How to transfer photos from iPhone
to a PC, a Mac or a drive.

Before you start: iCloud Photos and the originals

With iCloud Photos and Optimize iPhone Storage on, the iPhone may hold only small versions. To import to a PC, download the originals first: Settings › your name › iCloud › Photos, then Download and Keep Originals (on iOS 27 or later, tap iPhone Storage first). That needs enough free space on the iPhone. On a Mac that uses iCloud Photos, your photos already sync, so there is nothing to import.

When you import over a cable, the iPhone may convert HEIF photos and HEVC videos to JPEG and H.264. To copy them as they are, open Settings › Apps › Photos, scroll down to Transfer to Mac or PC and tap Keep Originals. If your PC can't open HEIF or HEVC files, leave it on Automatic.

How to transfer photos from iPhone to PC (Windows)

1. Install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store.
2. Connect the iPhone with a USB cable, unlock it and tap Trust or Allow if asked.
3. Open the Photos app on the PC and select Import, then select your iPhone.
4. Pick the photos and where to save them, then follow the instructions.

How to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac

1. Connect the iPhone to the Mac with a USB cable. If asked, click Allow on the Mac, unlock the iPhone and tap Trust.
2. Open the Photos app on the Mac. If the Import screen does not appear, click the iPhone's name in the sidebar.
3. Select the photos and click Import Selected, or click Import All New Items.
4. Wait for the import to finish before you disconnect.

To save straight into a folder instead of the Photos library, use Image Capture: select the iPhone, choose a folder from the Import To menu and click Download All. A Live Photo arrives as two files, a still and a video.

How to copy photos from iPhone to a USB drive, no computer

1. Connect the drive to the iPhone's charging port. A hard drive may need its own power.
2. In Photos, tap Select and choose the photos and videos.
3. Tap the Share button, then tap Export Unmodified Original.
4. Tap the drive under Locations, then tap Save.

The drive needs a single partition formatted as APFS, macOS Extended, exFAT, FAT32 or FAT. Edited photos are exported as the unmodified original, and items in a locked Hidden album are skipped.

Then delete them from the iPhone safely

1. Open a few of the copied photos and videos on the computer or drive to make sure they are complete.
2. Keep a second copy if these are the only ones. A single drive can fail.
3. Delete the photos on the iPhone, then empty Recently Deleted.

Move less

Clearing duplicates and similar shots first means a smaller, tidier set to copy and store.