# I need to transfer files from my desktop to my iPhone w/o Internet. How? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-transfer-files-from-my-desktop-to-my-iphone-w-o-internet-how/637896 "2012-10-16T16:20:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-transfer-files-from-my-desktop-to-my-iphone-w-o-internet-how/637896/61 "2012-10-22T21:59:10Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Of course, but which would be simpler for this very basic need of the OP? Installing (and paying for) wifi or using the connection which is already there through the cable which is already connected? I don’t see how wifi is simpler–it’s just one more thing that–in this case–one is forced to depend on that is more likely to have problems than a cable, and it’s not feasibly portable if you want to transfer files from notebook to phone on the road where there’s no internet signal. > > I use wireless data transmission all the time for the convenience, but I just don’t want to be forced to depend on it so that I’m helpless when signals go down. You don’t need to pay for wifi.. She has the equipment already. Wifi does not equal Internet. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-transfer-files-from-my-desktop-to-my-iphone-w-o-internet-how/637896/62 "2012-10-23T14:01:05Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > I can transfer files onto my iphone using wifi without using iTunes. iTunes will sync music, podcasts, films and TV over wifi too. > > No need for goddamn USB to do such simple and obvious things. > > And I get OS upgrades for years, as soon as they’re released by the manufacturer not when my carrier decides I deserve them. You can transfer any file type this way? Word files or Excel files, too? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-transfer-files-from-my-desktop-to-my-iphone-w-o-internet-how/637896/63 "2012-10-23T15:48:17Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You can transfer any file type this way? Word files or Excel files, too? Yep. Using an app called ‘Good Reader’ I can download via wifi or iTunes/USB. Can create folders and organise the files and send them to other apps. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-transfer-files-from-my-desktop-to-my-iphone-w-o-internet-how/637896/64 "2012-10-23T16:31:36Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > You don’t need to pay for wifi.. She has the equipment already. > > Wifi does not equal Internet. Yes, we all know that. . . But since you seem to think for some reason that’s what I was implying–I was actually referring to situations when one is forced to use Dropbox or some over cloud, such as at my job, where they prohibit employees from transferring data to work machines from personal storage such as USB flash drives. If we do any work at home, the only way to bring it back to work is by Dropbox. So yesterday morning–when the internet connection went out for the whole organization–everything I’d prepared over the weekend was unavailable and it effectively resulted in a four-hour work stoppage. While their policy is clearly about security, my overriding point (_ **which shouldn’t be so hard to grasp** _) is that _ **dependence** _ on wireless data transfer–in general–sets us up for this type of mishap (unnecessarily, in the case of the OP) if we disallow the simple use of cable connections between machines. Somehow I missed the fact that the OP already has the equipment, so obviously that’s the way for her to go, and while I agree that–because of this–it’s not such an inconvenience for her, it’s still rather silly that she has to do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-transfer-files-from-my-desktop-to-my-iphone-w-o-internet-how/637896.md?page=3)