How do I transfer photos from an iphone 4S to my PC?

One thing I haven't seen here is that after plugging in the USB and finding that your pictures aren't recognized, you have to open up the camera application on the phone itself. If the pop-up doesn't show up asking if your phone should trust your computer, hit the camera roll. That made it pop up on mine. Once I did that, the pictures showed up in Explorer and also were able to be downloaded onto Windows Picture Gallery.

Hi experts,

Everybody is assuming iTunes is in the game. I have an iPhone 4S and I'm running Windows7 64. I don't have iTunes installed, neither I have the desire to have it. It manages to accomplish the same effect of Windows drag-and-drop in a very obscure, complicated and time-consuming way whose purpose appears solely to promote using iTunes for the sake of the business opportunities.

Having said this, I plug my iPhone to my computer and I see it on "Computer", under "Portable Devices". I can now open it, getting "Internal Storage" with a Windows-disk-like indication of the space taken/left. I open this and I get DCIM, which is an... empty folder!

It also appears in Control Panel > Devices, with no indication whatsoever regarding driver update needs or any other.

Question: do I need all that disk-space-sacrificing iTunes installed in order to be able to see my pictures in that folder? Is there any alternative? I only want to copy files to my laptop.

I'm running an HP Elitebook 8470p. i am using an Apple Magic Mouse with it, working beautifully. iPhone should be easier.

I'm afraid that you have to have iTunes installed even if you don't use iTune to transfer pictures. It's the same situation if you are using some of the third party software to transfer files. When connecting to the computer, the iPhone comes up as any device. However, it's only possible to transfer pictures from the phone, not music or other documents. iTunes is not a benefit for the customers, only for Apple that is preventing us from using the phone the way we want to.

A strange marketing policy. It's my phone! Apple, stay away from it!

I'm using this transfer option a lot, as I'm a hobby musician and therefore is transferring some of our own recordings to and from the phone. That's a hassle. So now they have introduced a hopeless iOS7, they have changed the plug leaving me out in the dark with 15 chargers and devices meant for 4S, and the useless iTunes. Next time it will be an Android.

mattis2 wrote:

I'm afraid that you have to have iTunes installed even if you don't use iTune to transfer pictures.

No you don't.

And you don't use iTunes to transfer phoitos from the iPhone to the computer (this thread).

Good! You are right regarding the transfer of photo taken with the phone to the computer. However, I had some problems with iTunes, and uninstalled it. Then the iPhone icon did not show up on my dekstop (might be of other reasons than the missing iTunes), and third party software for transferring did not work.

I had the same problem with my iPhone 4S. All of a sudden Autoplay wasn't working when I plugged my phone in and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to tranfer my pictures to my PC. I followed DOK's advice and went into control panel and found that exclamation point. I troubleshooted and found out I needed to update my driver. Problem solved.

Hi Ken,

I see the point of having a "Super" on your signature. Despite all other contributions -- which I thank -- indeed there's no need whatsoever to install or use iTunes. It was simply a matter of unlocking the screen prior to plugging the iPhone.

I must use the screen lock due to company policy (I'm @hp), and this little detail was forcing me to email big pictures from the iPhone to another email, just in order to have them transfered.

Thank you, Super.

Kind regards,

Ricardo

PS: does FL stand for Florida? Lucky you. Here in Cambridge, UK it's all bad roads and worse weather.

Thank you, this helped me too. No-one else specified that the phone had to be unlocked when you plugged it in. I tried everything that people said but still could not connect, then read your post, followed your advice and BAM, I'm in.

Thanks again

M4ddie

Chris7thson wrote:

HI, treefrog75. You can try to transfer photos from iPhone 4s to PC by following ways:

1.Use cloud drive like Dropbox, One Drive. Upload your photos from iPhone to cloud and download on your computer.

2.Use iTunes.

AS noted 3 years ago in this same threa, you don't (and can't) use iTunes to transfer photos from iPhone to computer.

Transferring files, photos, music or whatever, between your phone and your computer has always been pretty messy, as Apples obviously does not like it. The best way is to download the program Syncios. It's cheap and very effective and intuitive, and you can forget iCloud (which is not a cloud, just another computer) and iTunes that usually is crashing when a new version is installed on my Windows machine. I use Syncios for my iPhone 4s, 5s and my iPad. However, iTunes has to be installed on your machine.

mattis2 wrote:

Transferring files, photos, music or whatever, between your phone and your computer has always been pretty messy,

No, it has been simple.

as Apples obviously does not like it.

What?

Apple "likes" it just fine which is why they have implemented it.

t's cheap and very effective and intuitive,

But it s not free.

and you can forget iCloud (which is not a cloud, just another computer)

Wait a minute? It not a real raincloud? How would a real rain cloud help me transfer stuff?

and iTunes that usually is crashing

Why not fix the problem with your computer rather than leaving your computer all buggy?

I use Syncios for my iPhone 4s, 5s and my iPad.

I use iTunes.

I'm a jazz musician (advanced amateur). Our band is doing some recording of what we are playing (mp3 files). Try to transfer that music into the phone by using iTunes.

Why not let the iPhone come up as an external harddrive? It does that when you have taken some pictures with the phone. But what about other kind of files? Syncios does exactly that, and you can transfer all kinds of files back and from the iPhone and the PC. And I can afford 30 US dollars charge to avoid trouble.

My computers are always in good shape (Windows 7/10). Why don't Apple make installation files that don't make computers to crash? When that's happening, you have to reinstall everything made by Apple and start all over again. Installing a new version of iTunes is a lottery.

But my all means, have fun with your iTunes that probably is put together to protect Apples music and video files for being spread around, not servicing the customer. Apple has great products, but a serious downside is that you are locked in.

Hans (Professor of Marketing)

PS

I don't like any "clouds", may be a rain cloud when it's dry. I don't like to have my files spread around in the world on computers where I have no control how my files are used/abused. Why all these clouds? They make money on them. How?

I'm sure it helped you a lot. Fortunately it helped somebody else. Apple is smart, and one of the most valuable companies in the world. But sometimes they are too smart, for their own good. I have a Samsung S5 as well. There you can easily flip out the battery and replace it, and you can upgrade the storage by a cheap micro card. Why can't you do that on the iPhone? And they have their "Lightning" cable. Smart name on a cable that does not fit anything else. Customer friendly? No. Apple friendly, part of the lock in concept. Despite of that, I prefer the iPhone, as long as it lasts.

whenever i plug my iphone 4s into my pc it comes up if i trust this computer i click trust then it pulls up photos and says '' apple iphone there are no files or folders in this view'' i've tried everything and nothing will work. what else can i do?

If you have a PC (not a Mac), your phone should come up together with your C: drive etc without starting iTunes. However, iTunes has to be installed as iTunes includes the necessary driver so your computer can detect your phone. Try to reinstall iTunes. Before you do that, go to the Control Panel and delete everything that has to do with Apple, everything. Then restart and reinstall iTunes. iTunes can be used to transfer photo from your PC and to your phone, but not the other way. (See the extensive explanation of Mr. Chris CA).