The best way to backup iphone other than iCloud with a PC?

When people ask me for the best way to backup iPhone other than iCloud on a Windows PC, most assume they need complicated software or paid subscriptions. But the truth is, the most reliable method is already sitting right there on your computer: File Explorer.

Using File Explorer to back up your iPhone is straightforward. Here is exactly what you need to do:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your Windows PC using a USB cable that supports data transfer. A poor-quality charging cable will often fail here, so use the cable that came with your phone or a known reliable one.

Step 2: Unlock your iPhone. When the "Trust This Computer?" prompt appears on your phone screen, tap Trust or Allow. This is essential—without tapping Trust, your PC cannot see your iPhone's files. You may also need to enter your iPhone passcode to confirm.

Step 3: On your PC, open File Explorer. You can do this by pressing Windows key + E on your keyboard or by clicking the folder icon in your taskbar.

Step 4: In the left sidebar of File Explorer, locate and click on This PC. Under the "Devices and drives" section, you should see your iPhone listed with its name. Double-click it to open it.

Step 5: Double-click on Internal Storage, then double-click on the DCIM folder. DCIM stands for "Digital Camera Images," and this is where your iPhone stores every photo and video you have ever taken with the Camera app. Inside DCIM, you will see folders named things. Each folder contains a batch of your media files.

Step 6: Select the folders or individual files you want to back up. To select everything at once, press Ctrl + A on your keyboard. Then right-click and choose Copy, or simply press Ctrl + C.

Step 7: Navigate to the location on your PC where you want to store the backup. This could be your Desktop, your Documents folder, or an external hard drive. Right-click in an empty space inside that folder and select Paste, or press Ctrl + V. The files will begin copying over.

Step 8: As the best way to backup iPhone other than iCloud. Once the transfer is complete, open a few of the photos or videos on your PC to verify they copied correctly before disconnecting your iPhone. This verification step protects you from discovering later that a file was corrupted during transfer.