If you want to free up space on your iPhone, organize photos from your travels, or save images in a safe place, you can pass photos from iPhone to pc using several solutions. The easiest way is through iTunes and iCloud, Apple's official programs, but there are other applications and programs compatible with both Windows and Mac computers that are just as good. Let's see all the options available to understand how to transfer photos from iPhone to PC.
How to transfer photos from iPhone to PC with iCloud
A very simple solution to transfer your photos from iPhone to PC, if you do not want to connect your phone to your computer, is to use iCloud. This is Apple's official cloud storage service, available in a free version up to a capacity of 5GB of space, after which there are paid plans, in case you need more space. However, for normal needs the free option is more than enough, to download photos and save them in a secure environment, without taking up space inside your pc or phone.
In particular, within iCloud there is the iCloud Photos application, a service that allows you not only to save photos and transfer them from your iPhone to your pc, but also to store videos and connect different devices from the Cupertino company, such as iPad, Apple TV and iPod Touch. To use this platform you must first update your iPhone's operating system, checking that it has the latest version available. The same must be done on the devices to be connected.
For example, if you want to pass photos from iPhone to a Windows PC, you must check that it is present in version 7 or later, it is also essential to download iCloud and install it in all devices, while with a Mac PC just log in with your Apple ID and make the configuration. At this point take the iPhone, enter the phone's Settings, then select iCloud Photos and Enable iCloud Photos. On the Mac instead you have to access System Preferences> iCloud> Photos> iCloud Photo Options> Photos.
With a Windows PC the procedure to follow involves downloading iCloud for Windows, which you can download directly from the Apple Store with your Apple ID, then just open the program, click on Photos> iCloud Photo Options> iCloud Photo Library, then select Finish, Apply and finally Activate iCloud Photos on all your Apple devices. Connecting your phone to your PC, Windows or Mac, from now on the pictures will be automatically saved to iCloud, so all that's left to do is to use iTunes to enable photo synchronization.
How to transfer photos from iPhone to Windows PC with iTunes
A very effective option to import photos from iPhone to PC is iTunes, a program available on all Mac computers, also you can download a special version for Windows. You can download iTunes directly from Apple's official website, after which you just need to download the installation package, follow the setup wizard and activate the software. Then you need to connect the iPhone to the PC, wait for the system to detect the applephone and finally click on the Authorize item.
At this point downloading photos from iPhone is really simple, in fact you only need to open the Windows Explorer program, marked by the yellow folder symbol, then select the Computer item from the left menu, then right-click on the iPhone icon, which must appear after synchronization within this section, continue with the options Import images and videos > Review, organize and group the items to be imported.
Finally you just have to choose which photos you want to transfer from the iPhone to the pc, or save them all on the computer. With a Mac PC, the procedure is much easier, you don't have to download iTunes, just use a cable to connect the phone to the computer and synchronize the two devices. To download photos you can use iCloud, as we have in the previous paragraph, activating the media library, in this way you can save space in the entire iPhone and view images from iTunes directly to iCloud.
How to transfer photos from iPhone to pc without iTunes with Google Photos
If you need to transfer photos from iPhone to pc, but do not want to use iTunes, there are alternative programs that allow you to perform this procedure, both with Windows and Mac computers. First, however, it is necessary to remember that you can use iCloud without going through iTunes, in fact, if you have a Mac you can take advantage of the Photos application, which is compatible with the services of iCloud Photo Streaming and Photo Library. Both can be used both with iTunes and without, following the procedure we indicated at the beginning of the article.
Another possibility is Google Foto, the official program of the Mountain View company, which allows you to store photos and videos in the cloud for free, with a maximum space in the free version 15GB. For higher needs there are paid plans available, with prices starting at 1.99 euros per month for 100GB. To use Google Photos you need to sign up for a Google account, as it is a program designed specifically for the Google ecosystem and Android mobile devices, but it can also be accessed from the iPhone.
Then you need to download the Google Photos app from the Apple Store, install it on your iPhone and sign in by creating a Google account or using your credentials if you have already done so. Finally go into the app's settings, select the Backup and Sync item, turn it on, then you need to set the resolution quality you want to be maintained for the photos. To do this in the settings of Google Photos is the item Size and upload, where you have to choose High quality or Original, depending on your needs and the type of service activated.
The operation of Google Photos is very similar to that of iCloud, in fact, once the synchronization is performed the images will be saved automatically, then opening the desktop platform of Google Photos you can download photos from your iPhone to your PC using this free cloud service. To use the application with the Mac you have to download the appropriate version, directly from the official Google Photos website, perform the initial setup and synchronization, to find all the photos within the Photo folders of Google Drive.
How to transfer photos from iPhone to pc without iTunes with AirDrop
If you have a Mac computer from Apple, you can transfer photos from iPhone to pc without iTunes, using in this case the AirDrop feature. This is a new technology, made available by the Cupertino company on all its latest generation laptops, including MacBooks, including the Pro and Air versions, and iMacs made since 2009, provided they have the macOS Yosemite operating system or the latest and updated versions.
AirDrop uses Bluetooth and wireless connectivity to connect iPhone and PC and transfer certain types of files, such as photos. However, this feature has limitations, in fact it is not an efficient solution if you have to download a large number of images, so it is useful only for a few photos otherwise it is preferable to opt for other systems. To use AirDrop, make sure that Bluetooth is turned on, both on your iPhone and Mac, then open the Photos application on your phone, choose which pictures to transfer, enable sharing and finally select your PC.
Other programs to transfer photos from iPhone to PC
If you don't find anything you like among the proposed solutions, or for some reason you can't use iTunes, iCloud, Google Photos and AirDrop, there are still other applications and programs to transfer photos from iPhone to PC. One of them is Send Anywhere File Transfer, which is available from the Apple Store and can be downloaded for free, ideal if you have a Windows PC and can't use AirDrop.
Just install the app on your iPhone, then use the Photos section to share the images saved on your phone with your computer. With each request, the app generates a code, so you need to go to the Send Anywhere website, enter the code in the Imput Key section and download the photos from the browser inside your computer. For more performance, there is also a paid Pro version, with a cost of 5.99 euros per month and a space of 1TB, while the free one offers up to 10GB and codes valid for up to 48 hours.
Another good program to transfer photos from iPhone to PC is DearMob iPhone Manager, compatible with Windows and Mac PCs and available in the free trial version or in the paid mode, with a price of about $30 for a year or $47 with a lifetime license. With this software you can download not only photos from iPhone to PC, but also any other type of resources and content, you can also perform management operations, backup and restore.
How to transfer photos from PC to iPhone
To perform the reverse process, then to pass photos from PC to iPhone, there are several solutions. For example, you can use iTunes to synchronize photos, connecting the phone to the pc with a Lightning cable, then choosing which images or folders to send to the device, or setting the automatic option via the Mac's Photo Library app. Similarly you can do it with iCloud, using iCloud's Photo Library.
Alternatively, if you want to transfer photos from pc to iPhone without iTunes, you can pass the files from pc to phone with third-party apps and programs. One of them is EaseUS MobiMover, a program compatible with Windows and Mac PCs, with a free version and a more complete paid version with a price of 27.95 euros per month. The software always requires the iPhone to be connected with the appropriate cable, after which you can set up files and folders by activating the automatic transfer.
Another completely free program is MediaMokey, a software to manage different operations with the iPhone and other devices, to pass in one direction or another photos, videos, music files and other resources. For a fee there is also TunesGO, compatible with iOS and Android devices and Windows and Mac computers. The license costs 39 euros plus VAT for iOS, otherwise for iOS and Android the price is 45 euros plus VAT. With this program you can copy files of various types, such as photos, music and videos, passing them from iPhone to any device either via iTunes or without in a rather effective way.