Windows Photos import not working? "Something went wrong", nothing to import, and other fixes
Photos sees the phone, starts looking, and then gives up, or tells you there's nothing new when you know there is. The app is only the last link in a chain, so check the earlier links first.
What the message means
| What you see | Likely cause | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Phone not offered as an import source | Charge-only cable, Android left on Charging only, or iPhone not trusted. | Fix the connection first: see phone not showing up on the PC. |
| "Something went wrong" partway through | The phone locked, or the iPhone couldn't convert HEIC and HEVC to JPEG fast enough. | Keep the phone awake, choose Keep Originals on the iPhone, import fewer items at once. |
| "There's nothing new to import" or only a few items | Photos remembers what it imported before and hides those. | Select all items manually, or delete the old copies from the folder and import again. |
| Import finds photos but not videos, or videos won't play | Missing HEVC support on Windows. | Install the HEIF and HEVC video extensions from the Microsoft Store. |
| Some iPhone photos missing | Optimise iPhone Storage keeps only small previews on the phone, with originals in iCloud. | Download the originals from iCloud, or turn on Download and Keep Originals for a while before importing. |
| Hangs on "Looking for items" | Tens of thousands of photos on the phone. | Wait a few minutes with the phone unlocked, or copy folders by hand in File Explorer instead. |
Fix order that solves most cases
- Restart the PC and the phone. It sounds lazy, but it clears a stuck device driver more often than anything else.
- Use a cable you know carries data, straight into the PC rather than through a hub.
- Unlock the phone. On iPhone tap Trust and enter the passcode. On Android pick File transfer, or PTP if File transfer finds nothing.
- iPhone only: Settings, Photos, scroll to the bottom, Transfer to Mac or PC, Keep Originals. Install Apple's free Devices app or iTunes from the Microsoft Store so the iPhone driver is present.
- Open Photos, choose Import, then pick the phone. Import a smaller batch first to prove it works.
- Still failing? Update Photos in the Microsoft Store, or reset it in Settings, Apps, Installed apps, Photos, Advanced options, Repair then Reset. Your photo files on disk aren't deleted by resetting the app.
Copy without the Photos app
File Explorer often works when Photos doesn't. Open This PC, the phone, Internal Storage (or the iPhone's Internal Storage), then DCIM, and drag the month folders to a folder on the PC. Do a few at a time; one huge drag is the most likely to time out. Afterwards you can rename the files by date in your browser, or shrink them for sharing, without uploading anything.
Related
"The device is unreachable" copying iPhone photos · Phone not showing up on the PC · Convert HEIC to JPG · Back up phone photos to an external drive
Questions
Why does Windows Photos say there's nothing new to import?
Photos remembers which items it imported before and skips them, even if you've since deleted the copies. Select the items you want manually, or copy them in File Explorer instead.
Why does Photos import fail with 'Something went wrong' from an iPhone?
Usually the phone locked during the import, or the iPhone couldn't convert its HEIC photos to JPEG fast enough. Keep it unlocked, set Transfer to Mac or PC to Keep Originals, and import smaller batches.
Do I need iTunes to import iPhone photos on Windows?
You need the Apple driver, which comes with Apple's Devices app or iTunes from the Microsoft Store. You don't need to open either; installing it is enough.
Can I import photos without the Photos app?
Yes. Open the phone in File Explorer, go to the DCIM folder, and copy the folders you want to the PC.
Does resetting the Photos app delete my pictures?
No. Resetting clears the app's settings and cache. The photo files in your Pictures folder stay where they are.
Published .