The short answer
- Unlock your iPhone and tap Trust while it’s plugged in.
- Use a cable that carries data, plugged straight into the PC.
- Install Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store.
- Turn off Optimize iPhone Storage, or download the originals first.
- Set Transfer to Mac or PC to Keep Originals.
Windows only sees your iPhone’s photos when three things line up: the phone trusts the PC, Windows has Apple’s device driver, and the photos are actually stored on the phone. If any one is missing, File Explorer shows no iPhone, an empty Internal Storage, or a DCIM folder with far fewer photos than you expect. Work through these in order; most people are done after the first two.
1. Unlock the iPhone and tap Trust
A locked iPhone doesn’t share its photos. Plug it in, unlock it, and keep it unlocked. The first time you connect to a PC, the phone asks Trust This Computer?. Tap Trust and enter your passcode.
If you tapped Don’t Trust earlier, the question won’t come back on its own. On the iPhone, go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Location & Privacy, then plug in again.
2. Use a data cable and a direct USB port
Some cables only charge. If the iPhone charges but Windows never reacts, try the cable that came with the phone, or another one you know carries data. Plug it straight into the computer rather than a hub, keyboard or monitor port.
3. Install Apple Devices
Windows needs Apple’s mobile device driver to talk to an iPhone. The easiest way to get it is the free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store (older PCs can use iTunes instead). Install it, restart, and connect again. If Apple Devices can see your iPhone, Windows can too.
4. Check Optimize iPhone Storage
If File Explorer shows your iPhone but only some of your photos, iCloud is probably the reason. With Optimize iPhone Storage on, your iPhone keeps small previews and leaves the full originals in iCloud. Over a cable, the phone can only hand over files it actually has.
- On the iPhone, open Settings → your name → iCloud → Photos.
- Choose Download and Keep Originals, and make sure the phone has room.
- Stay on Wi-Fi and power until the downloads finish, then connect again.
If your library is bigger than your phone’s free space, download from iCloud.com or iCloud for Windows instead.
5. Set “Transfer to Mac or PC” to Keep Originals
By default, the iPhone converts HEIC photos to JPG while they copy. On large imports that conversion can stall, and Windows reports “A device attached to the system is not functioning” partway through. Go to Settings → Apps → Photos (on older iOS: Settings → Photos), scroll down to Transfer to Mac or PC, and choose Keep Originals. You’ll get the original HEIC files. To open them on Windows, install Microsoft’s HEIF Image Extensions (and HEVC Video Extensions if your PC doesn’t already have them) from the Microsoft Store.
Still empty?
- Restart both the iPhone and the PC, then connect with the phone unlocked.
- Open Device Manager, look under Portable Devices for Apple iPhone, and update or reinstall it.
- Try a different PC to rule out the cable and phone.
Questions people ask
Why does my DCIM folder only show some photos?
Photos whose originals are only in iCloud aren’t stored on the phone, so they can’t be copied over USB. Download the originals to the phone first (step 4).
Will copying photos delete them from my iPhone?
No. Copying to your PC leaves the photos on your phone unless you delete them yourself.
Do I need iTunes?
Not on Windows 10 or 11 if you install Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store. Either one provides the driver Windows needs.