Looking to transfer entire photo albums from your iPhone to your PC? This guide shows you the best free iPhone transfer tool – plus bonus tips for moving individual photos.
Short answer: Yes, you can transfer photo albums from iPhone to PC if you pick the right tool. However, it can’t be done using the copy-and-paste method.
Moving photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC is easy if you're transferring individual pictures. Simply connect your iPhone, open File Explorer, navigate to the DCIM folder, and copy the images you need. However, this method has one major drawback: your albums are not preserved.
Windows organizes photos by storage folders instead of the albums you created in the Photos app. As a result, images from the same album may be scattered across multiple folders, making it time-consuming to locate and copy an entire album.
If you're wondering how to transfer photo albums from iPhone to PC while keeping everything organized, you've come to the right place.
💡 Note: iTunes cannot transfer photo albums from an iPhone to a PC. It only supports syncing photos in the opposite direction, so you'll need another solution.
The easiest way to export iPhone photo albums is by using AOMEI FoneBackup. Unlike File Explorer, it recognizes the albums stored on your iPhone, allowing you to browse and transfer them directly without searching through multiple folders.
AOMEI FoneBackup is an all-in-one iPhone data management tool designed for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. It lets you selectively or completely transfer photos while maintaining their original quality.
Learn how to copy album from iPhone to PC using AOMEI FoneBackup below:
Step 1. Download and install AOMEI FoneBackup on your Windows computer. Connect your iPhone with a USB cable and tap Trust on your iPhone if prompted.
Step 2. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup. On the home screen, select Phone Transfer, then choose iPhone to PC and click Get Started.
Step 3. Select Photos. Browse your albums, choose the albums you want to export, and click OK.
Step 4. Specify a destination folder under Transfer Settings, then click Start Transfer to save the selected photo albums to your computer.
For users who want to transfer individual photos from iPhone to PC instead of albums, cloud services are a good choice.
iCloud Photos can automatically sync your pictures across Apple devices and Windows PCs. Once your photos are uploaded to iCloud, you can download them from any web browser.
This method works best if you already use iCloud Photos. Otherwise, uploading a large photo library may take a considerable amount of time. Also, Apple only provides 5 GB of free iCloud storage, so additional storage may be required.
Step 1. Upload Photos to iCloud
1. Connect your iPhone to a stable Wi-Fi network.
2. Open Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos.
3. Turn on iCloud Photos. Wait until your photos finish uploading.
Step 2. Download Photos to Your PC
1. Visit iCloud.com/photos in a web browser. Sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Select one or more photos or videos. Then click the Download button in the upper-right corner.
3. Once the download completes, open the iCloud Photos.zip file to find all your pictures and videos.
💡 Notes:
Google Photos is another convenient option for backing up and downloading iPhone photos to a PC. It works across different operating systems, making it ideal if you use both Apple and Windows devices. It is especially convenient because you can upload only the photos you want instead of syncing your entire library.
Step 1. Upload Photos to Google Photos
1. Open Safari on your iPhone. Visit photos.google.com and sign in.
2. Tap Upload > Phone.
3. Select Photo Library, choose the photos you want to upload, and click Add.
4. Choose your backup quality (Original quality or Storage saver) and click Continue.
Step 2. Download Photos to Your Computer
1. Open photos.google.com on your PC. Sign in with the same Google account.
2. Select the uploaded photos by clicking the checkmark icon on individual photos.
3. Click the More menu and choose Download.
1. Can I transfer photo albums from iPhone to PC using iTunes?
No. iTunes doesn't support exporting photo albums from an iPhone to a Windows computer. You'll need a dedicated transfer tool like AOMEI FoneBackup.
2. Why doesn't File Explorer show my iPhone albums?
Windows reads the internal storage structure of your iPhone rather than the albums created in the Photos app. Therefore, photos are displayed in DCIM folders instead of organized albums.
3. Can I transfer HEIC photos from iPhone to PC?
Yes. AOMEI FoneBackup supports HEIC images as well as other common photo formats. If needed, you can also convert HEIC files to JPG after transferring them.
Although File Explorer allows you to copy photos from an iPhone, it cannot preserve your album organization. If you need a faster and more organized solution to transfer photo albums from iPhone to PC, AOMEI FoneBackup lets you view and export photo albums directly with just a few clicks.
For users who prefer wireless transfers, iCloud Photos and Google Photos are also reliable choices, though they depend on cloud storage and cannot preserve your albums. Choose the method that best suits your needs.