If you've copied photos off an iPhone and found files ending in .heic that won't open, upload or print, you're not alone. HEIC is the format iPhones have used for photos since 2017. It saves a lot of storage, but plenty of software and websites still expect JPG. Here is what HEIC is, and the simplest way to convert HEIC to JPG on every major device.
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is Apple's name for images stored in the HEIF format (High Efficiency Image File Format) and compressed with HEVC, the same codec used for modern video. Apple made it the default camera format in iOS 11. A HEIC photo is typically about half the size of a JPG of similar quality, and it can hold extras that JPG can't, such as the depth information used for Portrait mode.
The downside is compatibility. Many Windows programs, older photo editors, online forms, printing kiosks and websites still only accept JPG or PNG, which is why so many people need to convert.
Convert HEIC to JPG in your browser (any device)
This works the same way on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android and iPhone, and needs no software:
- Open the free HEIC Converter.
- Drag your
.heicphoto onto the page, or tap to choose it. - Wait for the preview to appear, then press Convert.
- Your JPG downloads straight away.
The conversion happens inside your browser, so your photos are never uploaded to a server. The converter decodes photos with libheif, the open-source HEIF library that many desktop image apps also rely on, so colours and tones come out as they should. You can convert one photo at a time without an account; a free account adds batch conversion (downloaded as a ZIP), PNG output and a quality control.
Need a different format? The Image Format Converter also opens HEIC files and saves them as JPG, PNG, WebP or BMP.
On iPhone and iPad
Stop your iPhone saving new photos as HEIC
Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG from then on. They take up more space, but you won't need to convert them.
Convert automatically when copying to a computer
Go to Settings > Photos and, under Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic. When you import photos over a USB cable, the iPhone converts them to JPG as they transfer.
On a Mac
Macs open HEIC natively, so converting is built in:
- Preview: open the photo, choose File > Export, pick JPEG as the format and set the quality slider.
- Finder quick action: select one or more photos, right-click, choose Quick Actions > Convert Image, then pick JPEG. This is the quickest way to convert a whole batch.
- Photos app: select the photos, choose File > Export, then the option that exports the selected photos (it shows how many you picked) and set the photo kind to JPEG.
On Windows 10 and 11
Windows can display HEIC after you install Microsoft's HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Depending on your PC, it may also need the HEVC Video Extensions, a small paid add-on in the same store. Once the Photos app can open the file, you can save a JPG copy from an editor such as Paint.
If you only need to convert a few photos, the browser converter above is usually faster than installing codecs, and it works on work computers where you can't install anything.
On Android
Recent versions of Android and Google Photos can display HEIC images, but many apps and upload forms still reject them. The browser converter works in Chrome on Android: open the page, choose the photo from your gallery or Files app, and the JPG lands in your Downloads folder.
JPG or PNG?
For photos, choose JPG. It is compressed and universally supported. PNG is lossless but much larger: in our tests, a 12-megapixel iPhone photo became a 2.5 MB JPG at 90% quality and a 17.5 MB PNG. Use PNG only when you plan to keep editing the image and want to avoid any further compression.
Does converting reduce quality?
Converting to JPG re-compresses the photo, but at 90% quality the difference is very hard to see at normal viewing sizes. To keep the best result:
- convert from the original HEIC, not from a copy that was already compressed or resized by a messaging app;
- convert once, rather than opening and re-saving the JPG repeatedly;
- keep the original HEIC files if you want the smallest, highest-quality archive.
What happens to the photo's metadata?
HEIC files carry EXIF metadata: the date, camera settings and, if location services were on, where the photo was taken. The Quickaboo converters create a clean new image, so this metadata is not copied to the JPG. That is useful for privacy before you share a photo online. If you need to keep the capture date, record it separately before converting.
Frequently asked questions
Is HEIC better than JPG?
For storage, yes: HEIC keeps similar quality in roughly half the space. For compatibility, JPG still wins, which is why converting is often necessary.
Why does my iPhone take photos in HEIC?
Because High Efficiency is the default under Settings > Camera > Formats. Switch to Most Compatible to shoot JPG instead.
Can Windows open HEIC files?
Yes, after installing the HEIF Image Extensions (and on some PCs the HEVC Video Extensions) from the Microsoft Store. Without them, use a browser-based converter.
Is it safe to convert HEIC photos online?
It depends on the service. Many online converters upload your photos to their servers. The Quickaboo HEIC Converter processes them in your browser, so the photos never leave your device.