Quick fixes: how to transfer iPhone videos to a Windows PC when it keeps disconnecting - The Verge

Issue

Your iPhone keeps disconnecting from your Windows PC oregon Mac erstwhile you’re trying to import photos oregon videos. You whitethorn spot the mistake “A instrumentality attached to the strategy is not functioning.”

Quick fix

Stop your iPhone from automatically converting the video to the bequest H.264 format by going to Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac oregon PC and tapping Keep Originals.

The afloat story

My iPhone 13 mini was moving retired of space, but I couldn’t conscionable hitch it; I had important videos I needed to save. But each clip I plugged my iPhone into my Windows PC, it would disconnect successful the mediate of a record transfer.

I double-checked that I had installed the Apple USB drivers properly. My Windows PC had plentifulness of space. I adjacent randomly tried deleting immoderate telephone apps, wondering if possibly the iPhone was glitching retired owed to debased storage. That seemed to assistance immoderate — but it kept choking connected tons of videos, including the 6.9GB clip I needed for an upcoming enactment project.

What truly pissed maine off: erstwhile I checked my iPhone’s escaped retention connected the iPhone itself, it seemed to beryllium shrinking erstwhile I tried to transportation that video!

Why couldn’t I extract these videos to escaped up abstraction connected my phone? Incredibly, it’s because my telephone didn’t person capable escaped abstraction already.

You see, it turns retired that the iPhone has a hidden mounting that, by default, converts each video you transportation to a PC to the much easy playable H.264 format — but paradoxically, that conversion requires much escaped abstraction connected your phone. Twice the space, successful fact: that 6.9GB clip connected my iPhone is simply a 15.2GB clip connected my Windows computer.

Thankfully, you tin archer your iPhone to halt converting videos beauteous easily. It’s conscionable buried successful a strategy paper nether Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac oregon PC.

When you person plentifulness of escaped abstraction connected your phone, Apple’s prime to person makes immoderate sense. Windows didn’t natively vessel with enactment for HEVC / H.265, the much businesslike video format that Apple uses to propulsion chill tricks similar real-time HDR, Cinematic Mode, and more, whereas H.264 works beauteous overmuch everywhere. You tin adjacent archer your iPhone to grounds to H.264 to statesman with successful Settings > Camera > Formats, but past you’ll suffer those nifty capabilities.

And you astir apt shouldn’t due to the fact that it’s not that hard to play H.265 contented connected a Windows PC. I tin play the archetypal video successful my escaped transcript of VLC Media Player conscionable fine, and my Microsoft Movies & TV app adjacent seems to play it, adjacent though I haven’t installed Microsoft’s 99 cents HEVC Video Extensions since my past PC reformat.

Anyhow, I anticipation this helps you with your out-of-storage iPhone. Personally, I’m ne'er going to wage Apple’s ransom note, nary substance however overmuch the institution nags maine to cough up immoderate further alteration for iCloud.