How to Extract All Photos from an iPhone and Back Them Up to an External Drive on a Windows PC

Your iPhone is one of the most important devices you own. It’s not only a phone but also your primary camera, storing thousands of moments:  vacations, family gatherings, work memories, and everyday snapshots. Over time, the photo library can grow huge, and it becomes essential to back everything up safely. Many people rely on iCloud, but cloud storage has limits. Having a physical backup on your computer or an external drive gives you peace of mind and complete control over your photos.

Understanding the Process

When you connect your iPhone to a PC, Windows treats it like a digital camera. That means you can directly access your photos and videos through the File Explorer, or you can use Microsoft’s Photos app to import them automatically. You don’t need any special Apple software beyond iTunes (or the Apple Devices driver) for Windows to recognize your iPhone.

The process has three parts:

1. Preparing your PC and external drive
2. Transferring photos from your iPhone to your computer
3. Moving or saving those photos onto your external drive

The advantage of this method is that you get original photo files you can open, copy, rename, or move anywhere. No syncing, no compression, and no need for an Apple device to view them later.

Step 1: Prepare Your PC and External Drive

Start by making sure your external drive is ready. Plug it into one of your computer’s USB ports. Wait a few seconds until Windows recognizes it. Open File Explorer and confirm that the drive appears in the sidebar, usually under “This PC.”

If the drive is brand new, you might want to rename it to something easy to identify, like “iPhone Photo Backup.” You can do this by right-clicking on the drive name and selecting “Rename.”

Check that you have enough free space to store your photos. iPhones can hold tens or even hundreds of gigabytes of pictures and videos, so ensure your backup drive has room for everything.

Next, create a folder on the external drive where you’ll store the photos. You can name it something like “iPhone Backup” or “My iPhone Photos.” Leave this window open for later.

Step 2: Connect Your iPhone to the PC

Use your iPhone’s Lightning or USB-C cable to connect it directly to your computer. As soon as you do this, your iPhone will display a message asking whether to Trust This Computer. Tap Trust, then enter your iPhone passcode. This step gives the PC permission to access your phone’s photos and videos.

If this is your first time connecting the device, Windows will automatically install the necessary drivers. Wait a minute or two for this to complete before proceeding.

Step 3: Decide How You Want to Transfer the Photos

There are two main ways to transfer photos from your iPhone to your Windows PC:

1. Using the built-in Photos app in Windows
2. Using File Explorer to manually copy photos from your iPhone
   

Both methods work well. The Photos app organizes the import and can automatically sort pictures by date. File Explorer gives you direct access and total control. Let’s go through both so you can choose what’s best for you.

Method 1: Using the Windows Photos App

If you prefer an easy, guided approach, use the Windows Photos app. This app is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 and designed specifically to import pictures from cameras and phones.

1. On your PC, open the Photos app.
2. Click Import in the top-right corner.
3. Choose From a connected device.
4. The app will search for your iPhone and list it once detected. Select it.
5. The app will then show thumbnails of all the photos and videos available on your iPhone.

From here, you can choose to import all items or only specific ones. To back up everything, click Select All (if available) and then Import All.

Before confirming, check the import settings. The Photos app usually creates a folder in the “Pictures” directory on your computer. If you want to save directly to your external drive, click on the Change destination or Import settings option (depending on your Windows version) and select your external drive as the location.

Once you confirm, the app will begin copying every photo and video from your iPhone. The process can take a long time if your iPhone has thousands of pictures. Leave the phone connected and unlocked during the entire import.

When finished, open the folder on your external drive and verify that the photos are all there. You should see them as normal image files, organized by date or album depending on your import settings.

Method 2: Using File Explorer (Manual Copy)

If you prefer more control or want to avoid the Photos app, you can transfer the photos manually using File Explorer.

1. With your iPhone connected and unlocked, open File Explorer on your PC.
2. In the sidebar, under “This PC,” look for your iPhone listed as a device. It may appear as “Apple iPhone.”
3. Double-click it to open.
4. You’ll see a folder named Internal Storage,  double-click that.
5. Inside, there will be a folder called DCIM. This is where all your iPhone photos and videos are stored.
   

The DCIM folder may contain multiple subfolders with names like “100APPLE,” “101APPLE,” and so on. Each one contains batches of photos and videos. These are your actual files.

To copy everything, select all folders by clicking one and pressing Ctrl + A, then right-click and choose Copy.

Navigate to your external drive in another File Explorer window, open your “iPhone Backup” folder, and right-click to Paste.

Windows will now start copying all your photo and video files directly from your iPhone to your external drive. The progress bar will appear, showing how long the transfer will take. If your iPhone holds many gigabytes of data, the transfer can take a significant amount of time. Avoid disconnecting your phone until the process is complete.

Once the copying finishes, open the external drive and confirm that all folders and photos are there. You can open any picture to verify it is copied correctly.

Step 4: Check for HEIC and Video Formats

Newer iPhones use the HEIC file format for photos and HEVC for videos. These formats take up less space than older formats like JPEG and MOV, but not all Windows versions can open them without extra codecs.

If your PC doesn’t display thumbnails or can’t open some photos, you can easily convert them later. Windows 11 and recent versions of Windows 10 typically include HEIC support automatically. If not, you can open the photos using apps like Paint, Photos, or third-party converters and save them as JPEGs.

You can also set your iPhone to automatically save future photos in JPEG format. To do this, on your iPhone go to Settings > Camera > Formats, and select Most Compatible. This ensures all new photos you take will be easier to transfer and open on a PC.

Step 5: Organize and Verify Your Backup

Now that your photos are safely on your external drive, it’s a good idea to organize them. You can rename folders by year or event. For example, create folders called “2023,” “Family Trips,” or “Graduation.” Moving files into these folders won’t affect their quality.

To verify the backup, open several photos and videos directly from the drive. Check that they display properly and that their file sizes make sense. You can also right-click the entire backup folder and choose Properties to see the total size. Compare it roughly with how much space photos took on your iPhone — this gives you confidence that everything transferred correctly.

If you ever want an additional layer of security, you can also copy the backup folder from your external drive to your computer’s internal storage or another drive.

Step 6: Keeping Your Backup Updated

Since you’re always taking new photos, make it a habit to repeat this process regularly. Every month or two, connect your iPhone, open the Photos app or File Explorer, and copy new pictures to the same backup folder.

To avoid confusion, create subfolders with the backup date — for example, “Backup_July_2025” or “Backup_September_2025.” That way, you can easily track when each backup was made and avoid overwriting older photos.

Step 7: Optional – Using iTunes or iCloud for Device Syncing

While this guide focuses on direct, manual backups, you can also use iTunes or iCloud for automated syncing. However, keep in mind that iCloud synchronization is not a true backup — deleting a photo from one device deletes it everywhere. Manual extraction to an external drive remains the safest way to store permanent copies.

Step 8: Safely Disconnect Devices

Once the transfer is complete, eject both your iPhone and the external drive safely. In File Explorer, click the small eject icon next to your external drive’s name before unplugging it. On your iPhone, you can simply unplug the cable once you’re done.

Always make sure all copying is finished before disconnecting. Interrupting transfers can corrupt files or create incomplete copies.

Step 9: Why You Should Keep an Offline Backup

Relying only on cloud storage can be risky. Cloud accounts can become inaccessible, sync errors can delete photos, and internet outages can block your access entirely. A physical backup on an external drive ensures you have a local copy that’s not affected by those issues.

Even if you later decide to use cloud storage for convenience, keeping one offline backup gives you total control over your photo collection. You’ll always be able to open your pictures, even years from now, without depending on specific software or accounts.

Common Problems and Solutions

iPhone Not Showing Up in File Explorer:
If your iPhone doesn’t appear, try reconnecting it, unlocking the phone, and confirming “Trust This Computer.” You can also restart both your iPhone and PC and try again.

Transfer Stops or Fails:
If the copying stops midway, disconnect safely, restart the devices, and retry with smaller batches of photos. Also ensure your iPhone doesn’t lock during transfer — open the Settings app and set Auto-Lock to “Never” temporarily.

Duplicate Photos:
If you back up regularly, you might end up with duplicates. You can manage duplicates later by sorting photos by name or date and removing copies manually, or by using photo organization software.

HEIC or MOV Files Not Opening:
Convert them using any photo editing program or online converter. You can also adjust iPhone settings to take “Most Compatible” photos and videos in future.

Storing and Maintaining Your Backup Drive

Keep your external drive in a cool, dry place away from extreme temperatures or humidity. Drives can fail over time, so it’s smart to have two copies of your backup if possible,  one stored at home and another in a safe or at a friend’s house.  If you use a solid-state drive (SSD), it will last longer and transfer data faster than a traditional hard drive. But any drive works fine as long as it’s in good condition and tested periodically.

Viewing and Sharing Your Backed-Up Photos

Once your photos are on the external drive, you can plug it into any computer and open them directly. You can also copy them to a new PC, upload them to online albums, or print them at any photo service. Because these are standard image files, they’re fully portable and not locked to Apple software.  You can even create a second copy on another drive for redundancy or keep a smaller selection of favorite photos on a USB flash drive for quick access.

Converting and Editing Later

If you ever want to edit or convert your backed-up photos, you can do so without affecting the originals. Copy the images from your external drive to your computer, make edits in your preferred photo software, and then save the new versions separately. Keeping originals untouched ensures that your backup always remains authentic and complete.

Why Manual Backup Is the Best Long-Term Strategy

Manual backups require a little effort, but they’re the most reliable way to ensure your memories remain safe for decades. Unlike online services, they don’t depend on a subscription or changing technology. Files saved on an external drive can be opened on future computers, regardless of software updates or account access.  When you physically hold a drive with your entire photo history, you have true ownership of your data,  something no cloud service can guarantee.

Extracting all photos from your iPhone and backing them up to an external drive on a PC is one of the smartest things you can do for your digital safety. With just a USB cable, your computer, and a bit of time, you can secure years of memories.  Whether you use the Windows Photos app or File Explorer, the goal is the same; to have full, original copies of your pictures that you can open, share, or move anywhere without relying on Apple’s systems or the cloud.

Once you’ve done it once, the process becomes easy to repeat. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your most precious moments,  birthdays, vacations, graduations, and every everyday photo,  are stored safely, right where you can always find them.