Plug the cable in. Drag the photos. Done.
Free. No app. No limit. Takes about a minute.
Do this:
Plug the iPhone into the PC with a USB cable
Unlock the phone → tap Trust
Open File Explorer → click Apple iPhone → Internal Storage → DCIM
Drag the folders onto your desktop 
That’s it. Every photo, no software, no sign-up.
No cable?
Get LocalSend — free, on your phone and your PC.
Open it on both → tap your PC’s name → send. 
Photos won’t open on the PC?
They’re .HEIC files. One-time fix:
Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic
Now they arrive as normal JPGs. 
🏆 Want the other 8 free ways? (all verified, tap to open)
| Tool | Free? | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| PairDrop | free |
Nothing to install — it’s just a web page |
| Files app → PC folder | free |
Wireless, built into your iPhone already |
| Documents | free |
Browsing your PC from the phone |
| KDE Connect | free |
Files + phone notifications on your PC |
pymobiledevice3  |
free |
Automating it with a script |
| libimobiledevice |
free |
Opening the iPhone like a USB drive |
| Immich |
free |
Auto-backup forever — your own iCloud |
| FoneTool |  30 photos/day |
Ticking exact albums, contacts + music |
= the ones almost nobody talks about.
About FoneTool (shared above): the free version stops at 30 photos a day — great for one album, painful for thousands. Unlimited costs $39.95/year. Everything else on this page stays free forever.
!