How to Unlock iPhone to Transfer Photos to PC [Guide]

Learn how to unlock iPhone to transfer photos to PC with this guide, it covers various methods and tools for a seamless import photos from iPhone to Windows PC.

By @Clara Last Updated September 4, 2024

Why Do You Need to Unlock iPhone to Transfer Photos?

If you often transfer photos between computer and iPhone, you will be familiar with the following situation of unlocking iPhone to transfer photos. When you connect your iPhone to computer and try to send iPhone photos to PC, a notification will appear on the iPhone screen saying "Unlock iPhone to use accessories" and "To unlock... swipe up".

The unlock operation before transferring photos can ensure the security and privacy of your device, ensuring that only you or authorized users can access and transfer data on your device. You need to complete the unlock operation to allow the computer to access your iPhone to transfer files later.

How to Unlock iPhone to Import Photos| 3 Ways

iPhone password settings support multiple types of password settings. You can refer to the following steps to choose the method that suits you according to your needs. After that, you can know how to unlock iPhone to transfer photos to computer.

Way 1. Unlock iPhone with Face ID

Applicable to iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and the latest models

Using facial recognition to unlock your phone brings a lot of convenience, especially when you are busy. Just lift your phone or wake up your iPhone, face the front camera and look at the screen. Face ID will automatically recognize your face and unlock the device.

However, sometimes facial recognition will have some errors, resulting in failure to unlock. You can continue to try the subsequent methods.

Way 2. Unlock iPhone with Touch ID

Applicable to iPhone SE (1st, 2nd, 3rd generation), iPhone 8 and previous models (such as iPhone 7, 6s, 6)

The second method is suitable for iPhones with Home buttons. You need to press the round home button on the front of the device, keep your finger on the home button, and Touch ID will recognize your fingerprint and unlock the device. After the fingerprint recognition is successful, the device will be unlocked and go directly to the home screen.

Way 3. Enter Password to Unlock

Applicable to all iPhone models

This method is the best way to unlock when Face ID or Touch ID is not available. Press the power button or tap the screen to wake up your iPhone. When the password input interface is displayed on the screen, enter the 4-digit or 6-digit password you set. After confirming that you have entered the correct password, the device will unlock and enter the home screen.

In addition, after you unlock the iPhone, another prompt will appear asking you if you "Trust this computer". Then you need to click "Trust". After that, you can perform how to unlock iPhone to download photos.

How to Transfer Photos from Unlock iPhone to PC | 2 Ways

After you unlock your iPhone, here, we provide two top ways to transfer photos from iPhone to computer. You can try the ways one by one or choose the way you like.

Method 1. [Easy & Fast] Transfer Photos from iPhone to PC with USB

When you have a large number of iPhone pictures to import, and want to transfer them to the computer without any obstacles, the best way is to use AOMEI FoneBackup, a professional and powerful iOS transfer tool.

AOMEI FoneBackup offers a fast transfer of data between iPhone and computer without losing quality, including photos, videos, contacts, messages, music, and so on. You can export 100+ of photos from iPhone within 3 seconds. Its transfer speed surpasses the vast majority of similar products.

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Simple to Use. It has an intuitive interface with simple steps.
Superfast and Offline. It gives a fast transfer speed and no internet connection required.
High Quality Transfer. AOMEI FoneBackup will transfer full-resolution images without compression.
Preview and Selective. You can preview before fully or selectively transferring your iPhone data.
Powerful Transfer Process. It supports pictures and videos in all sizes and formats.

Now, you can free download AOMEI FoneBackup, and learn how to unlock iPhone to import photos to PC with the best iPhone data transfer software.

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Step 1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Connect iPhone to computer with a USB cable.

Step 2. Go to Phone Transfer on the home screen> Choose iPhone to PC >Click Start Transfer.

Tip: If you download many photos on your computer and want to send them to your iPhone, you can choose PC to iPhone option.

Step 3. Click the plus icon to preview and select photos and videos from iPhone > Click OK.

Step 4. Click Start Transfer > Choose a storage path > Click Transfer to export the selected photos and videos to PC.

By the way, if you want to transfer everything from one iPhone to another, you can tap iPhone to iPhone options. AOMEI FoneBackup can help you complete it with one click!

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Method 2. Copy iPhone Photos to PC with File Explorer

Windows Explorer, also known as File Explorer, is a built-in Windows application that allows you to access and manage files on your computer. When you connect your iPhone to a Windows PC, you can use this tool to view and copy photos from your iPhone to your PC’s local storage.

Notes:✎...
The DCIM folder on your iPhone represents the Camera Roll, and it's the only folder you can access in Windows 7/8/10/11. If your photos are not visible in this folder, consider using method 1 to transfer them.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone and unlock iPhone to transfer photos > Remember to click Trust to allow your computer to access the iPhone photos.

Step 2. Go to This PC on the desktop > Then you will see a new device named xxx iPhone.

Step 3. Double-click the iPhone > Open Internal Storage > Locate DCIM folder.

Step 4. Then you can your photos and transfer specific photos from iPhone to computer via Copy and Paste.

Conclusion

That’s all about how to unlock iPhone to transfer photos to Windows PC. The above article presents 3 different unlocking methods, which are suitable for different models. You can choose according to the phone model. After you unlock, you can choose to use the professional iPhone-to-PC transfer tool AOMEI FoneBackup to achieve high-quality transfer. It is simple, fast, and suitable for any iPhone, iPad, iPod.