How to transfer files from iPhone to PC
Install the ZiggSend app on the iPhone (free, on the App Store) and on the PC, connect them once and send. It’s easy and free, with no ads. Photos, videos and any file land in a folder on the PC with no quality loss, verified byte for byte. No account, no cloud, no cable.
This guide is for iPhone and PC: open this page on one of them, or send the link with “Send to someone”.
What you need
- An iPhone with the ZiggSend app (free on the App Store)
- A PC with Windows 10 or 11 (app from the Microsoft Store)
- Both on the same Wi-Fi (your home wifi works)
How long it takes
We tested this pair on home Wi-Fi in September 2026: the file arrived and passed the check. We haven’t measured this pair’s speed; on the pairs we measured, home Wi-Fi ran at 17.5 to 49.7 MB/s. How we measure →
Over Wi-Fi, step by step
The phone and the PC on the same network, no cable.
On the iPhone, get it free on the App Store. On the PC, get it free from the Microsoft Store. It’s the same ZiggSend on both sides.
On the iPhone, tap “Connect to a computer”. The PC shows up under “Devices nearby”: tap it, check that the security code matches on both screens and click “Allow” on the PC. Not there? Tap “Scan the QR code” and point at the code the PC shows under “Connect a phone or computer”.
Tap “Send photos and videos”, check what you want and tap “Send”. For PDFs and other files, use “Send documents, PDFs, ZIPs…”. For a large transfer, keep the app open and the screen on until it finishes.
On the PC, the files show up in the ZiggSend window, each marked “arrived intact”. “Show in folder” opens the folder where it landed.
Other ways (iPhone → PC)
What each option does, only with facts you can check at the source.
| Option | How it moves | Good to know | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Link | Wireless | Built into Windows 10 and 11, free. On iPhone, several files at once from the Share menu (iOS 16+). | Microsoft |
| Import by cable (Photos) | Cable | May convert HEIC/HEVC unless the iPhone is set to “Keep Originals”. | Apple |
| iCloud | Through the cloud | 5 GB free. With “Optimize Storage”, the device may keep smaller versions. | Apple |
| ZiggSend | Wi-Fi | Free with 1 phone; checks every file byte for byte. | How we measure |
What can go wrong (and what to do)
The PC doesn’t show up in the list
Both need to be on the same Wi-Fi (one on Wi-Fi and the other on mobile data won’t work). Guest, hotel and office Wi-Fi often isolates devices: use your home Wi-Fi or put the PC on the phone’s hotspot. Turn off any VPN. Still nothing? Use “Scan the QR code”.
On the iPhone, nothing connects
On iPhone: Settings → Apps → ZiggSend → turn on “Local Network”. Without it, iOS silently blocks the connection.
I turned the screen off mid-transfer
On iPhone, for a large transfer, keep the app open and the screen on until it finishes. If it stopped, just send again: it picks up where it stopped.
Windows asked about the network
If Windows asks about the network, choose “Allow access” on private networks — without it your phone can’t find this computer.
I closed the ZiggSend window
The window closes, but the app stays in the tray next to the clock, ready for your phone. To really quit, use the tray menu.
The Wi-Fi dropped
Just send again: it picks up where it stopped. A file that fails the check is never saved, and the app tells you.
Questions from people about to do this
Does it lose quality?
No. The file arrives identical to the original, verified byte for byte: photo, 4K or HDR video, document.
Do the files leave the iPhone?
No. ZiggSend only copies: nothing is deleted on the iPhone.
Do I need internet?
Not to transfer: just both on the same Wi-Fi. Your files never go through a server.
Is there a size limit?
No, not even on the Free plan.
Do I need an account?
No. No sign-up.
Is it free?
Yes: the phone app is free, and the computer app is free forever with one phone. Pro is optional, for several phones, full history and automatic folders.
Is it safe?
Yes. The file goes straight from one device to the other over your own network, with the content encrypted (AES-256), and never through a server. To connect, the two devices recognize each other with a code (the security code or the QR code).
Are there ads?
No, not even on the Free plan.
And without Wi-Fi?
Put the PC on the phone’s hotspot: then both are on the same network.
Can I use a cable?
No. For this pair ZiggSend uses Wi-Fi only; the cable exists only from Android to the Mac.
And from PC to iPhone?
That too: see the step by step from PC to iPhone.