How to Convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac: 5 Free Ways

Macs open HEIC photos without any add-ons, so the problem isn’t viewing them. It’s sending them to people and websites that only take JPG. macOS has four built-in ways to convert, and the best one depends on how many photos you have and whether you need to resize them at the same time.

The short answer: for a handful of files, select them in Finder, right-click, choose Quick Actions > Convert Image and pick JPEG. For a big batch with privacy controls, use HEIC to JPG in Safari or Chrome.

Method 1: Finder Quick Action (fastest)

Finder can convert photos in place on macOS Monterey (12) and later.

1. Select one or more HEIC files in Finder. Hold Command to pick several, or press Command-A for a whole folder.
2. Right-click (or Control-click) and choose Quick Actions > Convert Image.
3. Set Format to JPEG.
4. Choose an Image Size: Small, Medium, Large or Actual Size. Pick Actual Size to keep full resolution.
5. Tick or untick Preserve Metadata. Untick it to drop location and camera details from the copies.
6. Click Convert to JPEG.

The JPGs appear next to the originals with the same names. Your HEIC files are not changed.

This is the quickest way for most people. The size presets are handy when a website wants smaller photos.

Method 2: Preview (control over quality)

Preview lets you set the JPEG quality with a slider, which is useful when you need a specific file size.

One photo:

1. Open the HEIC file in Preview.
2. Choose File > Export.
3. Set Format to JPEG and drag the Quality slider. The estimated file size updates as you drag.
4. Click Save.

Several photos:

1. Select the files in Finder and open them together in Preview.
2. In the sidebar, click one thumbnail and press Command-A to select them all.
3. Choose File > Export Selected Images.
4. Click Options, set the format to JPEG, pick a folder and click Choose.

Method 3: Photos app (photos in your library)

If the pictures are in Photos, for example synced from your iPhone through iCloud, export them as JPG:

1. Select the photos in Photos.
2. Choose File > Export > Export [number] Photos.
3. Set Photo Kind to JPEG and pick a quality and size.
4. Open Info options to include or exclude location and titles.
5. Click Export and choose a folder.

Avoid Export Unmodified Original. That exports the HEIC file itself.

Method 4: Terminal (big folders, automation)

macOS includes sips, a command-line image tool. Open Terminal, go to the folder with cd, then run:

mkdir -p jpg
for f in *.HEIC *.heic; do [ -e "$f" ] && sips -s format jpeg -s formatOptions 85 "$f" --out "jpg/${f%.*}.jpg"; done

This converts every HEIC in the folder to JPG at quality 85 and saves the copies in a new jpg subfolder. It is fast and handles thousands of files. If you’re not comfortable with Terminal, use one of the other methods; a typo here won’t harm your photos, but it might not produce what you expect.

Method 5: a browser converter (any Mac, privacy controls)

HEIC to JPG works in Safari, Chrome or Firefox and runs on your Mac rather than on a server.

1. Open the tool and drag the HEIC files or a whole folder onto it.
2. Keep JPG as the output.
3. Leave Keep photo info off to strip GPS location and camera details, or turn it on to keep the date taken.
4. Download each photo, or all of them as one ZIP.

This is useful on a shared or work Mac where you can’t install software, and when you want the location removed in the same step.

Which method fits your job?

You want to	Use
Convert a few files quickly	Finder Quick Action
Hit a file size with a quality slider	Preview
Export from your Photos library	Photos > Export
Convert thousands of files or script it	Terminal (sips)
Strip location or work on a locked-down Mac	Browser converter

Stop getting HEIC from your iPhone

Two iPhone settings reduce the number of HEIC files you have to convert:

• Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible makes the camera save new photos as JPG. Files are bigger, and existing photos are not converted.
• Settings > Apps > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC > Automatic converts photos to JPG when you import them over USB.

AirDrop and iCloud Photos usually keep HEIC, because the Mac can read it. That’s fine until you need to upload a photo somewhere else.

After converting

• Resizing for a website or form. If a site wants a fixed width, such as 1,200 pixels, use Resize Image or Finder’s size presets.
• Making files smaller. JPGs are larger than HEIC at the same quality, often close to twice the size. Use Compress Image for email, or compress to a set KB for forms with a limit.
• Converting the other way. For transparent images, PNG is better than JPG. See the JPG to PNG tool.

For PC steps, see how to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows.

FAQ

How do I convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac without software?

Select the files in Finder, right-click and choose Quick Actions > Convert Image, then choose JPEG. It is built into macOS Monterey and later and needs no downloads.

How do I batch convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac?

Finder Quick Actions and Preview’s Export Selected Images both handle many files at once. For very large folders, the sips command in Terminal or a browser converter with ZIP download is quicker.

Does converting HEIC to JPG on a Mac keep the date and location?

It depends on the setting. Finder’s Preserve Metadata and Photos’ export options keep them; unticking removes them. In our browser tool, Keep photo info controls the same thing.

Why are my JPGs bigger than the HEIC files?

HEIC compresses more efficiently than JPG. Converting keeps the picture the same, so the JPG needs more bytes. Lower the quality slightly or resize if size matters.