How Do I Transfer Files From A Laptop To An iPhone?

ByKern Campbell, MBA

For those new to the world of iPhones, especially from the Android world, subjects such as file transfer to an iPhone from a laptop may make it seem as though iPhones are complicated. A common user experience with most tech users is that guides directly from the manufacturer on how to transfer files from a laptop to an iPhone are too complicated and at times filled with technical jargon. In my experience as I researched how do I transfer files from my computer to my iPhone without a USB cable, I found that most guides are rather technical and not in a user-friendly tone. Luckily, thanks to the wealth of information on user guides to technologies such as iPhones, it’s now easier to go about embracing newer technologies.

Table of Contents

How Do I Transfer Data From My Laptop to an iPhone?

So, how do I transfer files from my laptop to an iPhone? To transfer data from laptop to iPhone, you can either go the wired way using a USB cable or wireless with a home network like WiFi. When transferring the files using the wireless method, you also have the option to upload files to a server on the internet and then download them on the laptop.

Doing so allows you to keep backups of your data both physically on your computer and also on cloud services like Google Drive or iCloud.

In this article, I’ve explained in detail and in a user-friendly tone my findings on how to transfer files from my laptop to an iPhone, iPod, iPad, or other iOS device. Aside from the file transfer guide, I’ve also included several related guides along with questions you may have regarding how you could move files between your iPhone and other devices.

How Do I Transfer Files From My Computer to My iPhone Without a USB Cable?

Aside from the built-in WiFi syncing functionality in iPhones, several software options are available on the AppStore that are easy to use and feature-rich. You should also note that scattered all over the internet, several untrusted apps purport to offer you file-sharing functionalities. Still, they’re just fronts to show you ads or siphon your data.

The apps I mention in this article are all from trusted sources available on the AppStore.

WiFi Syncing

For WiFi Syncing to work, your iPhone and computer need to be connected to the same network. The network can be either a home Wi-Fi network or a locally created network from another device through creating a WiFi hotspot.

Note that to initially set up WiFi syncing, you’ll need to connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable. But after the initial WiFi sync is created, you will no longer need the USB cable for file transfer.

To set up WiFi Syncing:

  1. First, connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
  2. On the Finder sidebar on your computer, select your iPhone among the possibly available devices. Note that the Finder option is only available by default on Mac computers, and for non-Mac computers, you’ll need to use iTunes, which we’ll discuss further in this article.
  3. Once you’ve selected your iPhone, specify the type of content you’d like to sync between your computer and iPhone.
  4. With the type of content to be synced specified, your iPhone and Mac will now sync whenever connected to the same network.
  5. On the Finder window of your Mac, click on files or folder.
  6. To copy files from your Mac to your iPhone, drag and drop a file from the Finder window to an app name on the list.

Documents

Based on the research I conducted,  Documents is by far the best third-party application that has file transfer capabilities from an iPhone to other devices over WiFi. Another upside to Documents compared to other file transfer options for iPhone is that it doesn’t limit the type of files transferred.

Note that for file transfer between an iPhone and computer to work using Documents, both the iPhone and computer must be connected to the same WiFi network.

  1. On the AppStore, search for Documents and click install.
  2. Once Documents has been installed successfully on your iPhone, click on Services.
  3. When the Services menu opens up, click on Connect to Computer.
  4. On the computer you want to transfer files, open a browser window and enter https://docstransfre.com/. Note the HTTPS section on the Documents URL; this shows that the resource is secure and you do not run the risk of having any unauthorized persons interfere with your iPhone data.
  5. With your iPhone still on the same WiFi network as the computer, enter the four-digit verification code in the browser. A more secure alternative to using the verification code is a QR code, which you can choose on the browser window.
  6. Once the connection has been established, and you can easily drag and drop or tap on upload on the computer’s Documents window to initiate the file transfer.
  7. Once you’re through with the file sharing, click on Disconnect to ensure that your iPhone is not unnecessarily connected to the computer, which may pose a security threat to your files.

VLC

VLC is known among many tech users as being the go-to solution when it comes to an all-in-one media player. Aside from its immense media-playing capabilities, VLC is also a great option for transferring files from a computer to an iPhone and vice versa.

Unknown to most people, VLC hosts wireless file-sharing capabilities that make it convenient to transfer files to and from a computer.

  1. Install VLC from the AppStore.
  2. Ensure that the iPhone and computer are connected to the same network. The network to be used can be either a home WiFi network or a hotspot network created from another device.
  3. On the iPhone, go to the Sharing via WiFi option on VLC.
  4. When the Sharing via WiFi option is activated, you’ll see a URL displayed.
  5. Enter the URL you’ll see in step 4 above into the address bar of a browser of your choice.
  6. Once the URL opens, you’ll see the VLC file sharing window.
  7. From the file sharing window on VLC, you can drag and drop the files you want to share from your computer.

iTunes

iTunes is the default files sharing option for transfers from a non-Mac computer to an iPhone.

  1. Install the latest version of iTunes on your computer
  2. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
  3. On the Finder sidebar on your computer, select your iPhone among the possibly available devices. Note that the Finder option is only available by default on Mac computers, and for non-Mac computers, you’ll need to use iTunes, which we’ll discuss further in this article.
  4. Once you’ve selected your iPhone, specify the type of content you’d like to sync between your computer and iPhone.
  5. On the installed iTunes app on your computer and you have signed in with your Apple ID, click on the iPhone logo button at the top left of the iTunes window.
  6. In the iTunes window, click on file sharing and select Transfer a file from your computer to your iPhone.
  7. The menu in 6 above will open up a window where you can select the files you’d like to transfer.
  8. Once you’ve selected the files you want, click on Add.

What Is the Easiest Way to Transfer Files From a Laptop to an iPhone?

Away from the title of this article, I still find a wired file transfer method to be the easiest file sharing method from a computer to an iPhone.

I base my preference on the USB file sharing method because it requires little to no software installation or update.

Another reason for my preference for USB over wireless file sharing from a computer to an iPhone is that it’s relatively faster. Compared to its wireless counterpart, the superior speed of a USB file transfer is that it’s not prone to network interruption.

Aside from the technical efficiencies of a wired file transfer method, I guess I’m just old school in that I enjoy physically seeing the channels through which my data is traveling.

Closing Thoughts

Contrary to what most non-iPhone users believe, the file-sharing aspect of iPhones is just as welcoming as other iPhone features.

Compared to other phones, I think the relatively extra work required when sharing files from a computer to an iPhone and vice versa can serve as a security feature. Just by the thought of not having the ease of a plug-and-play file sharing setup, someone with ill intentions may think twice whenever they plan to have unauthorized access to your data.

For all the legitimate needs for file sharing from a computer to an iPhone, a few extra clicks or software updates won’t hurt if, in exchange, you’ll get top-quality file-sharing services. You shouldn’t get bored from going through all the available file-sharing options and finding just what works for you; at least, I didn’t.

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