How-to
How to transfer videos from a phone to a computer
By cable, wirelessly, or through the browser. Which way is fastest depends on your phone, your computer, and whether the computer is in the same room.
Short answer: In the same room, a USB cable is fastest and keeps the original. Without a cable, or when the computer is somewhere else, upload the videos from the phone’s browser and download them on the computer.
Your options
| Works with | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|
| USB cable | Any phone and computer | iPhone to Windows needs the Apple Devices app; the iPhone may convert videos unless set to Keep Originals |
| AirDrop | iPhone to Mac only | Both close together, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on |
| iCloud Photos or Google Photos | Any computer, by syncing | Uses your cloud storage; large videos can take hours to sync |
| Upload in the browser (FDD Transfers) | Any phone, any computer, anywhere | Speed depends on the phone’s Wi-Fi or mobile upload |
By cable
iPhone to a Mac
Connect the cable, unlock the iPhone and tap Trust or Allow. Open Photos on the Mac, choose the videos, and click Import Selected.
iPhone to a Windows PC
Install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. Connect the cable, unlock the iPhone and tap Trust or Allow, then import with the Photos app in Windows. To get the videos exactly as recorded, set the iPhone’s Photos setting “Transfer to Mac or PC” to Keep Originals first.
Android to a Windows PC or Mac
Connect the cable, then on the phone choose File transfer in the USB notification. On Windows the phone opens in File Explorer: videos are in DCIM, Camera. A Mac needs an app such as Android File Transfer or OpenMTP.
Using iCloud Photos with Optimise Storage on? Let the full video download to the phone before you import, or you’ll get a small copy.
No cable: upload from the phone, download on the computer
This works whether the computer is on your desk or in another country, and it’s the same on iPhone and Android.
On the phone
Open FDD Transfers in the browser (or install it as an app), make a project, tap Upload and pick the videos. Keep the app open until they’re up: it keeps the screen from locking while it’s open, but a phone pauses uploads in apps that aren’t on screen.
On the computer
Sign in, open the project, select the videos and download them, or use Download all for the whole folder.
Or let them arrive by themselves
In Chrome or Edge, Download to drive picks a folder on the computer. Every new video uploaded from the phone then downloads into it by itself. It only adds files; it never deletes anything there.
The same link works for someone else’s computer too: share the folder with a link, and they can download without an account.
Common questions
- Why are my iPhone videos smaller on the PC?
- Either the iPhone converted them on the way (set Keep Originals), or iCloud kept only a small copy on the phone (download the original first).
- What’s the fastest way without a cable?
- AirDrop between an iPhone and a Mac. For anything else, uploading over good Wi-Fi or 5G and downloading on the computer.
- Can I transfer videos to a computer that isn’t mine?
- Yes: upload them to a project and send the folder’s link. They download it in any browser.
See also
Limits from Apple: transfer photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad, checked November 2026. Services change their limits, so check before you rely on one. Something out of date? Tell us.
Move your phone videos
100 GB free for 14 days, counted from your first upload. No card. Upload from the phone, download on any computer.
Get started