How to access iPhone photos on PC in 4 quick ways
Discover the simple steps to access iPhone photos on PC to view your cherished pictures in just a few clicks. Dive in now!
Jasmin Woods Updated on Jun 20, 2023 7:32 PM
iPhone takes great photos and keep them all safely. Sometimes you may want to access iPhone photos on PC for a better view, or simply because your iPhone is running out storage. Fortunately, this guide will explain how to access iPhone photos on PC in different simple ways, so you can view and manage your iPhone photos on computer for backup or future viewing.
With the methods in this guide, you're able to access iPhone photos on PC whenever you need.
With the built-in Windows Photos and File Explorer, accessing iPhone photos on PC is an easy task. Also, Apple's iCloud Photos allows for remote access to iPhone photos wirelessly. If you want direct photos access on iPhone from PC, try iPhone Data Transfer that enables you to transfer photos and videos between iPhone and PC without limitation, making it effortless to access iPhone photos on PC, and manage all iPhone photos in one place!
How to access iPhone photos on PC with Windows Photos
With no need for iTunes or any extra app, the built-in Photos on Windows lets you access iPhone photos on PC easily by importing pictures from your iPhone to computer through a USB cable.
To access photos from iPhone on PC, establish a wired connection between your phone and computer, and run the Photos for Windows 10 or Windows 11 on your PC. Then you'll be able to view your iPhone photos, select what pictures you desire, and follow the onscreen instructions which guide you how to access photos from iPhone on PC easily:
Step 1. Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone and PC.
Step 2. Unlock your iPhone and trust your computer. The PC can't detect your iPhone if it's locked; then you might see a prompt asking you to Trust This Computer, tap on Trust to continue.
Step 3. Open the Start menu on your PC to launch Photos.
Step 4. Choose Import > From a USB device, or From a connected device. Give it a second to access and load the photos on your iPhone.
Step 5. Select which iPhone photos to import and where to save them on PC.
Access iPhone photos on PC by importing from Photos.
It's simple to access iPhone photos and videos on PC with the help of Photos app. You can also view and manage the imported iPhone photos, and edit, rotate or crop them as needed. For those looking for the other around, check how to transfer photos from PC to iPhone without iTunes.
Note: Photos can only import the photos that are really on your iPhone. If your pictures are saved in the cloud, it's unable to access your iPhone photos from PC.
How to access photos from iPhone on PC using File Explorer
Another cable-based way to access iPhone photos on PC is to use the File Explorer, the pre-installed app on each Windows computer. With no additional software required, File Explorer builds a direct way to access photos from iPhone on PC through a physical connection.
However, it only allows you to access photos from iPhone's Camera Roll, which are sorted by date in different folders. If you want to access specific photos from iPhone on PC, it may take some time to locate them. Here's how to access iPhone photos on PC with File Explorer:
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer using a USB-to-Lightning cable.
Step 2. Get your iPhone unlocked and select Trust on the prompt on iPhone screen.
Step 3. Open This PC and double-click to choose Apple iPhone.
Step 4. Go to Internal Storage > DCIM. From there, your iPhone photos and videos are accessed and stored in separate folders marked with dates.
Step 5. Find the pictures you want and transfer the iPhone photos to PC. You may copy and paste the iPhone pictures and videos to a local folder on your PC for future access.
Accessing iPhone photos on PC with File Explorer is not hard, but it only works for iPhone camera pictures. Other images and albums in iPhone Photo Library won't be accessed. To manage all your iPhone photos, use the next tool to gain full access to iPhone photos on PC.
How to access photos on iPhone from PC via iPhone Data Transfer
Designed for all needs to access iPhone photos on PC or Mac computer, here's an all-in-one solution for iOS users, the iPhone Data Transfer, to view, manage, and transfer photos between iPhone and Windows for directly accessing photos from iPhone on PC.
Supporting all kinds of iPhone photos, it offers full view to access your iPhone photos on PC, which includes cameral rolls, created albums, live photos, videos and photos from other sources. Additionally, it's compatible with all iOS picture formats and capable of converting iPhone photos from HEIC to JPEG with its built-in HEIC converter.
- Access iPhone photos, albums, and picture info on PC or Mac
- Transfer photos from iPhone to PC, Mac, iPad, iDevices or vice versa
- Add photos and videos from PC to iPhone
- Manage iPhone Photo Library and allow for add, removal, and backup
- Available for iOS photo and video transfer, including HEIC, JPEG, HEIF, HEVC ...
Whether you want to view iPhone pictures on computer or transfer photos from iPhone to PC, here's how to access photos on iPhone from PC:
Step 1. Open up iPhone Data Transfer and connect your iPhone to PC. Turn on your iPhone and unlock it, or it can't detect the device.
Step 2. Click the Photos from the left to access all iPhone photos. Here you can view all photos and albums on your iPhone.
Step 3. Transfer iPhone photos to PC by clicking the computer icon at the top. You may select pictures and move iPhone photos to PC for local access. Also, you may delete the iPhone pictures you don't want.
No Internet or cloud storage is required. It allows for direct photo access on iPhone from PC. Don't need to switch from folder to folder in File Explorer or waste time looking for pictures in Windows Photos, now access iPhone photos on computer in one place without hassle.
How to view iPhone photos on PC using iCloud Photos
If you don't have a digital cable in handy, Apple's iCloud Photos is an excellent option that provides remote photo access on iPhone from PC wirelessly. As a cloud storage service, iCloud Photos makes it easy to upload pictures and files from iPhone and keep them updated, so you're allowed to access iPhone pictures on PC or any other iCloud-available device.
However, if there's no Internet connection or enough cloud space, iCloud will fail to access the photos on your iPhone from your PC. And make sure to use the same Apple ID to view your iPhone photos from PC:
How to allow photo access on iPhone
- Grab your iPhone and go to Settings > your device name.
- For iOS 16 or later, tap iCloud > Photos and enable Sync this iPhone.
- For iOS 15 or earlier, tap iCloud > Photos, toggle on iCloud Photos option.
Tip: On the iCloud Photos screen, you'll see how much your iCloud storage remains and manage it to ensure that there's enough space for you to access iPhone photos on PC. Or you may also want to transfer photos from iPhone to iPhone without iCloud for easy photo access on a new iPhone.
How to access photos on iPhone from PC
Once you enabled photo access on iPhone, here are two ways to access pictures from iPhone on PC wirelessly: the iCloud for Windows app, and the iCloud website:
Access iPhone photos with iCloud on PC:
Step 1. Enable iCloud Photos on Windows PC.
- Download, install and open iCloud for Windows PC.
- Sign in with your iPhone's Apple ID and password.
- Select the checkbox next to Photos.
- Click Apply to save the iCloud settings.
Step 2. Find iPhone photos on PC.
- For Windows 10, run File Explorer and choose iCloud Photos from the Navigation pane.
- For Windows 11, open Microsoft Photos app and select iCloud Photos from the left pane.
Step 3. Download iPhone photos and videos to PC.
- Select the images or picture folders that you wish to access on your PC.
- Right-click on the selection and select Always keep on this device.
- For older version of iCloud, select Download Photos in the Notification area and then download the photos and videos as you want.
The iPhone photos and videos will be downloaded to the location you set in iCloud Photos and you're able to access your iPhone pictures on PC. Alternatively, head to iCloud's web instead.
- Visit iCloud.com on your PC's browser.
- Log in with the same Apple account used on your iPhone.
- Enter the Photos from the main page, where you'll see all your iPhone photos.
- Pick pictures and click on the Download button at the top.
After download, feel free to access iPhone photos on PC anytime when you need. And it also helps when you want to transfer photos from PC to iPhone quickly.
FAQs
Q1: Why can't my PC access my iPhone photos?
If your iPhone gets connected but your PC doesn't find your device or can't access iPhone pictures in the Photos app, you may check whether the connection is built successfully:
- Disconnect your phone and re-connect it to PC.
- Unlock it and follow the Trust This Computer prompt to trust your PC.
- In Windows Photos, select Import > From a USB device.
- Select the iPhone photos and import them to PC.
Once done, access the imported iPhone photos on PC from where you save them.
Q2: How do I view my iPhone photos on my PC?
To view photos on iPhone from your PC, you may transfer your iPhone photos to your PC and manage them by album for better access in the coming days. Here's how to view photos from iPhone on PC:
- Link iPhone to PC and allow to trust your computer.
- Open File Explorer window and double-click Apple iPhone from the left pane.
- Navigate to Internal Storage > DCIM to find the iPhone photos you want to view.
- Copy the pictures from iPhone to your PC for future viewing.
