Why I can't copy photos from iPhone to PC?

Using SMB file sharing to copy photos from iPhone to PC is a viable wireless method. It works via the iPhone's built-in Files app which can connect to a shared Windows folder over your local network. However, it's a more advanced setup compared to other methods; you'll need to configure a shared folder with proper permissions on your Windows 11 PC and may need to take extra troubleshooting steps for a successful connection.

The Best Fix: Create a dedicated local user account for the SMB share. This completely bypasses the complex authentication issues with Microsoft accounts.

1. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Accounts > Other users and create a new local user with a strong password.

2. When setting permissions for your shared folder, grant permissions to this new local account—not your Microsoft account.

3. On your iPhone, enter the username in the format: PC-name\username, e.g., DESKTOP- ABC\smb_user. Enter the password you set for that local account.

Many outdated tutorials suggest enabling "SMB 1. 0/ CIFS File Sharing Support" for compatibility. This is strongly discouraged—SMB 1.0 has major security vulnerabilities. Modern Windows and iOS devices work perfectly well using SMB 2.0/3.0 protocols, so keep SMB 1.0 disabled.

This is the single most effective strategy to copy photos from iPhone to PC.