--- title: AirDrop for Windows: How to Send From iPhone to PC | Relic description: There is no AirDrop for Windows. The free apps that do the same job between an iPhone and a PC, what each one is good at, and which one to pick. canonical: https://relic.space/blog/airdrop-for-windows source: https://relic.space/llms.txt --- [Copy and paste across devices](https://relic.space/blog/topics/cross-device) # AirDrop for Windows: how to send from an iPhone to a PC There is no AirDrop for Windows. Apple has never made one, and AirDrop only sends to other Apple devices. You can still get photos, files and links from an iPhone to a Windows PC without a cable. The free app LocalSend is the closest thing to AirDrop. Below are the other options, what each one is good for, and where each one falls short. [JGJordan Gibbs](https://relic.space/authors/jordan-gibbs) September 23, 2026 7 min read ## Is there AirDrop for Windows? No. Apple’s [AirDrop help page](https://support.apple.com/en-us/119857)describes 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 [LocalSend](https://github.com/localsend/localsend)is 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](https://relic.space/blog/localsend-vs-kde-connect-vs-quick-share). ## PairDrop: AirDrop in a browser [PairDrop](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/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 page](https://github.com/SnapDrop/snapdrop)now 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](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/phonelink/phone-link-requirements-and-setup) 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](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2024/12/11/sharing-files-between-your-iphone-and-windows-pc-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/). Microsoft’s [current help page](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/phonelink/mobile-device-in-start-menu)says 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](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000102120/software.html) 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 Windows](https://support.apple.com/en-us/103232)app, 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](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108994) 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](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6584) 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](https://relic.space/blog/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](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/relic-clipboard-vault/id6800556025), 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](https://relic.space/help/capture-on-iphone) shows the two ways. Share it on your iPhone. Find it on your PC. Relic syncs what you copy and share across your iPhone, Windows PC and every other device, encrypted on your device before it is sent. The Windows, Mac and Linux apps are free, and the iPhone app is on the App Store. [Download forWindows](https://relic.space/download/windows)[Download formacOS](https://relic.space/download/macos)[Download forLinux](https://relic.space/download/linux)[Download forAndroid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=relic.space.app&referrer=utm%5Fsource%3Drelic.space%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dwebsite%26utm%5Fcampaign%3Dcontent)[Download foriPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/relic-clipboard-vault/id6800556025) ## 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 | If you only take one thing from this page, install LocalSend on your iPhone and your PC. It is free, it handles big files, and it is the closest match to what AirDrop does between Apple devices. Moving things between Apple devices instead? Our guide to [how to AirDrop a link](https://relic.space/blog/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](https://relic.space/blog/copy-and-paste-between-phone-and-computer). ## Sources * [How to use AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad](https://support.apple.com/en-us/119857), Apple Support * [LocalSend](https://github.com/localsend/localsend), LocalSend on GitHub * [PairDrop: transfer files cross-platform, no setup, no signup](https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop), PairDrop on GitHub * [Snapdrop](https://github.com/SnapDrop/snapdrop), Snapdrop on GitHub * [Phone Link requirements and setup](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/phonelink/phone-link-requirements-and-setup), Microsoft Support * [Mobile device in Start menu](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/phonelink/mobile-device-in-start-menu), Microsoft Support * [Sharing files between your iPhone and Windows PC rolling out to Windows Insiders](https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2024/12/11/sharing-files-between-your-iphone-and-windows-pc-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/), Windows Insider Blog (2024) * [Customer support options for Intel Unison](https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000102120/software.html), Intel * [Download iCloud for Windows](https://support.apple.com/en-us/103232), Apple Support * [Use iCloud Photos on your PC](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108994), Apple Support * [Attachment size limits](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6584), Gmail Help ## Frequently asked questions Can you AirDrop from an iPhone to Windows 11?+ No. AirDrop only sends to nearby Apple devices, and Apple has not made a version for Windows 10 or 11\. To send from an iPhone to a Windows 11 PC, use an app that runs on both. LocalSend is free and works over your home Wi-Fi. Phone Link can send files if the feature has reached your PC. For a link or a screenshot you want on the PC every day, a syncing app like Relic does it without the two devices being on the same network. Is there an official AirDrop app for Windows?+ No. Apple has not released AirDrop for Windows. Apple's AirDrop help page only talks about sending to nearby Apple devices. The closest official options on a PC are Apple's iCloud for Windows app, which syncs iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive, and Microsoft's Phone Link, which connects an iPhone for texts, calls and notifications. How do I send photos from my iPhone to my PC without a cable?+ For a handful of photos, install LocalSend on both, keep them on the same Wi-Fi, and send them. If you cannot install anything on the PC, open PairDrop in a browser on both devices. If you want every photo to show up on the PC over time, turn on iCloud Photos in iCloud for Windows. For one small photo, emailing it to yourself works too. Does LocalSend need the internet?+ No. LocalSend sends files straight between devices on the same local network, with no internet connection and no outside server. Both devices have to be on the same network, and some routers block this with a setting called AP isolation. A Windows PC can also block it if the Wi-Fi is set as a public network. Is Intel Unison still available?+ No. Intel stopped making Unison in June 2025\. Since January 1, 2026 the app is no longer available to download and Intel no longer supports it. Older articles still recommend it, so pick one of the other options instead. JG Written by [Jordan Gibbs](https://relic.space/authors/jordan-gibbs)Founder, Relic Jordan Gibbs is the founder of Relic, an end-to-end encrypted, permanent, searchable memory for everything you copy. He writes widely about AI, agents, and practical tooling on Medium, where he is read by tens of thousands, and builds privacy-first software. Here he covers how everyday tools like the clipboard actually work, and how to use them without handing your data to someone else. [Medium](https://medium.com/@jordan%5Fgibbs)[GitHub](https://github.com/jordan-gibbs)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan--gibbs/) Part of [Copy and paste across devices](https://relic.space/blog/topics/cross-device) * [How to copy and paste between your phone and computer· pillar](https://relic.space/blog/copy-and-paste-between-phone-and-computer) * [LocalSend vs KDE Connect vs Quick Share](https://relic.space/blog/localsend-vs-kde-connect-vs-quick-share) * [Can you AirDrop to Android?](https://relic.space/blog/can-you-airdrop-to-android) * [Quick Share on Windows and iPhone](https://relic.space/blog/quick-share-windows-and-iphone) * [Pastebin alternatives, by what you actually need](https://relic.space/blog/pastebin-alternative) * [How to send a link from your phone to your computer](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-send-a-link-from-your-phone-to-your-computer) * [Universal Clipboard not working](https://relic.space/blog/universal-clipboard-not-working) * [Pushbullet alternatives for sharing text and links](https://relic.space/blog/pushbullet-alternatives) * [Remote Desktop copy and paste not working](https://relic.space/blog/remote-desktop-copy-paste-not-working) * [How to AirDrop a link](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-airdrop-a-link) Keep reading [6 minHow to AirDrop a linkAirDrop is the fastest way to move a link between Apple devices once you know where the share button hides. Sharing a webpage, and fixing AirDrop when it will not connect.Read ](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-airdrop-a-link)[Pillar·8 minHow to copy and paste between your phone and computerYou copy a link on your phone and want it on your laptop, or the other way around. The real ways to move text between phone and computer, on every platform pairing.Read ](https://relic.space/blog/copy-and-paste-between-phone-and-computer)[6 minHow to send a link from your phone to your computerGetting a single link from your phone to your computer should take seconds. The quickest methods on iPhone and Android, and the reliable fallback when they fail.Read ](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-send-a-link-from-your-phone-to-your-computer) syncwindowsiphone