Your phone is full. The photos you want to keep are not in one obvious folder. You can move them with a cable, with the phone maker’s app, or through Google Photos / iCloud. Pick one path and finish it. Mixing three half-transfers is how you get three copies of last Tuesday and none of the concert.
What you need
- The cable that actually carries data (some cheap USB-C cables only charge)
- A folder on the PC named something like Pictures\From-Phone-2026-08
- For iPhone: trust this computer when the phone asks
In this guide
1. Android over USB
Unlock the phone. Plug it in. On the phone, pull down the USB notification and set it to File transfer / Android Auto or MTP, not Charge only. On the PC, File Explorer should show the phone. Open Internal storage → DCIM → Camera (and Pictures, WhatsApp\Media, Screenshots if you care about those).
Copy, do not cut, until you have opened a few photos on the PC. Then you can delete from the phone. Sort by date if you only want this year’s files.
2. iPhone over USB
Unlock the iPhone. Trust this computer. Enter the passcode. In File Explorer the iPhone appears. Open Internal Storage → DCIM. Apple splits photos into dated subfolders. Select what you need and copy to your Pictures folder.
Alternatively, open the Photos app on Windows if Microsoft still offers it for Apple devices on your build, or use the Apple Devices / iTunes photo import on older setups. The File Explorer copy is enough for a one-off dump.
HEIC photos may not preview in old Windows apps. They still copied. Windows 10/11 can add HEIF extensions from Microsoft Store, or you can set the iPhone to Most Compatible (Settings → Camera → Formats) before the next trip.
3. Google Photos or iCloud if the cable fights you
On Android, Google Photos → Library → Utilities → Import is already the backup for many people. On the PC, photos.google.com → download the album or selection. Quality depends on whether you pay for original quality; free backups may be compressed.
On iPhone, iCloud.com → Photos → select → Download, or turn on iCloud Photos and use the iCloud for Windows app. A large library will take time. Start it on Wi-Fi and leave the PC on.
4. After the copy: free space on the phone
Open several copied photos on the PC. Then delete from the phone’s Photos app, and empty that app’s Recently deleted album or they still occupy space. On iPhone, Recently Deleted holds items for 30 days. On Google Photos, the trash is similar. Empty it if you needed the gigabytes today.
Phone not showing up
Explorer has no phone
- Another cable. Charge-only cables are common in kitchen drawers.
- Another USB port, preferably on the PC itself, not a dead hub.
- Unlock the screen and tap Trust / Allow every time. A locked phone will not show files.
- Android still on Charge only — change the USB mode again after you unlock.
Common questions
The phone only charges, no files.
The cable may be charge-only, or Android is still set to Charge only. Unlock the phone, change USB mode to File transfer, try another cable and a port on the PC itself.
iPhone photos will not preview on Windows.
They may be HEIC. The files still copied. Install HEIF extensions from Microsoft Store, or set iPhone Camera → Formats → Most Compatible before the next trip.
When can I delete photos on the phone?
After you open several copies on the PC. Then empty Recently Deleted / Google Photos trash or the space does not come back.
