Convert HEIC to JPG

What is a HEIC file?

HEIC is the photo format iPhones and iPads use when the camera is set to High Efficiency, which has been the default since iOS 11. The picture is compressed with HEVC, the same codec used for 4K video, so a HEIC photo is often about half the size of a JPG of the same scene. The catch is support. Apple apps open HEIC without trouble, but many Windows PCs, Android phones, older photo editors and website upload forms reject it or show a blank thumbnail.

How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows, Mac or iPhone

This converter works the same in any current browser, so the steps don't change between devices. Drop one photo or a whole batch, press Convert all, and save the JPGs. On an iPhone, tap the box above and pick photos from your library. iOS hands over the original HEIC files and the conversion still happens on the phone. On Windows you don't need the paid HEVC extension from the Microsoft Store, because the decoder runs inside the page.

HEIF to JPG works here too

HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. It is the container standard, and HEIC is the name Apple uses for HEIF files that hold HEVC-compressed images. Some Android phones, Canon and Sony cameras and Windows apps save .heif files instead of .heic. The decoder reads both extensions, so a .heif file converts to JPG with the same steps and the same quality setting.

What changes when HEIC becomes JPG

The pixels are decoded by libheif, compiled to WebAssembly, and saved as a JPG at the quality you pick. The default of 85 keeps photos sharp at a sensible size. Three things don't carry over. The JPG has no EXIF data, so the date taken, camera model and GPS location are left out, which is useful when you share a photo publicly. A Live Photo becomes its still image without the motion clip. And when a HEIC holds several images, such as a burst, only the first one is converted.

Stop your iPhone saving HEIC

If you always need JPGs, change the camera format on the phone. New photos are then saved as JPG, though the files will be larger. Photos you already took stay HEIC until you convert them.

• Open Settings and tap Camera.
• Tap Formats.
• Choose Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency.
• To get JPGs when you copy photos to a computer over USB, open Settings, tap Photos and set Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic.

Before you start

Input: HEIC and HEIF. Output: JPG. The settings appear before anything runs, so you can check them first. Your original file is never changed.

A format change can affect compression, transparency, color and metadata. Zoom in on fine detail and transparent areas in the result. Work on a copy if the photo is one you want to keep.

Keep the original until you have opened and checked the result. The work happens in this browser tab, so the size you can handle depends on your device's memory, your browser and the file itself.

How to convert HEIC to JPG

1. Drop your .heic or .heif files into the box above, or browse to select them.
2. Leave the quality at 85 for everyday photos, or raise it if you plan to print or edit.
3. Press Convert all. Each photo is decoded and saved in your browser.
4. Download each JPG, or all of them as one ZIP.