PairOnce

IPHONE → WINDOWS PC · PHOTOS, VIDEOS, FILES

Send files from an iPhone to a Windows PC, no app needed

Open paironce.com in Chrome, Edge or Firefox on the PC, scan the QR code with the iPhone’s Camera app, then tap Choose files on the iPhone and pick from Photos or Files.

On the PC, click Accept, then Save: the file goes straight between the two devices, encrypted end to end, and lands in Downloads.

Step by step

  1. Open PairOnce on the PC. Go to paironce.com in Chrome, Edge or Firefox. It shows a QR code and a six-digit code.
  2. Connect the iPhone. Scan the QR code with the Camera app, or open paironce.com in Safari and type the six-digit code under Enter a code. Check that both screens show the same safety code, then click Approve device on the PC. On the same Wi-Fi you can skip the scan: with PairOnce open on both, the other device appears under On this Wi-Fi; select Connect and check the safety code as usual. A page opened from a QR code or link asks you to confirm first: tap Connect.
  3. Choose the files on the iPhone. Tap Choose files and pick from Photos or Files. You can pick several at once; the PC asks before each one arrives.
  4. Accept and save on the PC. Click Accept, then Save, and check your Downloads folder. Click I saved it so the iPhone knows the copy is safe.

From the PC to the iPhone

The same connection works in both directions. Choose files on the PC and accept them on the iPhone. After tapping Save, the file is in the Files app, under Downloads. For a photo or video, tap Share, then Save to Photos, to put it in your photo library.

iPhone and iPad

An iPad works exactly like an iPhone here: open paironce.com in Safari, scan the PC’s QR code or type its code, and send. On an iPad you can also drag files from the Files app onto the page. Keep the screen on and Safari in front while files are moving; iPadOS pauses pages in the background, just as iOS does.

Why it works without an app

Files travel between the two browsers, encrypted end to end. They are not uploaded to a cloud folder or kept on PairOnce servers. The safety code makes sure the iPhone is talking to your PC and not to someone else’s. Paired devices are remembered in each browser: next time, open PairOnce on both and tap Connect, with no code.

Limits, and when this is not the right tool

  • A file can be up to 2 GB over a direct connection when the receiving browser saves straight to disk (Chrome or Edge on a computer or Android, Firefox on a computer, Safari on iOS 26 or later). Other browsers take up to 50 MB per file and hold 100 MB of received files at a time.
  • Files over 2 GB need PairOnce Pro on one of the two devices. Then a file can be up to 10 GB, received the same way, and the relay carries 5 GB a month.
  • When the two devices cannot reach each other directly, an encrypted relay carries the data. Each device can send and receive 200 MB a month that way, counted together; a direct connection has no monthly limit.
  • Both pages must stay open until everything has arrived: keep the phone’s screen on and the browser in front.
  • PairOnce moves things between two devices that are open at the same time. It is not cloud storage: nothing waits on a server for later.

Other ways to do it

  • iCloud for Windows or iCloud.com. Fine if you already sync photos there; files go up to the cloud and down again, which is slow for big videos and needs an Apple ID on the PC.
  • A USB cable. Reliable for whole photo libraries; the PC sees only photos and videos, and you need a Lightning or USB-C cable at hand.
  • Microsoft Phone Link. Built into Windows. Microsoft now lists “Send Files” for iPhone, but only with Windows 11, Phone Link 1.25032.82.0 or later, a Bluetooth LE connection and a Microsoft account, and it is rolling out gradually, so it may not be available to you yet.
  • Email to yourself. Works for a few photos; attachments are limited to about 25 MB, and photos may be resized.

Common questions

Does it work in Safari on the iPhone?

Yes. Safari on iPhone and iPad and Chrome, Edge or Firefox on Windows are supported. Keep the iPhone’s screen on and Safari in front while files are moving.

Can I send large videos?

Yes, up to 2 GB per file when the PC receives in Chrome, Edge or Firefox over a direct connection; the same Wi-Fi works best. Files over 2 GB, up to 10 GB, need PairOnce Pro on the iPhone or the PC.

Are photos sent at full quality, and what about HEIC?

PairOnce sends the file exactly as the iPhone hands it to the browser, without recompressing it. Photos from the library usually arrive as the original .HEIC file; Windows may need Microsoft’s free HEIF Image Extensions to open them.

Is it really free?

Yes. There is no account, no payment and no trial period for sending files over a direct connection.