Solved! Can't Import Photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11

Things outside of the Apple ecosystem are always tiring and frustrating, especially for users owing iPhone and Windows PC. From older iOS to the latest, can't import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 or Windows 11 occurs from time to time. And this issue comes in various situations. For example, iPhone internal storage DCIM folder is empty. Not all photos are imported from iPhone to Windows 10/11. iPhone photos come in random order. Or the Photos app runs into the error "Something went wrong. Your files might not have been imported."

Today we'll work on this issue thoroughly and help you fix the problem of can't import photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 once and for all. Just scroll down the page.

Why Can't I Import Photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11

Common reasons you can't import photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC usually involve permissions, the connection, iCloud settings, transfer format, or missing drivers.

Here we rounded up some possible reasons why you can't import photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11 PC.

• Untrusted permissions: You didn't tap "Trust This Computer".
• Faulty or incompatible USB cable: Many third-party cables only charge and cannot transfer data.
• Original photos are stored on iCloud instead of your iPhone.
• Format incompatibility: Windows cannot properly handle the default HEIC format. The iPhone is trying and failing to convert during import.
• Trying to import too many photos at once: Large batches often cause the import process to fail.
• Photos app or File Explorer glitch.
• Missing or outdated Apple drivers: Apple Mobile Device Support drivers are not installed or are corrupted on Windows.

These cover the vast majority of reported cases. Find the one in your case, and you can fix the problem effectively.

How to Fix Can't Import Photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11

This part includes some practical solutions to solve can't import Photos from iPhone to Windows 10/11, in terms of the different causes listed above.

If you don't want to spend much time testing all the methods, just head to Solution 5, an alternative way to transfer photos from iPhone to PC without error, easier and smoother than the Photos app, Windows File Explorer, and iCloud for Windows.

Solution 1. Use a proper data cable and port

The connection problem might be in the cable or the port. Many third-party cables are charge-only. Use an official Apple or data-capable Lightning/USB-C cable. Plug directly into a USB port on the PC (avoid hubs). Try a different port or cable.

Also, check if the USB cable is broken and switch the port as well. Restarting both devices is also a good way to try. If possible, you can try to connect your iPhone to another PC.

Solution 2. Unlock your iPhone and Trust the computer

Keep the iPhone unlocked. When the "Trust This Computer?" prompt appears, tap Trust and enter your passcode. If it doesn't appear, reset your iPhone's privacy settings, then reconnect.

Solution 3. Reset iPhone privacy settings

This is going to fix the device match and trust issues, which is necessary when the first time you import photos from your iPhone to this PC. By resetting Location & Privacy, your iPhone's location can match the PC's better. Here's how.

Step 1. Tap Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2. Go to General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy.

Step 3. Enter your password to confirm this action.

Step 4. Now keep the iPhone screen unlocked. Connect your iPhone and the Windows PC. Choose to trust this computer.

Solution 4. Check iCloud Photos / storage optimization

As said before, if iCloud Photos is on with "Optimize iPhone Storage," many photos exist only in the cloud and cannot be transferred for USB import. To fix this, you can turn off iCloud Photo Library or re-download full-resolution files to the phone.

To re-download full-resolution files:

1. Go to Settings > Photos.
2. Choose Download and Keep Originals.
3. Or use iCloud for Windows / iCloud.com instead of a cable.

To turn off iCloud Photo Library:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone and tap your iCloud account at the top of the list.
2. Tap iCloud > Photos.
3. Toggle off the option of iCloud Photos.
4. Quit settings. Try to import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 again.

For photos uploaded to iCloud, go to icloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Then you can download them to your Windows PC.

Solution 5. Use DearMob iPhone Manager to import photos from iPhone

DearMob iPhone Manager is a capable iOS files management software running on Windows and Mac. It can import a large number of photos from your iPhone to PC/Mac in at a lightning-fast speed without quality loss or data erasing. Besides, it enables users to view, edit, and organize iPhone photos on a computer with ease.

Problems like fragile connections and incompatible photo formats can be solved by DearMob iPhone Manager once and for all. Because it allows both USB cable and wireless connections and supports Apple ProRAW, DNG, HEIC, HDR, burst photos, live photos, and all sorts of photos on iPhone. If necessary, it can convert HEIC to JPG , shrink image file size, back up and restore iPhone files, and do many more things for you.

Step 1. Open DearMob iPhone Manager. Connect your iPhone to your Windows PC via USB. Unl0ck the iPhone screen and choose "Trust this computer", now you've connected iPhone to DearMob. Also, you can connect it by joining the same Wi-Fi.

Step 2. Click "Photos" on the main interface of DearMob iPhone Manager.

Step 3. Now you can see the photos on iPhone are organized by albums and date. Click to select photos that you want to transfer to the PC.

Step 4. Click the drop-down menu of "Export", and you can convert HEIC photos to JPG while importing them from iPhone to Windows 10/11. Or click the "Export" button directly.

Step 5. When transferring is over, you can find these iPhone photos in the folder that you set in DearMob Settings.

Solution 6. Check software updates

Make sure there's adequate battery and storage space on your iPhone, and then you can follow the instructions below to update the iOS.

Update your iPhone:

1. Open Settings > General > Software Update.
2. Wait for it to check the update.
3. If the update is available, download and install it in a WLAN network connection.

Update iTunes for Windows:

1. Open iTunes on your Windows PC.
2. Go to Help > Check for Updates.
3. If there's a new version, you'll see a window pop up asking you to download iTunes.
4. Download and install the newer iTunes.
5. Restart it to see if you can import photos from iPhone Windows 10 successfully.

Solution 7. Fix HEIC/HEIF format issues

Modern iPhones use HEIC by default. Install the free HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions if needed from the Microsoft Store so Windows can handle the files. Alternatively, change the transfer setting on your iPhone.

1. Go to Settings > Photos.
2. Scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC.
3. Try Keep Originals.
4. Or try Automatic to convert HEIC to JPEG for better Windows compatibility.

Note: Dedicated iOS backup and transfer tools, such as DearMob iPhone Manager, offer the option to convert HEIC files to JPEG format, ensuring they can be viewed smoothly on your computer. Apple ProRAW and EXIF data are also supported.

Solution 8. Reset Apple Mobile Device Service

Apple Mobile Device Service is the means of communication between iTunes for PC and iOS devices. You can fix can't import photos from iPhone to Windows 10 or Windows 11 by resetting this service in the following steps.

Step 1. Disconnect iTunes for Windows and your iPhone.

Step 2. Open the Run app in Windows 10 by pressing the Windows key and R.

Step 3. Input services.msc and click OK to open it.

Step 4. Find Apple Mobile Device Service and right-click on it. Select Properties > Automatic > Stop.

Step 5. Click Start and OK to restart the Windows PC.

Step 6. Launch iTunes and connect iPhone to it. Then you can import your photos from iPhone to the PC without trouble.

FAQ

Why do some photos not transfer from iPhone to PC?

Some photos fail to transfer from iPhone to PC mainly because iCloud Photos with Optimize Storage keeps only low-resolution versions on the device while full originals stay in the cloud. HEIC-to-JPEG conversion can also skip problematic files, and corrupted images, Live Photos, Portrait shots, ProRAW, or items in Hidden/Recently Deleted albums often get left out. Importing large batches or connection drops may further cause incomplete transfers.

Why doesn't Windows Photos recognize my iPhone photos?

Windows Photos often fails to recognize iPhone photos because the device isn't trusted or unlocked, Apple drivers are missing or outdated, or the photos use HEIC format that Windows can't handle without extensions. iCloud Optimize Storage may keep only low-res versions on the phone, while Automatic transfer conversion can skip files. A faulty cable or incomplete connection also prevents detection.

Why is it so hard to copy photos from iPhone to PC?

Copying photos from iPhone to PC is often difficult due to Apple's closed ecosystem and format differences. iPhones use HEIC files that Windows struggles with, require Trust permission and specific drivers, and frequently store full-resolution images only in iCloud with Optimize Storage. Plus with charge-only cables, conversion failures and batch import glitches further complicate the process.