Transfer Photos from iPhone 15 to PC: 5 Ways for Free

iPhone 15's enhencement in camera makes people excited. And if you need to transfer photos/videos from 15 (Plus) / Pro (Max) to PC to Windows PC for free, this passage will give you the pros and cons of the 5 available methods, helping you get the easiest approach.

Kathy

By Kathy / Updated on February 4, 2024

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Is there an easier way to transfer photos from iPhone 15 to PC?

Can I transfer photos from iPhone 15 directly to PC? I need to back up my important iPhone pictures on my laptop to avoid sudden data loss.

- Question from iPhone 15 users

iPhone 15's arrival has left many Apple enthusiasts excited, especially with the various feature upgrades, including significant improvements to the camera. The camera functionality and photo quality of the iPhone have always been highly anticipated, and this technology upgrade is bound to make photography an even more enjoyable experience.

new-iphone

However, after using iPhone 15 for a while, the number of photos and videos tends to increase. To save storage space, you can move photos from iPhone 15 to PC as a backup, then delete some photos to free up.

Or you just want to migrate some photos on PC so you can easily edit your photos. Then what steps could you take to effectively accomplish these tasks? Let’s find answers in this article to get how to get pictures off iPhone 15(Plus)/Pro(Max) to PC.

🌟Partial introduction of new features of iPhone 15 models:

enlightened Enhanced Dynamic Island functionality.
enlightened New 48MP camera and 2xTelephoto create super-high-resolution photos. 
enlightened Durable color-infused glass and aluminum design.
enlightened Charging as easy as USB-C.
enlightened All-day battery life allows you to do all things you want to keep doing.

How to transfer photos from iPhone 15 to computer with USB

Compared to wireless airdrop methods, moving photos from iPhone to PC using a USB cable can be more reliable, providing a quicker and safer moving process. However, if you don't have a USB cable or prefer wireless photo transfer, you could skip to the next part directly.

#1. The best way to transfer photos from iPhone 15 to PC for free

What is the easiest way to transfer photos from an iPhone to a PC? FoneTool may be the most ideal choice.

FoneTool
Fast iPhone Data Transfer Software

Now you can get how to transfer photos and live photos from iPhone to PC with FoneTool from the instructions below, whether you are using a Windows desktop or laptop.

Step 1. Download and install FoneTool on your Windows PC. Open the software and connect your iPhone 15 to computer with a USB cable.

Step 2. Click Phone Transfer > Choose iPhone to PC and tap on Get Started to continue.

transfer

Step 3. Check Photos icon to preview and select the targeted pictures > Then click OK.

choose-photos

Step 4. Change storage location from the Transfer Settings > Click Start Transfer to begin the task.

transfer

Now you can know how to transfer photos from iPhone 15 to PC without iTunes. Except for the mentioned feature, you can also go to Phone Backup and choose Full Backup to back up iPhone 15 to PC easily. 

🌟Pros:

smiley Don’t need to connect to a Wi-Fi network or consume any cellular data.
smiley Runs stably on most iOS devices and no data loss in all processes.
smiley With its super-fast transfer speed, importing a large number of photos becomes incredibly simple.
smiley The storage path can be changed flexibly and there are no restrictions on the size of the imported files.

🌟Cons:

sad Need a USB cable.

#2. Move photos from iPhone 15 to PC with iTunes

iTunes also provides backup features allowing you to copy all iPhone data on Windows desktop or laptop including photos to your computer. But you are not allowed to only save photos to your PC. Now you can download and install iTunes to begin the task.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone 15 to PC with a USB cable and open iTunes.

Step 2. Click the device icon and choose Summary on the screen.

Step 3. Choose This computer and tap on Back Up Now to save your iPhone data to the computer.

itunes

🌟Pros:

smiley iTunes can sync your media content between your computer and iOS devices, ensuring your content is up to date on all devices.

🌟Cons:

sad Can’t view the backup content directly on the computer. And you need to use some additional apps to extract photos from iPhone backup.
sad iTunes often encounters operational issues during use.
sad The transfer speed is not fast and sometimes it may overwrite your iPhone data.
sad It doesn’t give the option to send photos from iPhone 15 to external hard drive or specified path.
sad The interface is illogical to some users.

#3. Directly transfer photos from iPhone 15 to PC via File Explorer

Windows File Explorer provides another straightforward method to transfer files from iPhone to PC without iTunes. Just connect your iPhone 15 to the computer via USB, then you can easily access and transfer lots of photos and videos. 

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB cable.

Step 2. If your device doesn't show up in the File Explorer automatically, manually access it by clicking the Start Menu or finding it in the Taskbar.

Step 3. Go to This PC, where your iPhone will be listed as a Portable Device. Click on your iPhone to access its contents.

file explorer

Step 4. Within the Portable Device, enter the Internal Storage folder to locate and select the media files you wish to transfer.

🌟Pros:

smiley Don’t need a Wi-Fi connection or consume any cellular data.
smiley Don't need to install any third-party software.

🌟Cons:

sad Only supports moving photos/videos within the DCIM folder.
sad The files are categorized into different folders based on time, making the selection process complicated.
sad Slow transfer speed wastes lots of time.

Transfer photos from iPhone 15 to PC Wirelessly

If you need to know how to transfer photos from iPhone 15 to computer without USB, iCloud and Google Drive could help you a lot.

#4. Send photos from iPhone 15 to PC with iCloud

Sending photos to Windows desktop or laptop can be so easy with iCloud, but you should enable iCloud Photos Library on your iPhone 15 firstly: Go to Settings app > Choose profile > Click iCloud > Photos > Check if iCloud Photos or iCloud Photo Library is turned on. If not, enable it. Then your photos will be synced automatically to your iCloud.

When it comes to downloading photos from iCloud to PC, there are 2 options for you to make it. You can use the official iCloud web or the professional iCloud manager to make it. Compared with the iCloud web, FoneTool mentioned in Option 2 may be the fastest way to finish the process.

Option 1. Save iCloud photos to Windows desktop/laptop via iCloud web

Step 1. Open the iCloud website on your PC and log in with your Apple ID.

Step 2. Tap on Photos icon, and you can browse all uploaded photos in your iCloud. Choose the targeted photos and click the download icon to save photos to your PC.

icloud

Option 2. Export iCloud photos to PC via professional FoneTool

The powerful iPhone data management - FoneTool is also a professional iCloud data manager. You can use it to upload, download, delete or sync iCloud data from a Windows PC. So you can easily transfer notes, photos, videos, etc. from one iCloud account to another.

It uses two-factor authentication to protect your iCloud data which is same as the encryption used by Apple. So you don't need to worry about your data security. Now just download it on your Windows 11/10/8/7 PC to save your iCloud photos efficiently.

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

Step 1. Launch FoneTool > Go to My iCloud > Log in with your Apple ID > Choose Manage iCloud.

manage icloud

Step 2. Select the photos you need under the Photos option > Click the Download button from the top of the page.

download photos

Step 3. Change the download settings from the pop-up window > Click Download to start.

download iCloud photos

🌟Pros:

smiley Convenient wireless transfer process.

🌟Cons:

sad It’s troublesome when you forget Apple ID and password.
sad Complex upload and download process.
sad iCloud only offers 5GB of storage space for free users.
sad Network quality can affect the speed of transfers, especially when uploading or downloading large files.

#5. Airdrop photos from iPhone 15 to PC with Google Drive

To send photos from iPhone 15 to Windows 11/10/8/7, you should upload targeted iPhone photos to Google Drive and then download them from the app on computer.

Step 1. Download Google Drive from the App Store > Launch it and sign in with your Google account.

Step 2. Tap the Plus icon > Followed by Upload > Choose Photos and Videos > Then select the specific pictures you wish to airdrop.

google-drive

Step 3. Access the Google Drive website through your PC's browser and proceed to download the chosen pictures.

🌟Pros:

smiley Highly-convenient wireless transfer.

🌟Cons:

sad Unhandy upload and download process.
sad Google Drive only offers 15GB of storage space for free users.
sad The speed of transfers can be impacted by the quality of your network, particularly when dealing with the download of larger files.
sad It can be annoying when you forget the Google account and password.

Final words

Based on the instructions provided above, we believe you now have a clear understanding of how to transfer photos from iPhone 15 to PC, whether using a USB cable or wirelessly.

The outlined pros and cons can help you find the most suitable ways to complete the process. Hope you can achieve a smooth and quick moving process after the reading.

FAQ about importing photos from iOS devices to Mac

Step 1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac with a USB cable > Launch the Photos app on your computer > Then you will see an import screen with all the photos and videos on your device, if you can't view the window, click the device's name in the Photos sidebar to get it.
Step 2. If asked, unlock your iPhone/iPad using your passcode or you will need to tap Trust on your device.
Step 3. Choose where you want to save your photos on computer. Next to Import to, you can choose an existing album or create a new folder. Select the photos you want to transfer and click Import Selected, or tap Import All New Photos. After the process, then unplug your device to disconnect.