How to Access iPhone Files on PC

This article explains how to access iPhone files from a Windows PC, including how to transfer files via iTunes, access iPhone internal storage, and access iPhone files on PC via iCloud.

How to Access iPhone Files From a Windows PC

When you plug an Android phone into your Windows PC, you can access its internal storage directly through the file explorer. If you try to do the same thing with your iPhone, you’ll find you only have limited access to iPhone internal storage via the Windows file explorer. You can use that method to retrieve photos from your iPhone, but nothing else.

To access iPhone files from a Windows PC, aside from photos, you have two options: share the files to iCloud or use iTunes to perform the transfer.

Here’s how to access your iPhone internal storage using iTunes on a Windows PC:

1. Download and install iTunes on your Windows PC.

   Get iTunes from the Microsoft Store.

2. Launch iTunes.

3. Connect your iPhone to your PC with a Lighting-to-USB cable or USB-to-USB cable, depending on the type of connector your phone has.

4. On your iPhone, look for the Trust This Computer popup, and tap Trust.

   If you've already granted trust to your computer and connected to iTunes before, you can skip ahead.

5. Enter your iPhone passcode to allow your phone to trust your computer.

6. Wait for the iPhone to connect, then click Continue on your PC when prompted.

7. Click Continue.

8. Click Get Started.

9. Click the iPhone icon near the top left corner of iTunes.

10. Click File Sharing.

11. Select an app from the list.

12. Select a file from the list, and click Save.

13. Choose the folder where you want to save the file, and click Select Folder.

14. The file will be copied to your computer.

How to Access iPhone Files on Windows PC Using iCloud

If you have access to the internet, transferring files using iCloud is more straightforward than moving individual files through iTunes. For this to work, you need to have iCloud enabled on your phone, and you need to access the files via the iCloud website.

Here’s how to access iPhone files on a Windows PC with iCloud:

1. Turn on iCloud on your iPhone if it wasn't already on.

   If you've just turned on iCloud backup for the first time, you'll have to wait to proceed until the files on your phone have been uploaded to the cloud.

2. Navigate to the iCloud website with a web browser on your PC, and click the icon that corresponds to the type of file you want to transfer.

3. Click the file or files you want to transfer.

4. Click the download icon in the upper right corner.

5. Click Save as, and select a location to save the files.

How to Access iPhone Photos on PC With File Explorer

When you connect an iPhone to a Windows PC without iTunes, nothing happens. The phone will charge, but that's it. If you have iTunes installed and set the phone to trust your computer, things change a little. After you've done that initial preparation, plugging your iPhone into your Windows PC will cause it to show up in the file explorer. Most of the files on your iPhone are still off-limits, but you can use this method to access your photos.

Here's how to access your iPhone photos on a Windows PC:

1. Install iTunes on your computer, connect your iPhone, and set it to trust your computer, as described earlier in this article.

   If your iPhone is already set to trust your computer, you don't have to perform that process again.

2. Open file explorer on your computer, and click This PC in the left pane.

3. Click Apple iPhone in the devices and drive section.

4. Click Internal Storage.

5. Click DCIM.

6. Click 100APPLE.

7. Select the file or files you want to copy.

8. Click and drag the file or files to your desktop or any other folder on your PC.