How to Transfer Files from PC to iPad Without iTunes [Top]

How to send files from PC to iPad without iTunes but via USB or wirelessly? Find detailed answers here and you can get 6 different & useful ways to meet your needs.

By @Kathy Last Updated December 10, 2024

When you have files stored on your PC that you want to view, edit, or share on your iPad, figuring out how to efficiently transfer them from PC to iPad can be a challenge. As Apple's official software, most users might want to use iTunes for this process. However, iTunes' complicated interface and complex functionality can be frustrating for many, often resulting in unknown errors during the transfer.

Then you may need to know how to transfer files from PC to iPad without iTunes. Here we offer 6 ways for you to make it. You can choose the most suitable one to meet your needs.

Method Connection Supported File Transfer Speed Storage Limitation Effectiveness
FoneToolπŸ”₯ USB Media, Contacts Super-Fast × High - 3 Steps
File Explorer USB Photos, Videos Slow × Moderate
iCloud Wireless Media, Contacts, Notes Depends on Internet 5 GB for free Moderate
Google Drive Wireless Media, Documents Depends on Internet 15 GB for free Moderate
iCloud Drive Wireless Media, Documents Depends on Internet 5 GB for free Moderate
Email Wireless Media, Documents Slow Depends on the Email Service Low

Method 1. How to transfer files from PC to iPad without iTunes [Recommended]

What is the easiest way to transfer files from PC to iPad? That’s a professional iPad data transfer tool named FoneTool! Its total USB connections ensure all the transfer processes are safe and stable.

FoneTool

Best Windows to iPad File Transfer App

  • Transfer unlimited files between iPad and PC as you like.
  • Easily transfer photos, videos, music, ringtones and contacts.
  • Preview and choose the data you need to finish full & selective transfer.
  • 46 GB of files can be moved in 39 minutes without data loss (tested).
  • All common file formats can be recognized with no transfer error.
  • Various iOS devices/versions are OK (iPad 10/Air 6/iPadOS 18/iPhone 16).

Now you can download and install FoneTool on your computer and follow the steps below to learn how to transfer music from PC to iPad without iTunes or transfer other files as you like.

Step 1. Connect your iPad to the computer via a USB cable > Unlock your iPad > If asked, click Trust to continue.

Step 2. Launch FoneTool > Go to Phone Transfer > Choose PC to iPhone and click Get Started.

Step 3. Choose the Music button or other icon you need > Click the box and choose your wanted files > Click Open to add them.

Step 4. Confirm your files and click Start Transfer to begin the task.

πŸ‘‰οΈ How to transfer files from iPad to PC via USB without iTunes? You can also choose the iPhone to PC option under the Phone Transfer interface to transfer files from iPad to Windows computer without iTunes.

Method 2. How to transfer files from PC to iPad using USB cable - File Explorer

Can you connect an iPad to a computer without iTunes or any other third-party software? Of course! Windows File Explorer will help you a lot. With this way, you can transfer photos and videos from your PC to the DCIM folder in iPad and find the files in the Photos app after the process.

⚠️ Note: Using the file explorer to transfer files will be so slow. If you need to transfer a large number of photos and videos, it might not be very convenient.

Step 1. Connect your iPad to the Windows computer via a USB cable. When asked, click Trust on iPad.

Step 2. Launch the File Explorer from your computer > Click This PC and find your device named xxx iPad.

Step 3. Click the device and go to the Internal Storage folder > Choose DCIM > Create a new subfolder to save your moved media files > Copy your needed files on PC and paste them to the targeted folder to transfer files to an iPad via USB.

Method 3. How to transfer file from PC to iPad wirelessly - iCloud

For users who only need to transfer a small number of files, using wireless transfer methods may be more convenient. Then the official cloud service called iCloud will be a nice choice.

Generally, you can access iCloud.com on Windows, upload photos and contacts from your computer to iCloud, and then enable the relevant app synchronization on your iPad to download files. But the upload process can be very slow and you may encounter the iCloud upload stuck error.

Besides, when you upload contacts, you may also receive an error message saying “Unable to import vCard”. So here we would like to recommend you a better iCloud manager - FoneTool to assist you. This tool also supports uploading notes/videos to iCloud from PC, while iCloud.com cannot do.

Highlights:
· Easily upload, download or delete iCloud photos, videos, contacts and notes from PC, as well as iCloud Drive.
· Uploading 1,000 photos via FoneTool takes only 40 minutes, while uploading through iCloud.com requires 6 to 8 hours.
· FoneTool uses professional SSL encryption to ensure all your data is safe and will never access any information on your account.

Here you can click the download button to get FoneTool on your PC and learn from the steps below to start the iPad file transfer without iTunes.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
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⚠️ Note: iCloud only offers 5 GB of free storage. If you need to upload a large number of files, try to clear iCloud storage without losing photos or buy more space.

Step 1. Launch FoneTool > Go to My iCloud > Log in with your Apple ID > Choose Manage iCloud.

Step 2. Click the data icon you need to import > Choose Upload to continue.

Step 3. Choose the targeted files from the computer > Click Open to begin the task.

Wait for a while and all data will be uploaded to iCloud, you can go to Settings on iPad > Tap [your name] > Tap iCloud and enable the app you need to sync to get your targeted files (For example, you have uploaded photos just now, then you need to turn on the Photos option to sync the data).

Method 4. How to send file from PC to iPad wirelessly - Google Drive

When it comes to copying files to iPad from PC wirelessly, Google Drive will also be available. It offers 15 GB of free storage and you can upload photos, videos, contacts, music, or other documents like html, docx, txt, xlsx, csv, pdf, etc.

The features of another cloud service, Dropbox, are similar to this. Here, we will only introduce how to use Google Drive for file transfer.

Step 1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com. At the top left, click New and choose File Upload or Folder Upload.

Step 2. Select the specific file or folder you want to upload from the pop-up window > Click Open or Upload to begin the task.

Step 3. Once the upload process is complete, download the Google Drive app on your iPhone and log in with your account.

Step 4. Find the item you need > Click the three dots on the right side of the chosen file > Select Send a copy > Click on Save to add them to your device.

Method 5. Free software to transfer files from PC to iPad - iCloud Drive

In addition to using the iCloud sync feature for file transfer, you can also upload files from your PC to iCloud Drive and then download them to your iPhone to complete the process. iCloud Drive shares the 5 GB of free space with iCloud.

Step 1. On your computer: Visit https://www.icloud.com/ > Log in with your Apple ID > Click the iCloud Drive option > Click the Upload button to select the files you need.

Step 2. On your iPad: Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and switch on iCloud Drive > Go to the Files app  > Tap the Browse tab > Tap iCloud Drive under Locations > Now you can see all your files stored in iCloud Drive.

πŸ‘‰οΈ Tip: To speed up the iCloud Drive upload process, you can rely on FoneTool to access iCloud Drive on PC.

Method 6. How to copy file from Windows to iPad - Email

If you are only moving a small number of small files, using email for the transfer is also feasible.

Step 1. Create an email from your computer > Add the files you need as an attachment > Send the email to yourself.

Step 2. Check the email on your iPad and save the attachments to your device.

Conclusion

Here you can know how to transfer files from PC to iPad without iTunes. To transfer a large number of files, you can choose FoneTool mentioned in Method 1 to make it. Its super-fast transfer speed will never let you down. With its powerful features, you can also transfer photos from iPhone to iPad.

If you need a wireless way, then you can choose iCloud, iCloud Drive, Google Drive or sending an email to finish the process.