Source-checked · About 5 minutes plus transfer time
Answer
Choose the branch below based on where the files live and how much control you need. For a large local batch, use a data-capable USB cable, Android File transfer, and Microsoft Photos > Import > connected device. Phone Link is only for recent images and does not import videos.
Bulk localUse USB and Microsoft Photos to select and import a batch.
Folder copyUse USB and File Explorer to copy DCIM, Pictures, or another visible media folder.
Cloud-onlyDownload them from photos.google.com; a USB connection cannot copy a file that is not stored on the phone.
Recent onlyIf Phone Link is already paired, use Photos > Save as. It excludes videos and older or unsupported folders.
Choose the route that matches where the files live
Use Microsoft Photos for a batch of photos or videos stored on the phone, File Explorer for exact folders, and Google Photos for items that exist only in the cloud. Use Phone Link only when it is already paired and you need a few recent images. Follow only that branch, then complete Step 7.
2
For either USB branch, expose the phone to Windows
Connect the unlocked phone with a cable that supports data. Swipe down on Android, tap the USB notification such as Charging this device via USB, then under Use USB for select File transfer. Keep the phone unlocked; a charging-only cable or Charge only mode will not expose the media.
3
For a selected batch, import with Microsoft Photos
Open Start > Photos on Windows, select Import, and choose the connected phone. Wait for the scan, select the photos and videos you want, choose the destination shown by Photos, then start the import. Keep the phone unlocked until Photos reports that the transfer has finished.
4
For exact folders, copy with File Explorer
Press Windows + E, open This PC > your phone > Internal shared storage, and locate the required folder. Camera photos and videos are normally under DCIM > Camera; screenshots are commonly under Pictures > Screenshots. Copy the chosen files or folder to a new PC folder rather than moving or deleting the originals.
5
For cloud-only items, download the local copy
On the PC, open photos.google.com and sign in to the Google Account that holds the backup. Select a photo or video, choose More > Download, and confirm the file appears in the browser's download folder. For a complete library export, use Google Takeout instead of downloading items one at a time.
6
For a few recent images, use Phone Link only if it is ready
On an already paired PC, open Phone Link > Photos, right-click the required image, and choose Save as. This branch shows only recent Camera Roll and Screenshots images and does not import videos. Do not delete an image in Phone Link unless you also intend to delete its local phone copy.
7
Verify the destination copy and stop
Open the PC destination, then open at least one transferred photo and one transferred video if videos were included. Confirm the expected batch or folder is present before disconnecting the phone. Keep the phone originals until the PC copy and a separate backup are confirmed.
If it does not work
If Windows does not show the phone, leave it unlocked, reselect File transfer, and try another known data cable and USB port. Do not install a driver from a download site.
If Microsoft Photos finds some items but not the folder you need, stop that branch and use File Explorer to copy the visible folder instead.
If a photo is visible in Google Photos but absent from DCIM or Pictures, treat it as cloud-only and download it from photos.google.com.
If a copied video will not play, first compare its file size with the phone original. A complete copy may still require a Windows codec or another player; do not repeat-delete the source.
If Phone Link does not show the item, use USB or Google Photos. Its recent-image view is not evidence that an older photo or video is missing from the phone.
ⓘ Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows & Android.
Microsoft and Google document USB import and file copying as the complete local paths. Google Photos is required for cloud-only items, while Phone Link is limited to recent images and does not import videos.
