to export to computer

Method 3: Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC Wirelessly

3.1 Use Google Photos to transfer iPhone Photos to PC

If you plan to transfer iPhone Photos to computer, you need to know how to upload photos from iPhone to Google Photos. You can turn on the automatic sync option and later transfer pictures from iPhone to computer easily by downloading them. You get unlimited space for storing pictures under 16-megapixel size.

Here is how to download pictures from iPhone to PC using Google Photos manually:

  1. Launch the Google Photos app after installing it on your iPhone, and log in with your Google account. The app will ask permission to access photos if you are using it for the first time. Press the ‘OK’ button here.
  2. Go to ‘Photos’ and hit the 3 vertical dots from the upper corner. ‘Select Photos’ or ‘Create a New Album’ needs to be selected.
    move photos from iphone to computer- google photos
    Upload pictures to Google Photos from iPhone
  3. After picking the photos, press ‘Done’ for creating and uploading the photos. Rename the album when prompted.
  4. Now, click the 3 dots from the top corner. Choose ‘Back Up’ and upload photos.
  5. Log-in to ‘Google Photos’ on your PC. From here, you can select the desired photos and then click the 3 vertical dots on the top-right corner and tap ‘Download’.
    move photos from iphone to computer- download from google photos
    Download pictures to PC from Google Photos
  6. The photos will be saved in your download folder on your computer.

3.2 Use Dropbox to transfer iPhone Photos to PC

For understanding how to put photos from iPhone to computer using Dropbox, you need to go through this section. You can access documents and photos etc., using this tool from your computer or iPhone.

Here is how to export photos from iPhone to PC using Dropbox:

  1. Install Dropbox iOS on your iPhone and log in using your existing Dropbox account if you have one.

    Note: Create a Dropbox account if you don’t have one.

  2. Select ‘Files’ and then decide the destination folder. Click on the 3 dots from the top-right corner. Choose ‘Upload File’ and tap ‘Photos’, and then select the desired photos.
    export photos from iphone with dropbox
    Upload iPhone photos to Dropbox
  3. On your PC, visit Dropbox or download the Dropbox app and then log-in. Go to the folder you have synced photos in recently.
  4. Open the folder and download the photos you like.

3.3 Use iCloud Photo Library to transfer iPhone Photos to PC

You can transfer photos from iPhone to computer using iCloud Photo Library and manage videos and photos as well as store them on iCloud securely. It will update the photos on iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, Mac, and other Apple products. You can even transfer photos from iPhone to PC using iCloud. After setting up your iCloud Photo Library, you can set automatic download to your Windows PC. iCloud For Windows is used to complete the process.

Here is the guide to know how to transfer pictures from iPhone to computer with iCloud Photo Library:

  1. On your iPhone, turn on iCloud Photo Library and then go to ‘Settings’.
  2. Click ‘[your name]’ and then ‘iCloud’. Browse ‘Photos’ and turn on ‘iCloud Photo Library’. It will store all photos on iCloud.
    copy pictures from iphone to pc- icloud photo library
    Toggle on the iCloud Photo Library option
  3. Download iCloud For Windows from Apple’s official website and launch it after installation. Log in using your Apple ID that you have logged on your iPhone.
  4. Mark the checkbox against ‘Photos’ and tap ‘Options’, right next to it.
    copy pictures from iphone to pc- icloud for windows
    Select the Photos option
  5. Select ‘Download New Photos And Videos To My PC’ to set automatic download. Now, hit ‘Done’ and ‘Apply’. Whenever there are new photos on your iPhone, a copy of photos from iPhone to PC will be saved under the Wi-Fi network.
    copy pictures from iphone to pc - download new photos to pc
    Settings to download new photos to computer
  6. You will find these photos under ‘File Explorer’ > ‘iCloud Photos’ > ‘Downloads’. To download photos by year, choose ‘Download Photos And Videos’ > select photos > ‘Download’.

3.4 Use OneDrive to transfer iPhone Photos to PC

Do you know how to import photos from iPhone to PC using OneDrive?

OneDrive is a Microsoft product that means for managing and synchronizing files across devices. You can upload a file onto OneDrive and then copy pictures from iPhone to PC without much hassle. We have given here the guide to download pictures from iPhone, so that you don’t have to worry much about it.

Here is the detailed guide about how to copy photos from iPhone to PC with OneDrive:

  1. Install the OneDrive app on your iPhone and launch it. Create your OneDrive account and note the credentials. Click on the ‘Add’ button from the top of the screen and create a folder, take a photo, or upload an existing one.
  2. For example, tap ‘Take a photo or video’ > allow OneDrive to access camera > ‘OK’ > Save the picture in OneDrive.
    transfer pictures from iphone to pc- add iphone photos
    Add pictures from iPhone to OneDrive
  3. Tap ‘Upload’ > select photos from iPhone > upload > ‘Done’.
  4. Now, go to your computer and open the OneDrive site > Folder options > ‘Download folder’.
    transfer pictures from iphone to pc- download photos
    Get pictures from OneDrive to PC
  5. From the downloaded zip file, extract the photos on your PC.

Method 4: Transfer Hidden Photos from iPhone to PC

Believe it or not. Some photos may be invisible on your iPhone due to the following reasons:

  • Private photos are set as hidden.
  • Photos used by apps are not directly accessible.

If you are worried about how to download photos from iPhone to PC when they are hidden, it’s better to opt for Dr.Fone - Data Recovery. It can scan all the hidden, app, and, of course, common photos in iPhone storage, and then download the pictures from iPhone without hassle. When it comes to data security and a high success rate in recovery, you can always vouch for Dr.Fone – Recover. Not only iPhone, but it can also get photos from iTunes and iCloud as well.

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Dr.Fone - Data Recovery (iOS)

Find Out Hidden Photos in iPhone and Transfer to PC

  • It supports the latest iPhone models and iOS version in them.
  • HEIC photos are seamlessly supported.
  • You get to preview all the hidden photos to decide whether to transfer to PC or not.
  • The existing data doesn’t get overwritten when you save photos from your iPhone on your computer.
  • It also recovers data from a broken, jailbroken, ROM flashed, factory reset, iOS updated device that lost data.
Available on: Windows Mac
3,678,133 people have downloaded it

How to transfer hidden pictures from iPhone to PC

Here is the detailed guide for Dr.Fone - Data Recovery to retrieve iPhone photos and transfer them to computer:

Step 1: Install Dr.Fone - Data Recovery on your computer and launch it. Tap on the "Data Recovery" tab afterwards.

download hidden pictures from iphone to computer - recover option
Select the Recover feature

Note: Ensure that the iTunes has been updated prior to this activity and turn off the auto-sync to prevent any kind of data loss, and prevent recovering the deleted iPhone data.

Step 2: After connecting the iPhone through USB, trust the computer on it. When the software detects your iPhone, the various data types will be displayed on the screen.

download hidden pictures from iphone to computer- data types shown
Mark the options Photos and App Photos

Step 3: Select the ‘Photos’ and ‘App Photos’ in the lower zone, click on ‘Start Scan’ button and then scan the hidden photos on your iPhone. From the preview, you can select ‘Photos’ or ‘App Photos’ from the left panel.

download hidden pictures from iphone to computer- select photos to download
All photos detected to recover to PC

Step 4: Now, after selecting the individual photos, press ‘Recover to Computer’.

With the aforementioned tutorial, we now have understood how one can also transfer App and hidden Photos from iPhone to PC with Dr.Fone– Recover. You can even recover photos or pictures from social apps like WhatsApp, Kik, WeChat, etc. by scanning them with this tool.

In-depth video tutorial to learn how to transfer hidden photos from iPhone to computer:

Conclusion

From this article, we’ve known how to download pictures from iPhone to PC. Now, it is up to your convenience to choose the most suitable way from the aforementioned methods. Also, bear in mind that not all PCs support the HEIC format. Opt for a tool like Dr.Fone - Phone Manager and Dr.Fone - Data Recovery that simultaneously converts and transfers HEIC pictures. That will help you save a lot of time and that too, in a hassle-free way.

Bhavya Kaushik

contributor Editor

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