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iPhone to Windows

Send large files from iPhone to Windows from Safari, with no app.

An iPhone and a Windows PC don't share a built-in way to move big files, but both have a browser. Volo pairs Safari on the iPhone with Chrome or Edge on the PC and sends files directly between them. Because the PC is the receiver, large videos are saved straight to its disk.

Free · No sign-up · Files aren't uploaded or stored

Why large videos work from iPhone to Windows

Volo's 1GB limit applies to receiving browsers that hold files in memory, not to senders. Safari on the iPhone reads the video in 256KB slices and sends them one after another, so it never loads the whole file.

Chrome and Edge on Windows write each slice straight to the file you choose, so there's no fixed size limit from Volo in this direction. What matters instead is free space on the PC's drive, keeping Safari open on the iPhone, and a connection that stays up until the end.

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How to send large files from iPhone to Windows

  1. Create a room on the Windows PC

    Open volotransfer.online in Chrome or Edge and choose Create a room. A QR code and room code appear.

  2. Scan the QR code with your iPhone

    Point the iPhone's Camera app at the QR code and tap the link to open the room in Safari. The PC shows that the devices are connected.

  3. Pick the files on the iPhone

    Tap the drop area in the Files tab. For big videos, choose the file from the Files app rather than the Photo Library where you can.

  4. Accept on the PC and choose where to save

    An Incoming file prompt shows the name and size. Click Accept & Save…, choose a folder on a drive with enough free space, and the transfer begins.

  5. Keep the iPhone awake until it finishes

    Leave Safari open with the screen on. When the progress bar completes, the file is already in the folder you chose.

Will photos and videos keep their original quality?

Volo sends exactly the bytes Safari gives it and doesn't compress or re-encode anything. What it can't control is the file iOS hands to Safari in the first place.

When you choose from the Photo Library, iOS prepares a copy first. Depending on the item and your settings, that copy may be converted to a more compatible format, such as a HEIC photo arriving as JPEG, or a large video being re-encoded, which can also take a while. Choosing the file through the Files app is more likely to pass it along as stored. If exact originals matter, check the format and size of what arrives on the PC.

Keep Safari open and the screen on

iOS doesn't keep web pages running freely in the background. If you lock the iPhone, switch apps or let the screen turn off, Safari can suspend the page. After about 12 seconds without contact the PC treats the iPhone as gone and stops the transfer, and it can't be resumed.

Volo asks the browser to keep the screen awake during a transfer where that's supported. For a long video, it's still worth plugging the iPhone in and leaving Safari in front until the progress bar finishes.

Where the file is saved on Windows

When you click Accept & Save… in Chrome or Edge, the standard Save dialog opens with the original file name filled in. Volo writes into that file as the data arrives, so there's no separate download to wait for afterwards. If you cancel the dialog, nothing has been sent and you can click Accept & Save… again.

If you pick several files on the iPhone, they're sent one at a time, and the PC asks you to accept each in turn.

Sending the other way, from Windows to iPhone

The reverse direction works, but now the iPhone is the receiver. Browsers on iPhone can't let Volo write straight to storage, so the file is held in memory and offered as a download when it completes, with a 1GB limit. For anything larger, keep a computer on the receiving end.

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Troubleshooting

The iPhone opens the room but never connects

Volo has no relay server, so some network pairs, such as strict NAT or some corporate and mobile networks, can't reach each other directly. Put the iPhone on the same Wi-Fi as the PC and try again in a new room.

Accept is greyed out on the receiving device

The receiving browser can only hold files in memory and this file is over 1GB. On Windows, receive in Chrome or Edge rather than Firefox. If the iPhone is the receiver, larger files can't be accepted there.

The room says it's full

A room connects exactly two devices. If the link was also opened in another tab or on a third device, close that one or create a new room.

The transfer stopped partway through

Usually the iPhone locked, Safari went to the background, or the Wi-Fi changed. Volo can't resume, so reconnect the devices and send the file again with the screen kept on.

Frequently asked questions

Does the video arrive in the same format it has on my iPhone?

Volo doesn't change files. If you pick from the Photo Library, iOS may hand Safari a converted copy, for example JPEG instead of HEIC, so choosing the file from the Files app is the better way to send it as stored.

Can I use Firefox on the Windows PC to receive?

Yes, for files up to 1GB. Firefox receives into memory, so larger files can't be accepted there. Use Chrome or Edge for bigger files, since they let Volo save straight to disk.

Does the iPhone need a cable or a sync app?

No. Both devices only need a browser: Safari on the iPhone and Chrome or Edge on the PC. They pair by QR code and the file is sent over the network.

Related guides

Create the room on your PC

Open Volo in Chrome or Edge on the Windows PC, create a room, and scan its QR code with your iPhone.