Transfer iPhone photos to a Windows PC without iCloud, iTunes or a cable

October 22, 2026 · Hayasaka Apps

There's no AirDrop on Windows, and not everyone wants every photo going through iCloud or wants to install iTunes. For a photo of a whiteboard, a receipt or a handful of holiday shots, there are other ways. Here are the ones that work without iCloud and without iTunes, one of them without a cable too.

1. With a cable, no iTunes: File Explorer or the Photos app

You don't need iTunes for this.

1. Connect the iPhone with a USB cable and unlock it.
2. On the iPhone, tap Trust This Computer and enter your passcode.
3. In File Explorer, open This PC › Apple iPhone › Internal Storage › DCIM and copy the photos to a folder. Or use the Windows Photos app: Import › From a connected device.

If the iPhone doesn't show up in File Explorer, the driver is usually missing. The Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store installs it, and you still don't need iTunes.

Good for lots of photos and for videos. Clumsy for a single picture: find the cable, then dig through a folder with hundreds of images.

2. No cable, no iCloud: a QR code over your own Wi-Fi

For "a few photos, right now", PerchShelf has had its own way since version 1.1. PerchShelf is a shelf for Windows 10 and 11 where you park files while dragging them. Nothing needs to be installed on the iPhone; the Camera app and Safari are enough:

1. In PerchShelf, click the phone icon at the top of the shelf (or right-click PerchShelf in the notification area and choose Add photos from phone…). A QR code appears.
2. Scan the code with the iPhone's Camera app and open the link.
3. The iPhone and the PC show the same four-digit code. Click Allow on the PC.
4. Take a photo or pick photos from your library. They land straight in a new tab on the shelf.

From the shelf, drag the photos into an email, a Word document, an upload field in the browser, or a folder.

Requirements: the iPhone and the PC are on the same Wi-Fi network. Photos are encrypted on the iPhone and go straight to the PC, with no server in between and no account. Without the key from the QR code and your approval on the PC, PerchShelf accepts nothing. It transfers photos, not videos.

3. Other ways without iCloud

• OneDrive or Google Photos: the app on the iPhone uploads photos automatically, and on the PC they're in the browser or your OneDrive folder. It's still a cloud, just not Apple's, and you need an account.
• Phone Link (Windows 11): also connects an iPhone to the PC, but with an iPhone it does less than with Android.
• Email yourself or use a messenger: always works, but gets tedious with several photos, and messengers may shrink the images depending on settings.

HEIC: why some iPhone photos won't open

The iPhone saves photos as HEIC by default. Windows can display them with the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store, but some programs and upload forms still won't accept them. Two iPhone settings help:

• Settings › Photos › Transfer to Mac or PC › Automatic: when copying over a cable, the iPhone converts photos to JPEG.
• Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible: new photos are saved as JPEG from the start (files are a little larger).

Which way when?

FAQ

Do I need iTunes to copy iPhone photos to a PC?

No. Windows shows the iPhone in File Explorer and in the Photos app. If a driver is missing, the Apple Devices app is enough.

Is there AirDrop for Windows?

No. Without a cable, photos reach a Windows PC over Wi-Fi (for example with a QR code in PerchShelf) or through a cloud service.

Do I need to install an app on the iPhone for the QR code method?

No. The page opens in Safari. Only PerchShelf on the PC is installed.