Send Files From an iPhone to a Windows PC (No App, No Cable)
A step-by-step guide to moving photos, videos and documents from iOS Safari to a Windows browser with an end-to-end encrypted link.
AirDrop stops at the edge of the Apple ecosystem, and emailing yourself files gets old fast. Moving photos or documents from an iPhone to a Windows PC needs nothing more than the browsers both devices already have.
What you need
- iPhone: Safari (iOS current or previous major version)
- Windows PC: any modern browser — Chrome or Edge recommended, because they can stream received files straight to disk
- Internet on both devices. Same Wi-Fi is ideal (fastest), but not required — the transfer also works across networks.
Steps
- On the PC: open the ShareDrop.org app and click Create transfer. You'll see a QR code, a link and an 8-character code.
- On the iPhone: open the Camera app and point it at the QR code — tap the banner that appears. (Alternatively, open the app in Safari and type the 8-character code.)
- On the PC: a prompt appears — “device requesting to connect”. Accept it. Nothing connects without this step.
- Optional but recommended for sensitive files: both screens now show a six-digit safety code. Check they match (why this matters).
- On the iPhone: tap Choose files. iOS lets you pick from Photos or the Files app. Selected items start transferring after the PC accepts the file list.
- On the PC: review the incoming list (names, sizes) and accept. With Chrome/Edge you choose where to save; each file is verified with SHA-256 before it is marked done.
iPhone-specific notes (the honest part)
- Keep Safari in the foreground while sending. iOS suspends background tabs aggressively; a suspended tab sends nothing. Transfers resume automatically after brief interruptions, but the tab must be alive.
- Sending many photos: iOS prepares (and possibly converts) photos when you pick them, which adds a delay before the transfer starts. HEIC photos can arrive as HEIC — Windows may need a codec to view them, or set iOS Camera to “Most Compatible”.
- Receiving on the iPhone instead? Files are assembled in memory on iOS (no streamed saving), so very large single files are better received on the PC. Details: limits.
If it does not connect
Corporate PC networks and some hotel Wi-Fi block direct connections; the transfer then runs over an encrypted relay automatically, which takes a few extra seconds to establish. If it still fails, put the iPhone on cellular for a moment to rule out the Wi-Fi — then work through the troubleshooting page.