How to Convert HEIC to JPG — iPhone Photos on Any Device (2026)

Since iOS 11 launched in September 2017, every iPhone and iPad has saved photos in HEIC format by default. The format is genuinely better than JPEG — smaller files, better quality at the same size, and support for features like Live Photos and depth maps. The problem is that HEIC is not universally supported. Windows PCs without the right codec cannot open HEIC files at all. Many websites, printing services, and older applications only accept JPEG. This guide covers every free conversion method, batch conversion for large photo libraries, and a permanent fix at the iPhone settings level.

1. TL;DR — Best Method Per Platform

2. Why iPhones Use HEIC

Apple adopted HEIC as the default iPhone photo format in iOS 11 (September 2017) and simultaneously switched to HEVC (H.265) as the default video format. The decision was driven by storage efficiency: modern iPhone cameras capture extremely high-quality images, and the old JPEG format simply could not compress them efficiently enough without visible quality loss.

The Technical Advantage

HEIC is Apple's implementation of the HEIF container standard, which was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group — the same organization behind MPEG video compression. HEIF uses the HEVC (H.265) compression algorithm to compress still images. HEVC was designed for video and incorporates decades of compression research beyond what JPEG was designed with in the 1990s.

In practical terms: a HEIC photo from an iPhone 15 at the camera's native quality is typically 2–3 MB. The same photo in JPEG would be 4–6 MB. Apple's own testing showed approximately 50% file size reduction at equivalent quality. On a 256GB iPhone with 50–60GB reserved for the operating system and apps, that difference matters.

What HEIC Can Store That JPEG Cannot

• Live Photos — the 1.5 seconds of motion before and after each shot, stored within the HEIC container
• Depth maps — the per-pixel depth data used for Portrait Mode blur, stored alongside the image
• HDR data — extended dynamic range information for HDR displays
• 16-bit color — HEIC can store up to 16 bits per channel vs JPEG's 8 bits
• Image sequences — multiple images in a single file (used for burst shots)

None of this extra data is carried over when you convert to JPEG. The resulting JPG contains a single 8-bit image without motion data or depth information. This is usually acceptable for sharing and printing purposes — you lose the Live Photo motion and the Portrait Mode re-editing capability, but the still image itself transfers completely.

3. The Problem: HEIC Does Not Open Everywhere

Despite HEIC's technical advantages, the format suffers from a classic chicken-and-egg compatibility problem. Apple shipped it on hundreds of millions of iPhones before the broader software ecosystem had time to add support.

Where HEIC Fails

• Windows 10 and 11 without the extension — HEIC files show as blank icons in File Explorer and refuse to open in most applications. Microsoft Photos shows them as blank. This is the most common frustration reported by iPhone users with Windows PCs.
• Older software — any application that uses Windows imaging APIs from before 2018 will not recognize HEIC. This includes older versions of Photoshop (CS6 and earlier), older Office versions, and many business applications that embed image viewers.
• Most email clients — Gmail and Outlook web accept HEIC uploads and convert them on their servers, but many email clients show blank attachments to recipients using incompatible software.
• Photo printing services — while major services like Walgreens, CVS, and Shutterfly accept HEIC, many smaller printing services and kiosks do not. Converting to JPEG before ordering prints avoids any printing software incompatibility.
• Older Android devices — Android 9 (Pie) introduced basic HEIC support, but compatibility varies by manufacturer and device. Sending HEIC photos from an iPhone to an older Android device typically results in an unopenable file.
• Web services and forms — many file upload forms specify JPG/PNG and will reject HEIC uploads without a meaningful error message.

4. Method 1: Windows Photos App + HEVC Codec

The cleanest Windows solution is installing the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Once installed, Windows can open HEIC files natively, display thumbnails in File Explorer, and export to JPEG through the Photos app.

Alternative: No Installation Required

If you cannot install software (work computer with restricted permissions), or if you only need to convert a file occasionally, use Convertlo's browser-based converter. Open convertlo.pro/heic-to-jpg.html in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox, drag your HEIC file onto the converter, and download the JPG. The conversion runs in your browser — no installation, no upload.

5. Method 2: Mac Preview

Mac users have the easiest experience with HEIC because Apple's own software ecosystem fully supports the format. Preview, the built-in Mac image viewer, opens HEIC natively and exports to JPEG directly.

Converting a Single File

Batch Conversion on Mac (Multiple Files)

Mac's Quick Actions feature lets you batch-convert multiple HEIC files at once without any third-party software:

1. Open Finder and navigate to the folder containing your HEIC files
2. Select all the HEIC files you want to convert (Cmd+A for all, or Cmd+click for individual selection)
3. Right-click the selection and hover over Quick Actions
4. Choose Convert Image
5. Select JPEG as the format and choose a size (Original is usually best)
6. Click Convert to JPEG

All selected files convert simultaneously and save to the same folder as the originals, with the same filenames but .jpg extensions. The original .heic files are preserved — you can delete them after verifying the conversions.

6. Method 3: Convertlo Browser Converter

Convertlo's HEIC to JPG converter runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly. The HEIC file is decoded and re-encoded as JPEG locally on your device — nothing is sent to any server. This makes it suitable for sensitive personal photos.

7. Method 4: Google Photos

Google Photos has a useful but little-known behavior: when you download a photo from the Google Photos web interface, it automatically converts HEIC files to JPEG. If you already back up your iPhone photos to Google Photos, this can be the most convenient conversion method.

How It Works

1. Make sure your iPhone photos are backed up to Google Photos (install the Google Photos app and enable backup)
2. Go to photos.google.com in a web browser (not the iPhone app)
3. Select the photo(s) you want to convert
4. Click the three-dot menu and choose Download
5. Google Photos downloads the photo as a JPEG, not HEIC

This conversion is automatic and lossless in terms of visible quality — Google uses high-quality JPEG conversion. The downloaded file will be a standard .jpg that opens everywhere.

Privacy Note

This method requires uploading your photos to Google's servers. If your photos contain sensitive personal or professional content, consider using Convertlo (Method 3) or Mac Preview (Method 2) instead — both convert files locally without any upload.

8. Batch Converting Many HEIC Files at Once

If you have hundreds or thousands of HEIC files to convert — perhaps after years of iPhone photos that need to be shared, archived, or processed — the single-file methods above are too slow. Here are the options for large-scale conversion.

Mac: Finder Quick Actions (Built-In, No Download)

The Quick Actions method described in the Mac section above handles batch conversion for any number of files. Select all files (Cmd+A in a folder), right-click → Quick Actions → Convert Image → JPEG. All files convert in parallel. For a folder of 200 photos, this takes under 30 seconds on any modern Mac.

Mac: Automator (Advanced, No Download)

Automator is a built-in Mac automation tool that can process entire folder trees. Create an Automator workflow that takes a folder as input, applies "Change Type of Images" (set to JPEG), and saves to a destination folder. Once created, you can run it on any folder by dragging it onto the workflow. This is more setup than Quick Actions but is useful when you need to process photos organized in nested subfolders.

Windows: XnView MP (Free Third-Party App)

XnView MP is a free image viewer for Windows that supports HEIC (after installing the HEIF extension) and has a built-in batch converter. Open XnView, go to Tools → Batch Convert, add your HEIC files or folder, set the output format to JPEG, and click Convert. It handles thousands of files efficiently and lets you set JPEG quality and output folder simultaneously.

Windows: IrfanView (Free, Lightweight)

IrfanView is a lightweight free image viewer for Windows. After installing the IrfanView plugins pack and the Windows HEIF extension, it can open HEIC files. Use File → Batch Conversion/Rename to convert entire folders. Set output format to JPG, choose quality, and run. IrfanView is significantly faster for large batches than using the Photos app one file at a time.

9. Change iPhone Settings to Stop Shooting HEIC

If you consistently share iPhone photos with Windows users or upload to services that do not support HEIC, the most practical long-term solution is changing your iPhone's camera format to JPEG. This takes 30 seconds and means every future photo is automatically compatible.

The Trade-Off

JPEG files are approximately 2x larger than HEIC files at equivalent quality. On a 256GB iPhone, switching from HEIC to JPEG roughly halves the number of photos you can store before running out of space. If storage is not a concern — or if you use iCloud or Google Photos for backup — this trade-off is worthwhile for the compatibility benefit. If storage is limited, keep HEIC on-device and convert only when sharing.

10. HEIC to JPG — Same Quality Conversion

Understanding why HEIC and JPEG differ in size at equal quality helps you choose the right settings when converting.

The Compression Efficiency Gap

HEIC and JPEG both use lossy compression — they discard information to reduce file size. The difference is the algorithm. JPEG uses a decades-old DCT-based algorithm. HEIC uses HEVC compression, which was designed in the 2010s with the benefit of three decades of compression research. HEIC can produce the same visual quality at roughly half the file size because its algorithm is simply more efficient.

What this means in practice: a HEIC photo at 3MB and a JPEG of the same scene at 3MB — the HEIC will visibly look better. At very high JPEG quality settings (90%+), the visible difference becomes negligible in typical viewing conditions. The difference is most noticeable at moderate quality settings or when you zoom into fine detail.

Recommended JPEG Quality Setting for Conversions

Convertlo's HEIC to JPG converter uses 90% quality by default — a setting that produces excellent results across all common use cases. You can adjust this in the converter settings before converting.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

HEIC is a technically superior format, but compatibility is the practical reality that matters most when sharing photos. The good news is that conversion is fast and free, and the one-time Settings change on your iPhone eliminates the problem entirely for all future photos.