How to transfer multiple photos at once in Phone Link?

You cannot tick many photos in Phone Link's old Photos tab, but you no longer need it. On Windows 11 Microsoft moved phone photos into File Explorer, where Ctrl + A and copy move a whole folder at once. Samsung phones can also drag up to 100 photos from Phone screen.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

Why Phone Link lets you select only one photo at a time

Phone Link's Photos tab was built as a viewer of your recent camera photos. It shows thumbnails, and you save a picture by opening it or right-clicking it. Users have reported for years that it offers no way to tick several photos and save them together, which is exactly the reader's complaint above.

Microsoft's answer was not a selection box in Phone Link. On Windows 11 it moved the Photos feature to File Explorer. Your phone appears in the left pane like a drive, and its folders behave like any other folder: select all, copy, paste, drag.

What you gain by switching to File Explorer, and what it costs

The change costs nothing to try and undo, but it changes how deleting works. Read the last row before you tidy up photos from the PC.

Speed depends on your Wi-Fi and the phone, and Microsoft gives no figure. For thousands of photos or long videos a cable is usually the safer choice, because a dropped Wi-Fi link stops a wireless copy.

Which way to use for your phone and PC

How to transfer multiple photos at once from your phone to the PC

The methods go from the one Microsoft now recommends to the most basic. Method 1 is for Windows 11, Method 2 for Samsung phones on Windows 10 or 11, Method 3 works everywhere with a cable. Method 4 helps when your phone does not appear at all.

Method 1. Show your phone in File Explorer and copy whole folders

5 minutesLow riskYou have Windows 11 and an Android 11 or newer phone linked in Phone Link.

Microsoft moved the Photos feature from Phone Link to File Explorer on Windows 11. There, the phone's folders accept the normal Windows selection keys, so one Ctrl + A picks every photo.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Open Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices and select Manage devices.
3. Find your phone under My devices and turn on Show mobile device in File Explorer.
4. Press Win + E and select your phone in the left pane of File Explorer.
5. Open the Camera folder, or any other folder with photos.
6. Press Ctrl + A to select all, or hold Ctrl and click to pick some.
7. Press Ctrl + C, open a folder on your PC such as Pictures, and press Ctrl + V.

Method 2. Select up to 100 photos on Phone screen and drag them to the PC

3 minutes per 100 photosNo riskYou have a Samsung phone with Link to Windows 1.0.52.30 or later, on Windows 10 or 11.

Phone screen mirrors the phone, so you select photos in the phone's own Gallery app with the mouse. Microsoft documents drag and drop of up to 100 files per drag for Samsung phones.

1. Connect the phone and the PC to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open Phone Link on the PC and select Phone screen.
3. In the mirrored phone, open Gallery, go to Albums and open one.
4. Long-press a photo with the mouse until a check mark appears, then release.
5. Click more photos to add them, up to 100.
6. Long-press one of the selected photos until a thumbnail appears.
7. Drag it to a folder on the PC and release when the cursor says Copy.

Files from My Files (version 11.1.00.121 or later) work the same way. Dragging from other gallery apps is not supported, per Microsoft.

Method 3. Copy all photos over a USB cable

5 minutes plus copy timeNo riskYou use Windows 10, have no shared Wi-Fi, or move thousands of photos or long videos.

A cable does not depend on Phone Link, Wi-Fi or the phone brand. Windows shows the phone as a media device, so its DCIM folder can be selected and copied in one go.

1. Connect the phone to the PC with a USB cable that carries data, not only charge.
2. Unlock the phone.
3. Pull down the notification shade and tap the USB notification.
4. Choose File transfer (on some phones Transferring files or MTP).
5. Press Win + E and open This PC, then your phone.
6. Open Internal storage > DCIM > Camera.
7. Press Ctrl + A, then Ctrl + C, open a PC folder and press Ctrl + V.

Before you wipe the phone or delete the originals, keep a second copy of the photos. Step by step: Back up your files (Windows Backup, File History, Time Machine).

Method 4. Make the phone appear when File Explorer or Phone Link does not show it

10 minutesLow riskThe toggle is missing, the phone is not in File Explorer, or Phone Link shows no photos.

Most failures here are the requirements: Windows 10, an older Android or an old Link to Windows app. A stuck File Explorer or Phone Link app is the next most common cause.

1. On the phone, check Settings > About phone > Software information for Android 11 or later.
2. Update Link to Windows on the phone from its app store.
3. On the PC, confirm the phone is listed in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices > Manage devices; if not, select Add device.
4. If another phone is shown in File Explorer, turn it off: only one can show at a time.
5. Restart File Explorer so the left pane is rebuilt.

Restarting File Explorer step by step: Restart File Explorer. If Phone Link itself hangs or shows no phone, repair it first and reset it only if repair does not help: How to repair or reset an app in Windows. A reset unlinks the phone, so you pair it again.

Where Phone Link stores photos on your PC

Phone Link has no download folder of its own. Photos you copy or drag go where you paste or drop them. Photos you only open from the phone in File Explorer are kept as local copies by Windows.

Copied or dragged photos

The PC folder you chose, for example Pictures.

Local copies of opened files

C:\Users\<your username>\CrossDevice, per Microsoft.

Files sent from PC to phone

Internal Storage > Downloads on the phone.

Deleted from the phone in File Explorer

Recycle bin - Connected device on the phone, for 30 days.

To clear the local copies without touching the phone, Microsoft's order is: turn off Show mobile device in File Explorer first, then delete what you want in the CrossDevice folder.

How to undo it and put everything back

Nothing in this guide changes the phone's photos unless you delete them. Each change has a simple way back.

Myths about moving photos with Phone Link

• "Phone Link cannot move more than one photo." Its old Photos tab cannot, but File Explorer on Windows 11 and Phone screen drag on Samsung both move many. The limit belongs to one screen, not to the app.
• "The limit is 99 photos." Microsoft states 100 files per drag for Phone screen, each under 512 MB. File Explorer has no stated batch limit.
• "Deleting in File Explorer only clears the PC." It does not: Microsoft says the file is removed from the phone. It can be restored from the phone's recycle bin for 30 days.
• "Wireless transfers shrink the photos." Microsoft says File Explorer gives photos in original quality. The old Photos tab was a viewer, which is why people saw smaller copies there.
• "You need a third-party app." Windows already has three ways, all in this guide, and a cable needs no app at all.

Frequently asked questions

How do I select multiple photos in Phone Link?

On Windows 11, do not use the Photos tab: turn on Show mobile device in File Explorer in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mobile devices > Manage devices. Then open your phone in File Explorer, open Camera, and press Ctrl + A or hold Ctrl while clicking. On a Samsung phone you can also select in Phone screen: long-press one photo in Gallery until a check mark appears, then click more, up to 100.

How do I select all photos in Phone Link?

Phone Link's own Photos tab has no select all. Open the phone's Camera folder in File Explorer instead and press Ctrl + A, which needs Windows 11, Android 11 or later and the Show mobile device in File Explorer toggle. Phone screen drag on Samsung stops at 100 files per drag, so it cannot take a whole large camera roll in one go. On Windows 10, connect a cable and press Ctrl + A in DCIM > Camera.

Where does Phone Link store photos?

Phone Link has no fixed photo folder. Photos you copy or drag land where you paste or drop them on the PC. Photos you only open from the phone in File Explorer are kept as local copies in C:\Users\<your username>\CrossDevice, according to Microsoft. Files sent from the PC to the phone go to Internal Storage > Downloads on the phone. Deleting files in the CrossDevice folder does not touch the phone.

Can I remove and save all photos from Phone Link to my desktop?

Yes, in two steps. First copy: open the phone's Camera folder in File Explorer, press Ctrl + A, Ctrl + C, and paste on the desktop or in a folder. Check that the copies open. Only then delete the originals, because deleting in File Explorer removes them from the phone. If you delete something by mistake, it stays in Recycle bin - Connected device on the phone for 30 days.

Why did the Photos tab disappear from Phone Link?

Microsoft moved the Photos feature from Phone Link to File Explorer on Windows 11. Its support page says you now find the phone's photos in File Explorer instead of the Photos tab. The reasons it gives are original quality, copy, paste and batch actions, access to every folder, and videos and audio. If you see neither, turn on Show mobile device in File Explorer in Settings and check the requirements in Method 4.

How many photos can I transfer at once with Phone Link drag and drop?

Up to 100 files per drag, and no single file may be larger than 512 MB, according to Microsoft. Folders and photos that exist only in the cloud cannot be dragged. Drag and drop needs a Samsung phone with Link to Windows 1.0.52.30 or later on the same Wi-Fi as the PC. For more than 100, repeat the drag or use File Explorer, which has no stated batch limit.

Does this work on a Samsung Galaxy A54?

Yes, a Galaxy A54 qualifies for both wireless ways. It is a Samsung phone running Android 13 or later, so it meets the Android 11 requirement for File Explorer on Windows 11. It also comes with Link to Windows built in, which gives you Phone screen drag and drop of up to 100 photos. Update Link to Windows first, because both features need a recent version.

Can I transfer multiple photos from an iPhone with Phone Link?

We could not confirm it. Microsoft's pages on Phone Link photos, File Explorer access and drag and drop all describe Android phones only. For an iPhone, the dependable ways are a USB cable with the Windows Photos app import, or iCloud for Windows. Both move many photos at once and do not depend on Phone Link.

How do I transfer multiple photos from phone to laptop without Phone Link?

Use a USB cable. Connect the phone, unlock it, tap the USB notification and choose File transfer. On the laptop open This PC, your phone, Internal storage > DCIM > Camera, press Ctrl + A and copy the photos to a folder. This works on Windows 10 and 11 with any Android phone and has no batch limit. It is also the fastest choice for thousands of photos.

What if none of these methods work for me?

Start with the requirements, because most failures come from them: Windows 11 and Android 11 for File Explorer, Samsung for drag and drop. Update Link to Windows, restart File Explorer, and repair Phone Link as in Method 4. If it still does not work, the USB cable in Method 3 needs no Phone Link at all. This page is in English; the same steps apply in any Windows language, with translated menu names.