How to transfer files from iPhone or Android to PC.
A few years ago, transferring files from a mobile device to a PC was a real pain. There were no built-in tools to make file transfer easier, but today this is no longer the case.
There are many ways to transfer high-resolution photos, long videos, audio files, or large documents from your mobile device to your PC (and vice versa). Some file transfer methods work between Android or iOS and Windows, while others are specific to each operating system.
Here’s everything you need to know about transferring files from iPhone or Android to PC.
How to Transfer Files from a Smartphone to PC
You can email files from your smartphone to your PC by simply attaching a file or document to a new email and sending it to yourself.
However, if your file is larger than 25MB (or exceeds the attachment limit set by your particular email service), email may not be the best option. In such cases, other options are more practical, such as USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, network sharing, AirDrop, using an SD card or cloud storage.
How to transfer files from Android to PC
Let’s take a look at each option and how you can use them to move files between your devices.
USB File Transfer
If you have an Android phone, you can use the original USB cable included in the package to transfer files between devices.
Typical USB cables are micro-USB to USB-A / B / C, USB-C-USB-A, or USB-C to USB-C, but you need to check your PC’s ports before connecting.
For example, if your phone came with a USB-C to USB-C cable, and your computer only has a classic USB-A port, you’ll need a USB-C to USB-A cable to connect.
The USB method is safe and fast. After connecting your phone to your PC, check if your phone is present in the explorer window. Select the files you want to move and then drag and drop them where you want to save them on your PC.
Transfer files using SD card
If you don’t have a USB cable, you can use the microSD or SD card on your Android phone to transfer files from Android to PC. Just copy the files you want to transfer to your SD card and then use a microSD or SD card adapter to move the files to your computer and view the data.
Transfer files over Wi-Fi
Using Wi-Fi is a fast, easy, and reliable way to move files from your mobile device to your computer. If your Android phone and computer are connected to a wireless network, you can use a third-party program like AirDroid that will cast your phone’s screen to your computer and allow you to control your phone from your PC. Just download AirDroid, sync your phone and computer, and then remotely control your phone to transfer files over your local network.
If you are using a Samsung phone with Samsung DeX, you can connect your phone to your PC via your local network and then drag and drop files from the DeX window to a folder on your PC.
Transferring Files via Bluetooth
Bluetooth is another great option if you don’t have a USB cable, microSD or SD card, or Wi-Fi. However, it has a slow transfer rate, especially for large files.
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on both your phone and PC. Find out more in our guide on how to transfer files to PC via Bluetooth. If your computer is old and doesn’t have Bluetooth, check out our guide on how to make your computer Bluetooth compatible.
File transfer via cloud storage
If you have large files and want to transfer them from your Android phone to PC, you can use a cloud storage service like the native Google Drive for Android phones. If your Google Drive storage is used up, you can try Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive.
For Samsung phones, check out our guide on how to access Samsung’s built-in cloud storage service to save files to the cloud and open them on your PC.
Shared File Transfer
Android Nearby Sharing is Google’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop feature.
Nearby sharing is available for Windows users, but you need a supported Windows smartphone and PC. Both devices must have Bluetooth and location-enabled. Before transferring files from Android to PC, you also need to enable Windows Sharing on the Chrome Dev Channel or Canary.
How to transfer files from iPhone to PC
Just like Android devices, you can use the original cable that came with your iPhone, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cloud storage like Dropbox to move files to your computer.
You can use other methods built into iOS like AirDrop and iCloud to transfer files from your iPhone, but AirDrop doesn’t work with Windows PCs. In this case, you can use the iCloud web interface to move files from your iPhone to the cloud and then access them from your PC.
If you don’t already have iCloud on your computer, you can use a third-party solution like Documents by Readdle, Snapdrop, or Send Anywhere to transfer files from iPhone to PC over your local network.
Move Your Files Easily
There are many ways to transfer files from iPhone or Android to PC. If you are using a Mac, we have detailed instructions on how to transfer files from Android to Mac and how to use AirDrop from iPhone to Mac. Let us know which method is best for you by leaving a comment below.
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How to transfer files from iPhone or Android to PC
How to transfer files from iPhone or Android to PC.
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