Windows 11's New AutoPlay Pop-Up Remembers Your Choice - How to Import Phone Photos and Videos

Windows 11's November update replaces the old AutoPlay pop-up with a modern one that can remember what you want, so plugging in your phone finally stops asking the same question every time.

The new dialog arrives with KB5132061, the November security update for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2.

It is rolling out gradually, so you may not see it straight after installing.

Here is what changed, how to set it up, and how to get your phone photos and videos onto your PC without a fight.

What Is Different About the New AutoPlay

The old pop-up sat in the top-right corner and asked what to do every single time you connected a phone, USB stick or memory card. It had no way to save your answer from the pop-up itself.

• Centred on screen. It now opens in the middle, with rounded corners and dark mode to match the rest of Windows 11.
• Always or just this once. Pick an action and choose Always, and Windows does it automatically next time without asking.
• Easy to find again. If you miss the pop-up, the AutoPlay notice now stays in Notification Center.

How to Set What Happens When You Plug In Your Phone

You can choose from the new pop-up, or set everything in one place ahead of time.

• Open Settings and go to Bluetooth & devices > AutoPlay.
• Make sure Use AutoPlay for all media and devices is turned on.
• Pick a default for Removable drive, Memory card and your phone, if it is listed.
• Choose Import photos and videos if you want them copied, or Open folder to view files if you prefer to drag them yourself.

Changed your mind about an Always choice? Come back to this same screen and pick a different action.

Getting Photos Off an iPhone or Android Phone

AutoPlay only appears once Windows can actually see your phone's storage. If nothing pops up, the phone is usually the one saying no.

• iPhone. Unlock the phone and tap Trust or Allow when it asks - your pictures are in the DCIM folder under Internal Storage.
• Android. Pull down the notification shade and switch the USB mode from Charging only to File transfer.
• Use a data cable. Some cheap cables only charge, and Windows will never see the phone through them.

When Imported Photos or Videos Won't Open

Modern phones save photos as HEIC and videos as HEVC (H.265), which squeeze files to about half the size. Copying them works fine, but your PC still needs a way to open them.

• HEIF Image Extensions - lets Windows show HEIC photos, mostly needed on Windows 10 and older Windows 11 PCs.
• HEVC Video Extensions - Microsoft's free H.265 codec, so phone videos play in the built-in Media Player.
• VLC Media Player - plays HEVC and almost anything else with no extra codec at all.

For quick browsing of a big import, ImageGlass is a fast free viewer that opens HEIC once Windows supports it.

Still stuck with a clip that plays black or silent? Our phone videos won't play on your PC guide walks through every fix.

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