How to Convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone, Windows and Mac
Why iPhone photos are HEIC, how to switch your camera to JPG with Most Compatible, and the quickest ways to convert HEIC files to JPG on Windows and Mac.
By Awais, Founder and editor-in-chiefPublished
To convert HEIC to JPG, open the photos in a HEIC converter, choose JPG as the output, and download the converted copies. Our free HEIC to JPG tool does this in your browser on Windows, Mac, Android or iPhone, and you can stop your iPhone creating HEIC files at all by choosing Most Compatible in its camera settings.
Below: what HEIC is, how to change the iPhone setting, and every practical way to convert files you already have.
Why your iPhone saves photos as HEIC
HEIC is Apple’s name for photos stored in the HEIF format (High Efficiency Image File format). Apple switched the default camera format to HEIF and its video partner HEVC because they “offer better compression than JPEG and H.264” while keeping the same visual quality, so photos and videos use less storage on your device and in iCloud (Apple Support).
According to Apple, devices that capture HEIF include the iPhone 7 and later, iPad (6th generation) and later, iPad Air (3rd generation) and later, iPad mini (5th generation) and later, and newer iPad Pro models.
The catch is compatibility. Many websites, upload forms, older Windows PCs, printing kiosks and office apps still expect JPG. A form that says “JPG or PNG only” will reject a .heic file even if it looks like a normal photo on your phone.
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Smaller at the same quality | Larger |
| Opens everywhere | No: some PCs, sites and forms reject it | Yes, practically every device and app |
| Extra features | Can hold depth data, Live Photo stills and more | One flat image |
| Best for | Storing photos on Apple devices | Sharing, uploading, printing |
Option 1: stop the iPhone saving HEIC
If you mostly share photos with Windows users or upload them to forms, switch the camera to JPG:
- Open Settings and tap Camera.
- Tap Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible.
New photos are now saved as JPG (and videos as H.264). To go back, choose High Efficiency. Apple notes the Formats option only appears on devices that can capture HEIF. Two things to know:
- Existing photos don’t change. The setting only affects photos taken from now on.
- Files get bigger. JPGs take more space than HEIC at the same quality, so your storage fills up faster.
Option 2: let the iPhone convert when you transfer
When you copy photos to a computer over USB, iOS can convert them to JPG automatically. Apple says media “might be converted to JPEG or H.264” when imported into a PC or Mac. The setting is in Settings > Apps > Photos, under transferring to Mac or PC. Leave it on Automatic to get compatible files; choose Keep Originals only if you want the HEIC files themselves.
This only affects USB transfers. Photos you upload through iCloud, email or a website may still arrive as HEIC, depending on the app.
Option 3: convert HEIC to JPG online (any device)
This is the quickest way to convert a batch of photos you already have:
- Open HEIC to JPG in your browser.
- Drop your .heic files onto the page, or click to choose them. Select as many as you need.
- Choose JPG as the output. If you can set a quality, 85 to 90 keeps photos looking the same as the original.
- Download each JPG, or all of them as a ZIP.
The conversion runs inside your browser, so your photos are not uploaded to a server. That matters for family photos, ID scans and anything with location data.
On an iPhone, the Photos picker in Safari may hand the website a JPG copy instead of the original HEIC. To convert the original files, choose Browse and pick them from the Files app.
Option 4: convert HEIC on Windows
Windows 11 can open HEIC files once Microsoft’s HEIF and HEVC add-ons are installed from the Microsoft Store (search the Store for HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions; the HEVC add-on is a paid download in many regions). Many PCs already have them. Then:
- Right-click the HEIC file and choose Open with > Paint.
- Choose File > Save as > JPEG picture.
- Pick a folder and click Save.
This works for a handful of photos. For a whole folder, a batch converter is much faster, and a browser tool needs no add-ons at all. Our step-by-step guide to converting HEIC to JPG on Windows 10 and 11 covers Photos, Paint and batch options.
Option 5: convert HEIC on a Mac
Macs read HEIC natively.
- Preview: open the photo, choose File > Export, set Format to JPEG, adjust the quality slider and click Save (Apple Support). Select several images in Preview’s sidebar to export them together.
- Finder: select the photos, Control-click, and choose Quick Actions > Convert Image. Pick JPEG and an image size. This quick action is available on recent versions of macOS.
For the Photos app and Terminal methods, see how to convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac.
Which quality setting should you use?
JPG quality runs from 0 to 100. The number is not a percentage of the original quality, and each encoder uses it differently, but these ranges work well in practice:
| Use | Suggested JPG quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping photos to print or edit | 90–95 | Little visible difference, large files |
| Sharing and uploading | 80–85 | Hard to tell apart at normal size |
| Strict upload limits | 60–75, plus a smaller size | Combine with resizing |
A 12-megapixel iPhone photo (4,032 × 3,024 pixels) is far larger than most websites and forms need. If an upload has a size limit, also reduce the dimensions with Resize Image or squeeze the file with Compress Image. For forms with exact KB limits, see how to reduce image size in KB.
What you lose when you convert
- Live Photo motion. The JPG keeps only the still frame.
- Depth and portrait data. You can’t refocus or change portrait lighting afterwards.
- Some colour range. HEIC can store more colour detail than a standard 8-bit JPG, so HDR photos may look slightly flatter.
- File size. Expect the JPG to be bigger than the HEIC it came from.
Keep the original HEIC files if you might want these extras later. Convert copies for sharing.
If you are also choosing a format for a website, our comparison of AVIF vs WebP vs JPG explains which modern format gives the smallest files.
FAQ
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
A little, because JPG is lossy. At quality 85 to 90 the difference is very hard to see. Converting once is fine; avoid converting the same photo back and forth repeatedly.
Why are my iPhone photos HEIC when I email them?
Some apps send the original file. Others convert to JPG automatically. If the recipient can’t open the photo, convert it first, or switch the camera to Most Compatible for future photos.
Can Windows 11 open HEIC files?
Yes, once the HEIF and HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store are installed. Without them, Photos may show an error or ask you to install the add-on.
Does HEIC to JPG remove the photo’s location?
Not necessarily. Many converters copy the EXIF data, including GPS location. Check before you share, or strip it with an EXIF remover.