How to Link iPhone to Windows 10/11 and Transfer Files

Want to know how to link iPhone to Windows 10/11 and transfer files? This article provides 4 different ways and choose the best way according to your needs after reading!

Clara

By Clara / Updated on September 6, 2023

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How to link iPhone to Windows 10/11 is an important task for iPhone users. Whether it's for transferring files, synchronizing data, or making backups, connecting the two devices provides convenience and flexibility. This article will provide you with a concise and clear guide on several easy ways to link iPhone to Windows 10/11 and how to transfer files easily.

 how to link iphone to windows 10

How to Link iPhone to Windows 10 Without Tools

Connecting your iPhone to your Windows 10 PC is the ability to seamlessly send webpages from your iPhone to your PC and continue browsing where you left off. You can link your iPhone to your Windows 10 PC and enjoy this feature without tools, just depend on built-in system on your Windows 10 PC, follow the step-by-step instructions provided below:

⚠️ Notice:
  • You need to use the same Microsoft account to sign in on both your iPhone and PC to share webpages.

Step 1. Click on Start > Settings.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 2. Click Add a phone button.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 3. Choose your country code and then give your mobile number> Click Send.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 4. Now receive a text message on your iPhone, click a link to install the Edge.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 5. After installing Edge on your iPhone, follow the guides to sign in to Edge with your Microsoft account.

 how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 6. Next, go to your Windows PC, you will find your iPhone is linked to this computer.

how to link iPhone to Windows 10

Step 7. When your iPhone links to your Windows PC, pick your computer name. The Edge browser will open automatically, and show the website you share from iPhone.

How to Link iPhone to Windows 11 with Phone Link

The methods mentioned above for linking an iPhone to a Windows 10 also apply to Windows 11. In particular, Windows 11 introduces a feature called Phone Link, which enables the connection between your phone and PC. It designed for Android phones Initially, but now, Phone Link has been expanded to include compatibility with iPhones.

Here are steps for how to link iPhone to Windows 11using Phone Link:

Step 1. Open the Search box on your taskbar, and find Phone Link > Click Open > Click iPhone.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 2. If prompted, turn on Bluetooth.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 3. On the iPhone, go to the Camera app and scan the QR code on the Windows device.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 4. Follow the steps on the screen on the Phone Link app to link your iPhone with Windows 11 by Bluetooth.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 5. From the next screen on your Windows PC, accept the permissions > Now, you can see a screen that looks like the below.

how to link iphone to windows 10

⚠️ Notice:

There are a few limitations to consider when link iPhone to Windows 10/11 without any tools.

  • Video/Image sharing and group messaging are not allowed.
  • Messages are session based and will only come through when your iPhone is linked to a PC.
  • Phone Link supports iPhone with iOS 14 or higher, not available for iPad or Mac.

How to Link iPhone to Windows 10/11with Other Ways to Transfer Files

If you wish to access lots of your iPhone photos, videos or other files on a Windows PC, but above methods for linking iPhone to Windows 10/11 without tools have many limitations. Then the next 4 methods will be more suitable for you. We will introduce step by step how to link an iPhone to Windows 10/11 by USB connection, FoneTool, iCloud or iTunes. Let's start!

Way 1. How to Connect iPhone on PC With USB Cable

Using a USB cable is indeed one of the oldest and most common method to help you solve how to link iPhone with Windows10/11. By following these simple steps, you can establish a connection and access the media storage folder on your iPhone:

Step 1. When you connect for the first time, you will see a pop-up on your iPhone asking for pairing permissions. You can find a pop-up on Windows > Tap on "Allow" on iPhone and Windows.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 2. Go to your Windows PC, click on "This PC" , click on your iPhone under Devices > Open Internal Storage, you can only access photos and video folders from your iPhone to this computer.

how to link iphone to windows 10

⚠️ Notice:
  • The transmission speed is relatively slow.

  • It’s unable to view iPhone files on PC, because all files and folders, including system files are protected.

  • Files sorting is not supported, which difficult for you to find the data.

If you want to transfer files to Windows from iPhone quickly and easy to find them, can you link iPhone to Windows 10/11with other better methods? Keep reading and know the answers!

Way 2. How to Transfer Files from iPhone to Windows with FoneTool

FoneTool is an advanced and user-friendly iOS device transfer tool. It provides a fast and stable process to transfer things you want with a USB link iPhone to Windows 10/11 PC.

enlightened FoneTool combines more features in one:

  • Fast iPhone transfer. It provides superfast speed to help you quickly transfer iPhone data to PC.
  • Preview and selective operation. It allows you to preview videos, photos, etc. on the iPhone to selectively transfer.
  • No limit on the number of file transfer. It does not limit the size of the data and the number of files transferred.

By the way, Fonetool also allows you to backup or restore of your files between iPhone and PC. Now, download FoneTool and have a try to know how to link iPhone to Windows 10/11 transfer data!

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. Install and open FoneTool > Connect your iPhone with computer via a USB cable > Click Trust on your phone.

Step 2. Select Phone Transfer on the homepage > And then, click Start Transfer under iPhone to PC.

how to link iphone to windows 10

🌟 Bonus Tips:
  • It takes transfer contacts as an example, you can also transfer videos, photos, etc. from iPhone to PC.
  • If you want to know how to backup contacts, FoneTool also can help you.

Step 3. Preview and add selective contacts from iPhone to computer > Tap OK to continue.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 4. Decide a storage path from Transfer Settings > If you want to browse and edit your contacts in Excel book, you can choose to save the contacts in CSV format > Then click Start Transfer to confirm.

how to link iPhone to Windows 10

Way 3. How to Achieve iPhone to Windows 10/11 with iCloud

By utilizing iCloud as an intermediary, you can easily transfer files from your iPhone to your Windows PC. iCloud provides seamless synchronization and accessibility across devices, allowing you to access your files from anywhere with an internet connection. You can first upload files to iCloud and then download files on PC to complete iPhone to Windows file transfer. Below are detailed steps.

Step 1. Open your iPhone, tap on Settings > iCloud.

Step 2. Use Apple ID password to sign in> Select the iCloud Drvie icon, and turn on it to allow apps to store files and data in iCloud.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 3. If you have installed iCloud Drive on the computer, open its directory to share files directly. If you don't want to download iCloud Drive on your PC, you can open icloud.com, and sign in and then transfer files from your iPhone to Windows 10 PC.

how to link iPhone to Windows 10

Way 4. How to Link iPhone to Windows 10/11 with iTunes

The other way to connect an iPhone to a Windows 10/11 PC is by using iTunes as an intermediary. It allows you to link iPhone to PC, then transfer and manage digital multimedia files the way you can with a Mac. But it's worth noting that iTunes doesn’t support selectively back up your files, and the transferring speed can be very slow.

If you plan to use iTunes, here are steps for how to connect an iPhone to Windows 10/11:

Step 1. Install and open iTunes.

Step 2. Link your iPhone to your Windows 10 computer via cable > Tap on the iPhone icon.

how to link iPhone to Windows 10

Step 3. Click “File Sharing” from the Settings category > Select the file to be transferred in the list on the right > Click “Save”, and choose the location where you want to save the file in your Windows 10.

how to link iphone to windows 10

Step 4. Tap the “Apply” to finish the transferring operation.

Conclusion

Above all are how to link iPhone to Windows 10/11 and transfer files after linking. You can pick to use a USB directly, or synchronize your data wirelessly to connect your iPhone and Windows according to your needs. If you are looking for convenience and speed, then FoneTool will be the best choice for you!