PhoneStick

Transferring music or other files between an iOS device and a computer can't be done in Windows Explorer as if you were storing data on a USB stick. iTunes is the primary means of storing and managing files on an iPhone or other devices, but it is not a straightforward solution. PhoneStick makes it much easier to manage an iPhone's data. It enables you to browse through your iPhone's files in Windows Explorer and transfer them from one place to another just by clicking and dragging.

The application is free to try, but without any functionality restrictions. Its trial version can be used to transfer a maximum of one GB of data. Installing PhoneStick involves only a few simple configurations and it doesn't take more than a minute to complete the operation. The application can be used on all popular Windows versions, without sacrificing too many resources. Also, installing iTunes is not mandatory.

PhoneStick can mount an iPhone's media library, books, apps and other data as separate virtual folders, which can be accessed in Windows Explorer. You can choose what data to mount on the application's user interface. All you have to do is click a Mount option, next to one of the aforementioned data categories. Clicking the button a second time will eject its corresponding virtual folder. Additionally, you can set one or more folders to read-only mode.

Once you mount a virtual folder, PhoneStick will immediately display its contents on a standard explorer window. You can move or copy the files to your computer or store new data on your iPhone, just by clicking and dragging. Besides music, apps and other data, you can also mount a virtual USB stick, which gives you the possibility of storing any miscellaneous files on your iPhone.

A few general options can be found on the same user interface, but on a separate tab. The application can be set to ask for input when a new device is connected to the computer, to create extended logs and to enable a system tray icon. If you enable the system tray icon, you will be able to mount, access and eject the same virtual folders, but from a pop-up menu, instead of the main interface.