Try These Fixes First
- Update iOS: Updating the iOS can help eliminate bugs preventing your iPhone from transferring media files to your computer. To update the iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update and download any available update on the page.
- Try another USB cable: A frayed or damaged cable could also cause this error. Ensure that you use an authentic cable. If the error persists after disabling the image format conversion, connect your iPhone to the PC using another USB cable.
Fix 1: Change the Image Transfer Settings
By default, iOS devices will transfer media files in a format compatible with the receiving device (Mac or PC). Say a picture is in the HEIC format on your iPhone. So, iOS will convert the picture to a format compatible with your computer. This is great, no doubt. However, we’ve discovered that the conversion process sometimes causes the “The device is unreachable” error on Windows devices.
If you’ve been trying to copy images from your iPhone but to no avail, head to the Photos settings menu on your iPhone and disable the image conversion. Unplug your iPhone from the computer and open the Settings app on your iPhone > select Photos > Keep Originals under the Transfer to Mac or PC section.
Note: Some photos may be transferred to your PC as HEIC files. If you have problems viewing these images using your default photo viewer, refer to this guide on converting HEIC to JPG on Windows 10.
Now, plug your iPhone back into the PC and check if you can transfer photos and videos.
Fix 2: Turn on iCloud Photos
Ensure the iCloud Photos toggle is enabled in the iPhone Settings app; otherwise, you’ll encounter the issue. To enable the toggle, open the iPhone Settings app > choose Photos > enable the iCloud Photos toggle.
Fix 3: Update USB Drivers
You should also ensure your PC’s USB drivers are up-to-date. Connect your PC to the internet and check if any updates are available for the USB driver.
Step 1: Open the Settings menu on your Windows PC > choose Windows Update from the sidebar > click Advanced options on the right.
Step 2: Choose Optional updates, and in the following window, you’ll see updates available for different drivers installed on your computer. Select and download the update available for your USB driver.
Also Read: How to clear iCloud storage that is full
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Last updated on 04 September, 2024
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