TABLE OF CONTENTS — WINDOWS EDITION

Introduction

How to Use This Guide (Please Read First)

Part 1 — iPhone Photos to Windows PC

Safely Getting Photos Off Your iPhone

Part 2 — Google Photos to Windows PC

Downloading Google Photos Without Errors

Part 3 — Safe Bulk Deletion

Removing Photos from Google Photos the Right Way

Part 4 — Deduplication on Windows

Finding and Removing Duplicates (With AI Guidance)

Final Checklist

Confirm Everything Is Safe and Complete

 Appendix

Common Issues & Quick Notes
External Hard Drive (Recommended, Not Required)

Appendix D

Extremely Large Photo Libraries (10+ Years)
A Safe Option for Google Photos Users

Introduction — How to Use This Guide

This guide is designed to help you get your photos off your phone and out of the cloud without losing anything.

It is a checklist, not a lesson.

How to Use This Guide

• You do not need to complete this in one sitting
• You can stop after any section and return later
• Nothing in this guide deletes photos automatically

You remain in control the entire time.

What This Guide Does

This guide helps you:

• Copy photos from your iPhone to your Windows computer
• Download photos from Google Photos safely
• Free up cloud storage without risk
• Optionally remove duplicate photos

What This Guide Does NOT Do

This guide does not:

• Rename your files
• Automatically organize photos
• Delete anything without your confirmation

Those steps only happen if and when you choose.

One Rule That Matters

Do NOT rename any photo or video files.

Keeping original filenames is critical for safely identifying duplicates later.

Take Your Time

If this process takes multiple days, that is normal.
If you take breaks, that is smart.

The goal is not speed.
The goal is safety.

When you’re ready, begin with Part 1.

PART 1 — iPhone Photos to Windows PC

Safely Getting Photos Off Your iPhone

What This Part Does

Copies photos and videos from your iPhone to your Windows computer.
Nothing is deleted.

🔒 One Rule

Do NOT rename any files.
No organizing yet. Filenames matter for duplicates later.

Before You Begin

Create a folder first.

1. Go to your Desktop
2. Right-click → New Folder
3. Name it: iPhone Picture App

What You Need

• iPhone
• USB cable
• Windows computer

Step-by-Step

1. Connect your iPhone
Plug it into your computer. Wait a few seconds.

2. Open the Photos app
Press the Windows key (Windows logo key near the space bar)
Type Photos → Open it.

3. Start import
Click Import → From a USB device

4. Import photos
Choose Import all

If you have a large library:

• Import 400–500 photos or videos at a time
• Repeat until finished

Choose Desktop → iPhone Picture App
Wait until the import completes.

Verify

Open the folder.
Open a few photos and one video.

⛔ Stop Here

Photos are now:

v  On your computer

v  Still on your iPhone

v  Unchanged

Do not delete anything yet.

PART 2 — Google Photos to Windows PC

Downloading Google Photos Without Errors

v  If your Google Photos library spans more than 10 years or tens of thousands of photos, skip ahead to Appendix D for the safest option.
When finished, return here and continue with Part 3.

What This Part Does

Copies Google Photos to your computer safely.
Nothing is deleted.

🔒 Rule Still Applies

Do NOT rename files.

Before You Begin

Create a folder.

1. Desktop → New Folder
2. Name it: Google Picture App

Important to Know

Google Photos is cloud-based.
Downloading too much at once can fail.
Large ZIP files often won’t open on Windows.

Step-by-Step

1. Open Google Photos
Go to photos.google.com
Sign in.

2. Select photos (in batches)

• Click one photo
• Scroll
• Hold Shift and click another
• Select 400–500 items max

3. Download
Click ⋮ → Download
Wait while it says Preparing to download.

4. Save the file
When File Explorer opens:

• Choose Desktop → Google Picture App
• Click Save

Important:
Clicking Save starts the download.
Wait until it fully finishes.

5. Extract the ZIP
Right-click the ZIP → Extract All

Even if photos open inside the ZIP, always extract.

Verify

Open the folder.
Open a few photos and one video.

🔐 Backup Checkpoint (Optional)

If using an external drive:

• Copy Google Picture App to the drive
• Use the same folder each time

⛔ Stop Here

Files are:

• On your computer
• Verified
• Still in Google Photos

Do not delete yet.

PART 3 — Safe Bulk Deletion

Removing Photos from Google Photos the Right Way

What This Part Does

Frees Google cloud storage.
Does not affect your computer or iPhone Photos app.

Important to Understand

Google Photos website and phone app show the same library.
Delete on the website = gone from the app.

What Deleting Will NOT Do

It will NOT delete:

• Computer photos
• iPhone Photos app
• External backups

Before You Delete

Confirm:

• Photos open on your PC
• ZIPs are extracted
• Backup exists (if used)

Step-by-Step

1. Go to Google Phot