iPhone → PC · backup

How to back up iPhone photos to a PC without losing the originals

A backup is a second copy of the original file, on a disk you control. On a Windows PC you can get there three ways: the cable and the Photos app, iCloud for Windows, or ZiggSend over your Wi-Fi, which copies every photo and video as it is and proves each one arrived. Two iPhone settings decide whether the copy is really the original.

On the computer: Windows · MacOn the phone: App Store · Google Play

1. Two settings on the iPhone, before anything

Settings → Apps → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Keep Originals: otherwise the import may convert HEIC to JPEG and HEVC to H.264 on the way. And if iCloud Photos is on with Optimize iPhone Storage, the phone may hold only small versions; a copy of those is a copy of previews. Either download the originals first or turn optimization off while you back up.

2. The three paths, side by side

PathWhat you getNeedsWhat to watch
USB cable + Windows Photos (or Explorer → DCIM)Originals, if “Keep Originals” is onA data cable, “Trust This Computer”, the Apple Devices app for the driverBig libraries time out (“This folder is empty”); “device unreachable” mid-import; no check on what arrived
iCloud for WindowsYour iCloud library downloaded to a PC folderInternet, enough iCloud space for the whole library, timeA sync, not a copy you control: delete on the phone and the PC follows unless you move the files out
ZiggSend over Wi-FiThe original file, byte for byte, in a folder you chooseBoth devices on the same Wi-Fi, the free appsNothing uploaded; every file checked with SHA-256 and listed in History; a dropped transfer resumes

3. Backing up with ZiggSend, step by step

Install ZiggSend on the PC from ziggsend.com/windows and the free app on the iPhone. On the iPhone, tap Connect phone or computer and point the camera at the QR code on the PC. Select the whole library (or the month you want) and send; the PC shows the files as they arrive and the folder they went to. In our measurement, 806 MB took 46 s on home Wi-Fi. On an iPhone with iCloud optimization on, ZiggSend downloads each original from iCloud before sending, so that step needs internet.

4. Make the copy survive

One copy on one PC is a backup only until that disk fails. Put the ZiggSend folder in whatever already protects the PC — File History to an external drive, or a cloud drive folder — so the photos exist in two places. Only then is deleting on the phone safe; that order is its own guide.

5. Keep it going

A backup that happens once is a snapshot. ZiggSend keeps the pairing, so next week is one gesture: open the app, pick the new photos, send. History on the computer shows every file with its fingerprint, which is how you know a month is complete before you archive it.

Measured, not promised. 22 GB in 184 files with 0 failures from an Android to a Mac over a USB 2 cable (about 28 MB/s); an 806 MB video over home Wi-Fi in 46 s; up to 49.7 MB/s over Wi-Fi from a Mac to an iPhone. Every file is checked against the original on arrival. How we measure.

What people ask before they trust a transfer app

“I don’t trust my private photos to a site I don’t know.”

Neither do we. ZiggSend has no site in the middle: the file goes from one device to the other over your home Wi-Fi (or, from Android to a Mac, a cable), and no file is stored anywhere else. The computer app only contacts ZiggSend to check for updates, to register a random install ID when it opens and, once you buy it, to activate the license and check its status once a day; the privacy policy lists exactly what goes out.

“Mine fails at 64% every time.”

A transfer that breaks resumes where it stopped. Every file is written as a temporary part and only gets its final name after the SHA-256 check passes — you never end up with a half file that looks whole.

“I’m out of space and need to empty the phone.”

Move everything to the computer first: only files that pass the SHA-256 check get their final name, and History shows each fingerprint. Then delete on the phone. Originals, no size limit.

Free forever, on your phone and on your computer.

No account, no ads, no limits. Want to help ZiggSend grow and keep improving? Become a Founder for $9.99, once.

Download for Windows · Free forever

On the computer: Windows · MacOn the phone: App Store · Google Play

Questions people actually ask

Do I need iTunes to back up iPhone photos to a PC?

No. For the cable, Apple’s instruction today is the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, which installs the driver. For a Wi-Fi backup with ZiggSend you need neither iTunes nor the Apple Devices app.

Will the HEIC photos open on Windows?

Windows 10 and 11 open HEIC with the HEIF Image Extension from the Microsoft Store (free) and HEVC video with the HEVC Video Extension. Or set the iPhone camera to “Most Compatible” for future photos. The backup itself should keep the HEIC originals.

Does the backup include 4K and slow-motion video?

Yes, as long as the path does not convert them. Over the cable, “Keep Originals” must be on; over ZiggSend, the video is sent as the original file and checked on arrival.

Can I back up without a cable?

Yes. iCloud for Windows downloads your library from Apple’s cloud, within your iCloud space. ZiggSend sends over your own Wi-Fi, with no account and no upload, and checks every file.

What is the best app for this — and is it free?

Depends on what “best” means to you. For casual sharing, LocalSend (free, open source, and since version 1.18 with a SHA-256 check on every file) is honest and good. For a camera roll, a client’s footage or anything you cannot afford to lose, ZiggSend: originals only, no size limit, resume, a check of the whole file already on disk, and each file’s fingerprint in the history for you to check. ZiggSend is free forever, on your phone and on your computer, with everything included (several phones, full history, automatic folders) — see pricing. Side by side: ZiggSend vs LocalSend.

Do I need iTunes for this?

No. iTunes (and the Apple Devices app) syncs rather than copies: what you remove on the PC disappears from the iPhone at the next sync. ZiggSend needs nothing from Apple on the computer: the iPhone finds it over Wi-Fi. If you are stuck on the cable path, the fixes are here: iPhone not showing up in Windows.

Does it work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?

Both. ZiggSend for Windows runs on Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11, on desktops and laptops. Get it at ziggsend.com/windows. ZiggSend for Windows.

Related guides

Videos from iPhone to a PC or laptop without compressionVideos from iPhone to a Mac or MacBook without compressioniPhone not showing up in WindowsPC not recognizing your phone over USBOpen HEIC files on Windows

Compared with

ZiggSend vs iCloudZiggSend vs USB cableZiggSend vs Google Drive