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How to convert HEIC to JPG
This HEIC to JPG converter turns the photos your iPhone or iPad saves in Apple’s High Efficiency format into ordinary JPG or PNG files, right in your browser. It takes three steps:
- Choose JPG or PNG, and for JPG set the quality. 90% is a good default.
- Add your photos with the button, or drop them on the box. You can select a whole batch at once.
- Each photo is converted in turn and gets its own Download button. The new file keeps the original name with a .jpg or .png ending, for example IMG_0412.jpg.
The first time you add a file, the page downloads the free conversion library. After that everything happens on your device, so the tool keeps working offline and your photos are never sent anywhere.
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple’s name for the HEIF image format. iPhones have used it as the default camera format since iOS 11 because it stores a photo in a noticeably smaller file than JPG at similar quality. The catch is compatibility: many Windows programs, older Android phones, websites and upload forms still reject .heic files, which is why people search for a way to turn them into JPG.
JPG or PNG?
| Format | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| JPG | Sharing, email, online forms, printing | Opens everywhere. Small files. Very slight loss at high quality. |
| PNG | Editing, archiving an exact copy | Lossless, but often several times larger than JPG for photos. |
For everyday photos JPG is almost always the right choice. A 12-megapixel iPhone photo usually ends up a few megabytes as a JPG at 90%, while the same photo as PNG can be many times that.
How the conversion works
A HEIC file stores the picture compressed with the HEVC (H.265) codec, the same family used for video. Most browsers can’t decode it on their own, so the converter uses heic2any, an open-source library built on libheif, to decode the image inside the page. The decoded pixels are then saved again as JPG or PNG with the quality you picked. Your photo is read from your disk into the browser’s memory and the result is written straight back to your downloads.
Tips
- Stop new HEIC photos: on your iPhone open Settings › Camera › Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG.
- Automatic conversion when copying: Settings › Photos › Transfer to Mac or PC › Automatic makes the iPhone convert photos when you copy them to a computer with a cable.
- Need a smaller file or exact size? After converting, use the image compressor to reach a KB limit or the image resizer to set exact pixels.
- Privacy: the converted file does not keep the camera metadata (EXIF), such as GPS location, which is handy before sharing.
Errors and limits
If a file shows Not a HEIC file, it is a different format, even if it was renamed; regular JPG or PNG photos don’t need converting at all. Conversion failed usually means the file is damaged or uses an unusual HEIC variant. If the converter can’t be downloaded, check your connection and press Try again.
Very large photos take a few seconds each and use a lot of memory, so on older phones convert a handful at a time. HEIC files that hold several images, such as bursts, are converted using the first image. Live Photos are saved as a still picture without the motion.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert HEIC to JPG?
Add your HEIC photos with the button or by dropping them on the box. Each one is converted automatically, and a Download button appears next to it when it is ready.
Are my photos uploaded to a server?
No. The converter runs in your browser. Only the free conversion library is downloaded once; your photos never leave your device and are not stored anywhere.
Why does my iPhone save photos as HEIC?
HEIC is Apple’s default “High Efficiency” format. It keeps similar quality in a smaller file, but many Windows apps, websites and online forms still don’t accept it.
How do I stop my iPhone taking HEIC photos?
Open Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG; photos you already took stay HEIC.
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
JPG is compressed, so a tiny amount of detail is lost, but at 90% quality the difference is very hard to see. Choose PNG if you need a lossless copy, at the cost of a much bigger file.