How to convert HEIC to JPG, explained
A HEIC file is a photo stored in the High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) with HEVC compression. iPhones and iPads save photos this way by default since iOS 11 because it keeps the same visual quality at roughly half the file size of a JPG, and it supports 10-bit colour, HDR and Live Photos. The catch is compatibility: Apple devices open HEIC without thinking, but many Windows PCs, Android apps, websites and upload forms do not. Converting to JPG solves that, because JPG opens on practically every device and program made in the last thirty years.
This converter does the conversion inside your browser, in background threads so the page stays smooth. In Safari on a Mac, iPhone or iPad it uses the system’s own HEIC decoder. In Chrome, Edge and Firefox on Windows, Android, Linux and ChromeOS it loads libheif, the open-source HEIF decoder, as a small WebAssembly module (about 1.4 MB, once), so nothing has to be installed. Each decoded photo is scaled, saved as JPG, PNG or WebP with the quality and size you chose, and kept under its original name: IMG_1234.heic becomes IMG_1234.jpg.
Open HEIC files on Windows 10 and 11
Windows can show HEIC photos, but only after you add two Microsoft Store extensions: HEIF Image Extensions (free) and HEVC Video Extensions, which costs $0.99 / €0.99 in most regions. Without them the Photos app shows an error or a prompt to buy the codec, and programs such as Paint, Office and most web forms still cannot use the files. Converting to JPG avoids the codec question entirely: drop the photos here in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, download the ZIP, and the JPGs open in every Windows app.
On a Mac, Android phone, Chromebook or Linux
Mac: macOS opens HEIC natively, so for a single photo you can use Preview (File → Export → JPEG) or right-click → Quick Actions → Convert Image. For a folder of photos with one ZIP, a quality setting and a resize preset, this page is faster. Android: recent Android versions can display HEIC, but many apps and websites still reject it; open this page in Chrome, add the photos, then press Share to save the JPGs straight to your gallery or send them on. Chromebook and Linux: the WebAssembly decoder works the same in Chrome or Firefox, so there is no need for ImageMagick or libheif packages. On the command line, heif-convert from libheif does the same job.
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
JPG is a lossy format, so converting re-compresses the photo. At the default 90% quality the difference is not visible in normal viewing or printing. Expect the JPG to be larger than the HEIC, often around twice the size, because JPG’s compression is older and less efficient. The totals at the top and the bar on every card show the real numbers for your own photos: a yellow bar means the output is bigger than the HEIC, a green bar means it is smaller. To get smaller files, lower the quality to 80–85%, pick a quick size such as 1920 px, set a maximum file size in KB, or choose WebP, which is clearly smaller than JPG at the same quality although usually still larger than the HEIC. Choose PNG only when you need a lossless copy for editing; it is much larger.
Batch conversion and file limits
There is no limit on the number of photos or their size. Several photos are converted at the same time in separate threads, and the progress bar shows how many are done. The real limit is your device’s memory: hundreds of photos in one batch are normal on a laptop, and full-resolution 48-megapixel iPhone photos work, but a phone may slow down with very large batches; split them if that happens. ZIP builds an archive in the browser with every file under the name pattern you chose, and can keep each photo’s original file date. On phones that support it, Share hands all converted photos to the system share sheet, where “Save images” puts them in the gallery. Press F for a full screen workspace with the settings in a slide-in panel.
Privacy: are my photos uploaded?
No. The photos are read, decoded and encoded in this browser tab and never sent anywhere. The page loads one decoder script from a public CDN (only when your browser cannot open HEIC itself) and cookie-free page-view analytics. Neither receives your photos. Once the page has loaded you can switch off Wi-Fi and keep converting, which is an easy way to check. The converted files contain no EXIF metadata: GPS location and camera model are removed because the image is re-encoded. That is useful before posting photos online; if you need to keep the capture date inside the file, keep the HEIC originals as well.
Make the iPhone save JPG instead of HEIC
On the iPhone open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG, at the cost of more storage. Photos you already took stay HEIC. If you mainly copy photos to a PC by cable, there is a second setting: Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic converts photos to a compatible format during the transfer. Many apps also receive a JPG automatically when you share a photo from the Photos app, which is why the HEIC problem usually shows up with cable transfers, AirDrop to a Mac that forwards to Windows, and cloud drives. When you use this page on an iPhone, pick the files from the Files app or an iCloud download: the photo library picker may already hand over JPGs.
HEIF, Live Photos and files that fail
.heif files convert exactly like .heic. A Live Photo becomes a still image of its key frame; the short video part cannot be stored in a JPG. ProRAW photos are .dng files, not HEIC, and need a RAW converter. Very occasionally a HEIC is damaged, cut off during a transfer, or uses a variant the WebAssembly decoder cannot read; the card then says so and offers a retry, and opening this page in Safari on a Mac or iPhone uses Apple’s own decoder, which reads more variants. Other image types you drop, such as PNG, WebP or JPG, are converted as well.
HEIC vs JPG at a glance
| HEIC | JPG |
|---|
| Typical size | about half of JPG | larger, often around 2× HEIC |
| Colour depth | up to 10-bit, HDR | 8-bit |
| Opens on Windows | after installing extensions | always |
| Websites and upload forms | often rejected | accepted everywhere |
| Live Photos, depth data | supported | still image only |
More image tools
Shrink the JPGs to an exact target size with the image compressor, resize a whole folder with the bulk image resizer, combine photos into one document with JPG to PDF, or lay them out with the photo collage maker.