How to convert HEIC to JPG
- 1. Add your HEIC photosClick Choose HEIC files, drag photos onto the box, or paste them with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac). Select as many as you like.
- 2. Pick a quality, then click ConvertHigh is selected by default and suits most photos. Nothing starts until you click Convert.
- 3. Save your JPGsUse the Download button next to each photo, or Download all (.zip) to get every JPG in one file.
HEIC vs JPG at a glance
HEIC is the photo format iPhones have used by default since iOS 11 in 2017. It's Apple's name for HEIF images compressed with HEVC (H.265), the same codec used for video. It squeezes a photo into roughly half the space of a JPG at similar quality, which is why Apple adopted it.
JPG (JPEG) dates from 1992 and is the most widely supported photo format there is. Almost every phone, computer, website, printer and photo kiosk can read it. That compatibility is the whole reason to convert.
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | High Efficiency Image Container (HEIF + HEVC) | Joint Photographic Experts Group |
| Introduced | HEIF standard 2015; iPhone default since 2017 | 1992 |
| File size for the same photo | Smaller, often about half | Larger |
| Opens on Windows | Only with extra extensions from the Microsoft Store | Yes, built in |
| Opens on Mac and iPhone | Yes | Yes |
| Opens on Android | Recent versions, but many apps can't | Yes |
| Accepted by websites and forms | Often rejected | Almost always |
| Best for | Storing photos on Apple devices | Sharing, uploading, printing |
When converting HEIC to JPG makes sense
Keep HEIC if your photos live in Apple Photos and you only view them on Apple devices. Convert when a photo has to leave that world:
- A website, job portal or government form says it accepts only JPG or PNG.
- You're sending photos to someone on Windows or an older Android phone.
- A print shop, photo kiosk or older editing program won't open the file.
- You copied photos from an iPhone to a PC with a cable and ended up with .HEIC files.
Private by design, and the location data comes off
Phone photos are personal. This converter decodes and re-encodes each photo inside your browser, so the image data never travels to a server.
By default, the JPG doesn't carry over the original's metadata. That means the GPS location, camera details and timestamps embedded by your iPhone are not copied into the new file. It's a good way to share a picture without revealing where it was taken.
The flip side: the JPG no longer has its original "date taken", so photo apps may sort it by the date you converted it. If you need those dates, set Metadata to Keep before converting.
How to stop your iPhone saving photos as HEIC
If you'd rather your iPhone shot JPGs in the first place, change one setting. New photos will take more storage space; existing photos stay as they are.
- Open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. The camera then saves JPG photos (and H.264 videos).
- To get JPGs only when copying to a computer, open Settings → Photos and set Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic. Your iPhone keeps HEIC but converts photos as they're transferred over a cable.
Opening HEIC files on Windows, Mac and Android
Windows 10 and 11 can show HEIC photos once you install the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store. The HEVC extension may cost a small fee. Even then, many programs and websites still won't take the files, so converting is often simpler.
Mac opens HEIC natively. In Preview you can also choose File → Export and pick JPEG for a single photo.
Android phones can usually display HEIC in their gallery app, but messaging apps, forms and editors often can't. On a Chromebook or any phone, this page works in the browser with nothing to install.
Picking a quality setting
JPG compression is lossy, so the quality setting trades file size against detail. High is the default and is hard to tell apart from the original. Maximum keeps the most detail for printing or editing. Medium and Smallest file are fine for email, chat and web forms with size limits.
Expect JPGs to be larger than the HEIC files they came from: HEIC simply compresses better. After converting, each row shows the original and new file size so you can see the difference.
Good to know
- A Live Photo is a HEIC still plus a separate short video. This tool converts the still photo.
- HDR brightness and Portrait mode depth data aren't carried over; you get a standard JPG.
- There's no file-count or daily limit. Very large batches depend on your device's memory, so on an older phone convert in smaller groups.
- Need a lossless copy instead, for editing? Make a PNG from your iPhone photo. Want photos in one document? Put your JPGs into a PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Are my photos uploaded to a server?
No. Your photos are converted on your device, inside your browser, and are never uploaded. The page loads its own code, ads and cookieless analytics like any website, but the photo data itself never leaves your device. Here's how to check that yourself.
How do I convert HEIC to JPG on Windows?
Open this page in Edge, Chrome or Firefox, drop your .HEIC files onto the box, click Convert and download the JPGs. You don't need to install the HEIF or HEVC extensions for this to work.
Can I convert lots of HEIC photos at once?
Yes. Add as many photos as you like, click Convert once, and use Download all (.zip) to save them together. Several photos convert in parallel; on older phones, smaller batches are faster.
Does the JPG keep the date the photo was taken?
Not by default. The Metadata option is set to Remove, so the date taken, GPS location and camera model are left out of the JPG, which keeps your location private when you share. Set Metadata to Keep to copy them into the JPG, so photo apps can sort it by the date taken.
How do I open a HEIC file?
On a Mac or iPhone, just double-click or tap it. On Windows, install the HEIF and HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store, or convert the file to JPG here, which opens everywhere without extra software.
Is HEIC to JPEG the same as HEIC to JPG?
Yes. JPG and JPEG are the same format; .jpg is just the shorter file extension. This tool saves files with the .jpg extension.
Will I lose quality converting HEIC to JPG?
JPG is lossy, so a tiny amount of detail is lost, but at the default High setting it's very hard to see. Choose Maximum if you plan to print or edit the photos.
Why does my iPhone take photos in HEIC?
Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC by default because the files take about half the space of JPGs. You can switch to JPG in Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible.