How to Transfer Files from Laptop to iPhone or Vice Versa

Updated on Jun 19, 2024 | by Woodward

A full guide to transferring data from laptop to iPhone or vice versa in all possible ways.

There are many ways for you to transfer data from a laptop to iPhone or from iPhone to a laptop. Depending on the type of content and the size of the files you'd like to send, the best way for you varies. Read on to check the proven methods in detail and carry out the one best suited to your needs.

PAGE CONTENT:

Part 1. How to Transfer Files from Laptop to iPhone

Part 2. How to Transfer Data from iPhone to Laptop

Part 1. How to Transfer Files from Laptop to iPhone in 6 Ways

To enrich your iPhone content or make your files available across your devices, you will need to send files from a laptop to a mobile device like iPhone/iPad. Here I will show you six ways to copy files from your laptop to your iPhone. Whether you are looking to share photos, videos, music, ringtones, books, PDF files, or documents, you will find workable ways to get things done.

Method 1. How to Send Files from Laptop to iPhone without iTunes

Applies to: Photos, videos, music, ringtones, contacts, PDF files, and ebooks

If the files you want to transfer are photos, videos, audio files, or PDFs, using the iPhone transfer software - Qiling MobiMover will fulfill your needs perfectly. With this tool installed on your Mac, PC, or laptop, you will be able to:

Transfer files between laptop and iPhone
Transfer data from one iPhone/iPad to another
View, access, and manage iPhone content from a computer

Thus, you can use Qiling MobiMover to transfer photos from computer to iPhone, download iPhone photos onto PC, transfer music from iPhone to iPhone, and more using a USB cable only.

To transfer files (e.g., photos) from laptop to iPhone:

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your laptop running Windows 7 or later. Run Qiling MobiMover, choose the "PC to Phone" and click "Select Files" on the screen.

Step 2. In the new window, go to your computer to add files to transfer from the laptop to your iPhone. Then, click the "Open" button to continue.

Step 3. You can click "Add Contents" to load more photos or do it by drag-and-drop. MobiMover will load all the supported files. You can transfer them all or only keep "Pictures". Next, click the "Transfer" button to start to transfer photos from laptop to iPhone.

If you are wondering how to transfer photos from iPhone to a laptop using Qiling MobiMover, you only need to choose "Phone to PC" instead of "PC to Phone" in step 1. Besides, many users want to transfer files between Mac and iPhone, which, luckily, can also be done using this iPhone data transfer tool.

Apart from the data transfer features, Qiling MobiMover is also equipped with features like WhatsApp manager and file converters, with which you can transfer WhatsApp from one phone to another or convert HEIC pictures to JPG.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Method 2. How to Transfer Data from Laptop to iPhone with iCloud

Applies to: Photos and videos

Are you going to copy photos and videos from your computer to your iOS device? If so, using iCloud could be one of your choices. iCloud is available on both Windows PC and Mac, which makes it possible to send photos from a laptop to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch or vice versa.

While using iCloud, you need to sign in to your computer and iOS device with the same Apple ID, connect your devices to a stable and reliable network, and ensure there is enough free space in iCloud to store the files you are going to transfer.

If you decide to transfer pictures from a laptop to iPhone using iCloud, go to the guide on how to transfer photos from PC to laptop for detailed steps.

Method 3. How to Send Files from Laptop to iPhone with iCloud Drive

Applies To: Documents

iCloud Drive is a service under iCloud that allows you to access your documents across your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, and Windows computer. With iCloud Drive enabled on your devices, you can wirelessly transfer files from your laptop to your iPhone or vice versa.

To transfer files from laptop to iPhone using iCloud Drive:

Step 1. Go to "Settings" > [your name] > "iCloud" on your iPhone and toggle on "iCloud Drive".

Step 2. Upload the files you want to transfer from your computer to iCloud:

If you have installed iCloud for Windows, go to turn on "iCloud Drive" and put the documents you'd like to send to the iCloud Drive folder on your laptop.

How to transfer files from laptop to iPhone with iCloud Drive

If you don't have the iCloud control panel, visit iCloud.com from your computer, sign in, choose "iCloud Drive," and upload the files to iCloud.

How to transfer data from laptop to iPhone with iCloud.com

Step 3. After the syncing process, you can check the files transferred from your computer by going to "Files" > "Browse" > "iCloud Drive" on your iOS device.

Step 4. To save the files to your mobile device, click the download icon to download them to your iPhone.

It happens that iCloud Drive may not sync on your computer. If the issue occurs, you can either follow the troubleshooting guide to solve the problem or try other practicable ways.

Method 4. How to Transfer Data from Laptop to iPhone with Other Cloud Services

Applies To: Photos, videos, audio files, Word/Excel/PPT files, texts, and more

Besides iCloud, many other cloud storage services enable you to share files between your laptop and iPhone. Services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive will help you transfer files from laptop to iPhone or data from iPhone to laptop.

There are the universal requirements you need to meet while using these cloud-based services:

Use the same account on the devices
There is enough storage
Your devices are well-connected to networks

Make sure you meet the requirements and follow the steps below to see how to share files between an iOS device and a computer. Let's take Dropbox as an example.

To copy files from laptop to iPhone:

Step 1. Download and install Dropbox on your iPhone and laptop.

Step 2. Sign in to Dropbox with the same account on your devices.

Step 3. On your computer, upload the files to Dropbox from the application. (If you are unwilling to download the software, you can send the files from your laptop to Dropbox via Dropbox.com.)

Step 4. Go to the Dropbox app on your iPhone to access and download the files from your computer.

How to send files from laptop to iPhone with Dropbox

Method 5. How to Send Files from Laptop to iPhone Using Email

Applies To: Photos, videos, documents...

Any file that can be added to an email as an attachment can be transferred from your PC to your iPhone or vice versa via email. If you don't intend to transfer files in bulk, using an email to send files between your computer and iPhone is the easiest and quickest way.

To send files from laptop to iPhone via email:

Step 1. Create a new email on your laptop.

Step 2. Add the files you want to transfer to the mail as attachments.

Step 3. Send the email to your account.

Step 4. Check the email on your iPhone and download the attachments to your device.

Method 6. How to Sync Data from Laptop to iPhone Using iTunes

Applies to: Photos, videos, music, audiobooks...

The five ways above show you how to transfer files from a laptop to an iPhone without iTunes. If you prefer, you can sync data from your PC or laptop to your iPhone using iTunes.

iTunes will help you in two ways. You can either iTunes syncing or iTunes File Sharing to send files from PC to iPhone.

To use iTunes syncing to perform data transfer, you should know that the newly synced items will replace the existing data on your iOS device. Thus, be careful not to erase important files on your iDevice. To learn how to use iTunes syncing, read the guide on how to transfer audiobooks to iPhone with iTunes.

To send files from laptop to iPhone with iTunes File Sharing:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your laptop with a USB cable.

Step 2. In the iTunes Window, click the device icon and "File Sharing".

Step 3. Select the app that you want to transfer a file to or from.

Step 4. To copy files to your iPhone, click "Add", select the file you want to transfer, and click "Add" to continue.

Step 5. Go to the app you just selected to check the transferred files.

How to transfer files from laptop to iPhone with iTunes

Part 2. How to Transfer Data from iPhone to Laptop

All the six ways introduced to move files from laptop to iPhone are also applicable to transfer data from iPhone to the laptop. If you are going to transfer photos from iPhone to computer, one more way for you to apply is to use Windows File Explorer.

To transfer pictures from iPhone to computer via File Explorer:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.

Step 2. Unlock your device and click "Trust" or "Allow" in the prompt to continue.

Step 3. If your computer recognizes the iDevice successfully, go to "This PC" > [your iPad's name] > "Internal Storage" > "DCIM" > "Apple100" to copy the photos from your iPhone to the laptop.

How to transfer data from iPhone to laptop

Moreover, if your laptop is running a macOS, you can transfer files between iPhone and Mac using AirDrop, the built-in file sharing utility on the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Mac.

The Bottom Line

I believe you can successfully transfer the files you want from your laptop to your iPhone or vice versa using one of the tips above. Specify your needs and apply the most suitable way to start transferring files with a few simple clicks.

FAQ

1. Can you AirDrop from laptop to iPhone?

AirDrop is a file-sharing feature in iOS and macOS operating systems. If your laptop is a Mac, you can airdrop files from your Mac to your iPhone without any problem. Otherwise, you can't use the AirDrop feature on a Windows operating system.

2. What is the best file transfer app for iPhone to PC?

It's hard to say which file transfer app is the best because different apps can meet different requirements. Only when you pick the right one that can meet your requirements can it be called the BEST. If you want to choose the right one, here are some suggestions.

It is always a good idea to review the app's details to see if it has any risks.
Check if it is time-saving. The process should be simple and quick.
Use the free trials before purchasing it. The trials will give you some idea about the features and functions of an app and help you judge whether it is worth buying.

3. Can I transfer files from a laptop to an iPhone via Bluetooth?

Bluetooth file transfer isn't supported between an iPhone and a laptop. So, you'd better use a USB cable or iCloud to get your files from a laptop to an iPhone.