Is there AirDrop for Windows?
No. Apple’s AirDrop help pagedescribes sharing with “nearby Apple devices”, and that is all it does. A Windows PC never shows up in the AirDrop list, and there is no Apple app for Windows that adds it. So you need something that runs on both the iPhone and the PC. The good news is that several free options do the job well.
Here is the short version. Each option has its own section further down.
- LocalSend: the closest thing to AirDrop. Free, open source, and works over your Wi-Fi.
- PairDrop: the same idea in a web browser, with nothing to install.
- Phone Link:Microsoft’s own app. It can send files to and from an iPhone, but that part is still rolling out.
- iCloud for Windows: best for getting your whole photo library onto a PC.
- Email or a chat app: fine for one small file, right now.
- Relic: for the small things you move every day, like links, codes and screenshots.
LocalSend: the closest thing to AirDrop
LocalSendis a free, open source app for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone. It works like AirDrop. You open it on both devices, pick a file, and tap the device you want to send it to. The project says it “doesn’t require an internet connection or third-party servers”. Files go straight from one device to the other over your local network, and the connection is encrypted.
It is the best pick for big things. A long video, a folder of photos, or a large PDF all go across at the speed of your Wi-Fi, and there is no account to make.
The limits are all about the network:
- Both devices need to be on the same network.It won’t work if your phone is on mobile data and the PC is at home.
- Some networks block it.Office, hotel and guest Wi-Fi often turn on a router setting called AP isolation, which stops devices from seeing each other. LocalSend’s own notes say to turn this off.
- Windows can block it too. If your Wi-Fi is set as a public network, Windows may stop other devices from reaching the PC. Setting your home network to private usually fixes it. A VPN can also get in the way.
- The app has to be open on both sides when you send.
We compare it with KDE Connect and Quick Share in LocalSend vs KDE Connect vs Quick Share.
PairDrop: AirDrop in a browser
PairDrop runs in a web browser, so there is nothing to install. Open pairdrop.net on your iPhone and on your PC. When both are on the same network they see each other, and you tap the other device to send a photo, a file or some text. It is free and open source.
It is handy on a work PC where you can’t install apps. It can also pair two devices with a 6-digit code, so they find each other on different networks. In that case the project says the transfer may go through its own relay server. Keep both browser tabs open until the file arrives.
What about Snapdrop?
PairDrop started as a copy of Snapdrop, the original browser-based tool that a lot of older guides recommend. Snapdrop has since changed hands. Its GitHub pagenow says it “has been acquired by LimeWire”. If you want the original way it worked, use PairDrop.
Can Microsoft Phone Link send files from an iPhone?
Sometimes. Phone Link is Microsoft’s app for connecting a phone to a Windows PC. With an iPhone, its main feature list is texts, calls, notifications and contacts. It needs iOS 16 or later and a PC with Bluetooth. Android phones get a lot more, including photos and a shared clipboard.
Microsoft has added file sending for iPhones. On the iPhone, tap Share, then Link to Windows, then pick your PC. On the PC, right-click a file, choose Share, then My Phone. These are the steps from Microsoft’s announcement. Microsoft’s current help pagesays it needs Windows 11 and is “being gradually rolled out”, so it may not show up for you yet. If you already use Phone Link for texts, it is worth a try. If it isn’t there, LocalSend does the same job today.
Intel Unison is gone
A lot of 2023 and 2024 articles recommend Intel Unison for iPhone to PC transfers. It no longer exists. Intel says it stopped making Unison in June 2025. Since January 1, 2026 the app is no longer available to download, and Intel no longer supports it.
iCloud, OneDrive and Google Drive
Cloud storage makes the most sense for a whole photo library. Apple’s iCloud for Windowsapp, from the Microsoft Store, puts your iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive in File Explorer. Apple’s page says to update to Windows 11 first. Once iCloud Photos is on, new photos from your iPhone show up on the PC by themselves. You can also sign in at iCloud.com in any browser and download photos from there.
OneDrive and Google Drive work the same way. Upload from their iPhone apps, then open the file on the PC. All three give you a small amount of free space. Past that you pay for more storage.
The quick hacks: email and chat apps
For one small file, send it to yourself. Email it to your own address, or use a chat app you have on both devices, like WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal. It needs no setup and works on any network. The limits are size and clutter. Gmail caps attachments at 25 MB and turns bigger ones into a Google Drive link. And every file you send leaves a copy in your inbox or your chat history. For links in particular, we rank the fastest versions of this in how to send a link from your phone to your computer.
Where Relic fits
Relic is our app, so here is what it does and what it doesn’t. It keeps what you copy and syncs it across iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. That covers text, links, screenshots, images and files. On the iPhone you tap Share in any app and pick Relic, and the item shows up in Relic on your PC a moment later. It works the other way too. Anything you copy on the PC is in the iPhone app, and you can search all of it later.
It is built for the small things you move all day. A link you found on your phone. A code from a text message. A screenshot you need in a document. Sync goes through Relic’s server, so the phone and the PC don’t need to be on the same Wi-Fi. Every item is encrypted on your device before it leaves, so the server can’t read it.
It is the wrong tool for a 4 GB video or a folder of 300 photos. Use LocalSend for those. On the free plan each item can be up to 10 MB, with 250 MB in total across 3 devices. Pro ($7 a month) raises that to 100 MB per item and 25 GB. On an iPhone, Relic can’t watch your clipboard in the background, because iOS doesn’t allow any app to. You share things into it on purpose. Our iPhone capture guide shows the two ways.
Which one should you use?
Pick the row that matches what you are sending.
| Use this | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| A big video or a folder of photos, at home | LocalSend | Fast over Wi-Fi, no account |
| A work PC where you can't install apps | PairDrop | Runs in the browser on both devices |
| You already use Phone Link for texts | Phone Link | Share, then Link to Windows, if it has reached you |
| Every photo, on the PC, all the time | iCloud for Windows | Photos show up in File Explorer on their own |
| One small file, right now | Email or chat | No setup, works anywhere |
| Links, codes and screenshots, every day | Relic | Works on any network, kept and searchable |
Moving things between Apple devices instead? Our guide to how to AirDrop a link covers the steps and the fixes. For every other phone and computer pairing, see how to copy and paste between your phone and computer.
Sources
- How to use AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Support
- LocalSend, LocalSend on GitHub
- PairDrop: transfer files cross-platform, no setup, no signup, PairDrop on GitHub
- Snapdrop, Snapdrop on GitHub
- Phone Link requirements and setup, Microsoft Support
- Mobile device in Start menu, Microsoft Support
- Sharing files between your iPhone and Windows PC rolling out to Windows Insiders, Windows Insider Blog (2024)
- Customer support options for Intel Unison, Intel
- Download iCloud for Windows, Apple Support
- Use iCloud Photos on your PC, Apple Support
- Attachment size limits, Gmail Help