AirDrop for Windows: how to send files between an iPhone and a PC

Guide · updated September 2026

AirDrop only works between Apple devices. There is no version of it for Windows, and there never has been. But moving a photo, a PDF or a screenshot from an iPhone to a PC is still a common, mildly annoying task — so here is every method that actually works, and when each one is the right call.

Why Windows has no AirDrop

AirDrop is an Apple feature. It uses Bluetooth to discover a nearby device and then opens a direct Wi‑Fi link between the two to move the file. Apple has never published the protocol or shipped a client for other platforms, so a Windows PC simply cannot see or be seen by AirDrop. The same is true in reverse for Android.

What people usually mean by “AirDrop for Windows” is: a quick, low‑friction way to get a file off the phone and onto the computer without digging through cables or cloud accounts. There are a few.

The options, from most to least fiddly

1. A USB cable

Plug the iPhone into the PC, unlock it, tap Trust This Computer, and open the Photos app or File Explorer to pull images across. It works and needs no internet, but it is slow to set up, only handles photos and videos cleanly, and iPhone photos often arrive as HEIC files that Windows can’t open without a codec. For a single file it is rarely worth the trouble.

2. Cloud storage (iCloud, Google Photos, OneDrive, Dropbox)

Upload from the phone, wait for it to sync, download on the PC, then remember to delete it so it doesn’t eat your storage quota. Reliable, but it is a round trip through an account and the sync lag can be minutes. Good when you already live in one of these services; overkill for a one‑off.

3. Email or messaging yourself

Fast for a small image or a link. But attachments get size‑capped (Gmail stops at 25 MB), photos are often recompressed, and you end up with a cluttered inbox. Fine in a pinch, bad as a habit.

4. Web transfer tools (PairDrop, Snapdrop, Send Anywhere)

Open a page on both devices, and they connect either over the local network or through a short code. No account, works across platforms. The catch: the file passes through a relay server on the code‑based tools, and you still have to download it and then find it in your Downloads folder before you can use it.

5. A browser panel you can drag out of

This is what Dropdesk does. You add a small extension to Chrome, Edge or Brave, connect your phone once with a QR code, and from then on anything you pick on the phone shows up in a side panel on the computer. From there you drag it straight into a website’s upload box — a job application, a marketplace listing, a support form — or drag it onto your desktop. Files also go the other way: drop a file on the panel and it lands on the phone. Nothing is stored in an account, bytes are encrypted on your device, and transfers clear themselves after a few minutes.

The trade‑off is that it needs an internet connection on both devices, where AirDrop and a cable do not.

Quick comparison

Which one should you use?

• Both devices are Apple and offline? Use AirDrop. Nothing beats it there.
• Moving a whole camera roll onto a PC? A cable or iCloud is fine for a bulk, one‑time import.
• Grabbing one photo to attach to a website? That’s the case cloud and cable make slow. A drag‑capable panel like Dropdesk is quickest.
• On a locked‑down work PC with no installs? A web drop tool in the browser is your safest bet.

Send a file from your phone into any website

Dropdesk is free, needs no account, and works in Chrome, Edge and Brave on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Add to Chrome

Common questions