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How to Get an iPhone to Play Nice With a PC

How to Get an iPhone to Play Nice With a PC

If you really insist on mixing operating systems, here's how to make it work

The workflow between iPhones and Macs is pretty seamless (especially thanks to features like Handoff), and the same can be said for using an Android and a PC. However, problems arise when you plug an Apple device into a Windows-supported computer. While the interaction between the two is not a perfect marriage, there are tools and settings that will help get your iPhone and PC to play nicely together.

How to back up your iPhone to a Windows 10 PC

For PC running Windows 10, make sure you are using iTunes version 10.5.1 or later. With your iPhone plugged in and iTunes open on your PC, click the iPhone icon in the top left of your iTunes window. Then select “Summary” from the left sidebar and “Back Up Now.” On this page you can also click “Encrypt Local Backup,” which will ask you to enter your password and secure the files you’re backing up. To view these backups, click on “Edit” then “Preferences” then “Devices” and select your iPhone.

How to import photos from your iPhone to a Windows PC

To import photos from your iPhone, select the Start menu on your PC. Then open Photos and click “import” in the top right corner and select “From a connected device” in the dropdown. However, this will only import photos stored locally on your phone, not iCloud. To accomplish the latter, you’ll need to get the iCloud desktop app for Windows.