How to Transfer Photos from iPhone/iPad to PC

4 min readMar 18, 2021

“Is there any way to transfer my photos from iPhone/iPad to PC? I want to back up my photos. Any solutions?”

Yes. Of coure, there is. Photo transfer from iPhone/iPad to PC can be done by using iTunes. However, it’s the worst choice for you. Why? Because iTunes crashes very often and it’s not convenient to transfer data. That’s the reason why here I share with you 3 easy ways to transfer photos from iOS device to PC without iTunes.

Method 1. Transfer photos from iPhone/iPad to PC with WinX MediaTrans

WinX MediaTrans is the only software in the market that enables us to ditch iTunes and its components all together while transferring files between iOS 14 devices and PC. It’s an all-in-One iOS Content Manager. Here I will guide you how to transfer all photos from iPhone/iPad to PC with WinX MediaTrans step by step.

Step 1. Download and install WinX MediaTrans to your Windows 10/8/7 computer.

Step 2. Connect your iPhone/iPad to PC by using an Apple USB cable. Then an alert box will pop up, suggesting you to adjust iTunes settings to prevent data erasing automatically.

Step 3. Run WinX MediaTrans, click Photo Transfer on the WinX MediaTrans main interface.

Step 4. Select photos you want to transfer to PC, click Export. All done!

Pros:

(1) The syncing speed is amazingly fast no matter how many photos you are transferring from iOS devices to PC. Transferring 100 4K iPhone pictures takes only 8 seconds.

(2) MediaTrans transfers photos from iPhone/iPad to PC with original quality preserved.

(3) It also supports transferring videos, music, ebooks, podcasts, etc from iOS device to PC, and vice versa.

Cons:

(1) Third-party software needs to be installed.

Method 2. Transfer photos from iPhone/iPad to PC with iCloud

iCloud backs up your photos whenever there is a wireless network. By using iCloud, you can transfer your photos from iPhone/iPad to PC with no efforts.

Notice: iCloud has a 5GB maximum of storage, which may be insufficient to store all your photos. Thus, if you have some photos which have not been stored in iCloud, you need to try other methods.

Step 1. Turn on iCloud Photo Library in your iPhone/iPad. (Settings >> Apple ID >> iCloud >> Photos >> turn on “iCloud Photo Library”.)

Step 2. Visit icloud.com in a browser.

Step 3. Enter your Apple ID to sign in to iCloud.

Step 4. Click “Photos”.

Step 5. Select the photos you’d like to download from iCloud to your PC and then click “Download Selected items” icon at the top right corner. (Tip: Press “Ctrl” to select multiple items.)

Pros:

(1) Totally free.

Cons:

(1) Limited 5GB backup storage.

(2) Internet connection is needed.

(3) Transfer speed is slow. You have to download the photos from site with interent.

Method 3. Transfer photos from iPhone/iPad to PC with Windows “Photos” App

If you own a PC running Windows 10, you can transfer photos from iPhone/iPad to PC by using the Photos app.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone/iPad to the computer via a USB cable.

Step 2. If this is the first time you connect your device to computer, tap “Allow” on your iPhone/iPad to allow the computer to access the data on device.

Step 3. Open the “Photos” app on your PC by using the Windows Start menu or search bar.

Step 4. After the Photos app is opened, click the “Import” button in the upper right corner of your screen. In the drop-down menu, select “From a USB device.”