Transfer Photos From iPhone to PC
AirDrop doesn't work with Windows. This does: open the page on your PC, scan the code with your iPhone camera and pick the photos and videos to send.
What “files never stored” means for this tool
Files go straight between your two devices over an encrypted link that only those two devices can read. They are never uploaded to this website or stored anywhere.
How the devices find each other: for a few seconds, a small pairing service (pair.kcnebula.com) passes connection details between them, such as their internet addresses. It never sees the files, their names or their sizes, keeps nothing on disk, and forgets each pairing within 10 minutes.
Different networks are fine (say your phone on mobile data and your computer on home Wi-Fi): each device finds its own public internet address and they connect straight across the internet. A few networks, such as some office, school and mobile networks, block direct links. If yours does, the page tells you, and putting both devices on the same Wi-Fi fixes it. Files are never sent through a server instead.
On the receiving device, large files are written to the browser's own private storage as they arrive, then removed after you save them.
Who can see what: the two devices learn each other's internet address, as with any direct connection. Like any website, the server that delivers this page sees basic connection details such as your IP address. This site counts visits with privacy-friendly analytics: no cookies, no ads, never anything you send.
or open kcnebula.com/transfer and type
Send the link to your other device (text, email, chat) and open it there to link up.
Got a code from another device?
Type the 8-character code it shows.
Connected 🔒
Connected to: …. Not your other device? Press Disconnect.
Check that both screens show the same symbols. If they don't, press Disconnect.
If the link drops, this page waits on this same code: scan it again (or open the link) on the other device to relink.
or click to choose · any type · up to 10 GB each · keep this page open on both devices
How it works
- Open this page on both devices. Any phone, tablet or computer with a modern browser. No app, no account.
- Pair them. Scan the code with the other device's camera, or type the 8-character code into it. Each code works once and expires after 10 minutes.
- Check the symbols. Both screens show the same four symbols when the link is private to your two devices. If they differ, press Disconnect.
- Send. Drop files in on either device, in either direction, as many as you like, up to 10 GB each. On the other device, press Save (or Share… on phones).
- Never stored: files go straight from one device to the other, encrypted. They are not uploaded to this website or anywhere else.
- Any networks: the two devices don't need to be on the same Wi-Fi. Linking can take a few seconds while they find a path to each other.
- Keep both pages open until it says Sent and Received. On phones, keep the screen on and the browser in front.
- Speed depends on the slower of the two connections. On home Wi-Fi a 1 GB video usually takes a minute or two.
How often does linking fail, and why?
Most pairs of devices link directly. In studies of real-world connections, roughly 8 to 15 in every 100 pairs of networks can't, because of how the network is set up rather than anything wrong with your devices:
- Mobile carriers often put thousands of phones behind one shared internet address (called carrier-grade NAT), which can block incoming direct links. This is the most common cause.
- Office, school and public Wi-Fi firewalls often block the kind of traffic direct links use.
- Strict home routers or VPNs can do the same. A VPN on either device is a common cause: turn it off for the transfer.
The fix: put both devices on the same Wi-Fi, or turn on your phone's hotspot and join it from the computer. Direct links between devices on the same network almost always work. Files are never sent through a server as a fallback.
How to use the Transfer Photos From iPhone to PC
- Open this page on the Windows PC.
- Point the iPhone camera at the code and tap the link.
- Check both screens show the same symbols.
- Tap the drop box on the iPhone, choose photos, and press Save on the PC.
Questions
Can I AirDrop to a Windows PC?
No, AirDrop only works between Apple devices. This page does the same job between an iPhone and any computer, in the browser.
Will HEIC photos open on Windows?
They arrive as HEIC exactly as on the phone. If Windows can't open them, convert them with the free HEIC to JPG tool on this site.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. They go straight from one device to the other over an encrypted link and are never stored on a server.
Do both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi?
No. They can be on different networks, like mobile data and home Wi-Fi. A few office, school and mobile networks block direct links; then put both on the same Wi-Fi or use your phone's hotspot.
📖 Read the guide: How to Send Files From Your Phone to Your Computer (No App, No Cable)
Popular uses: File Transfer: Phone ⇄ Computer · Send Files From Phone to PC · Transfer Files From Android to PC · AirDrop Alternative for Any Device · Send Large Files Free · Send Files From Computer to Phone
Still stuck, or want a tool that isn't here? Ask on the Nebula Discord.