You can transfer photos from an iPhone to a Windows 11 PC with a USB cable and the Microsoft Photos app. Connect and unlock the iPhone, approve the trust or access prompt when it appears, and then import the pictures through Windows Photos. Apple’s Apple Devices app is useful for managing an iPhone from Windows and can help establish current Apple device support on the PC, but the Photos app performs the photo import. iCloud Photos is another option if you want the library available on the PC without manually importing each time.
How to Import iPhone Photos with a USB Cable
- Connect the iPhone to the Windows 11 PC with a compatible USB cable.
- Unlock the iPhone with its passcode.
- If the iPhone asks whether to trust or allow the computer, tap Trust or Allow and follow the prompt.
- Open the Photos app in Windows.
- Use the Photos app’s Import option and select the connected iPhone.
- Choose the photos and videos you want to import and select the destination when Windows offers that choice.
- Keep the iPhone connected and unlocked as needed until the import finishes.
What If Windows Does Not See the iPhone?
Reconnect the cable, unlock the iPhone, and check for the Trust or Allow prompt. Try another known-good data cable or USB port if necessary. Make sure Windows and the iPhone software are reasonably current. If Windows has trouble recognizing or managing the device, installing or updating Apple’s Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store is also a useful troubleshooting step. A cable that only provides power will not transfer photos.
If You Use iCloud Photos
Apple says that if iCloud Photos is enabled and you want to perform a USB import, the original full-resolution photos and videos must be downloaded to the iPhone first. If the originals are primarily in iCloud, using iCloud for Windows can instead make the iCloud Photos library available on the PC without treating the iPhone as the source for a one-time cable import.
HEIF, HEVC, and Windows Compatibility
Recent iPhones can capture photos and video in efficient formats such as HEIF/HEVC. Support on a particular Windows PC can depend on its installed components and applications. Apple recommends Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible when you want future captures to use JPEG and H.264 for broader compatibility. Changing this setting affects future captures; it does not convert your existing library.
Importing Is Different from Syncing Photos to the iPhone
The Apple Devices app can also sync photo folders from Windows to an iPhone. That is a different operation from importing pictures taken on the iPhone into Windows. If your goal is to copy iPhone camera photos to the PC, use the Windows Photos import workflow or iCloud Photos.
Should You Delete Photos from the iPhone After Importing?
Verify that the imported files open correctly and that any important photos are included in your backup plan before deleting originals from the iPhone. An import is not automatically a complete backup strategy.
Summary
For a cable transfer, connect and unlock the iPhone, approve the trust prompt, and import the pictures with Microsoft Photos. If you already use iCloud Photos, consider iCloud for Windows instead, and remember that cloud-optimized photos may need their full-resolution originals downloaded before a USB import.