Since iOS 11, iPhones have saved photos as HEIC by default. It is an efficient format: Apple says a HEIC photo can be up to half the size of a JPG of the same quality. The catch is that Windows PCs without the right add-on, many websites and upload forms, and plenty of older apps can’t open it.
The quickest way: in your browser
Drop your photos into HEIC to JPG. It converts up to 50 at a time and gives you a ZIP. It works on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone, and your photos are converted on your own device, not uploaded. Choose HEIC to PNG instead if you need a lossless copy for editing.
On a Mac
- One photo: open it in Preview, choose File → Export, and pick JPEG as the format.
- Several photos: select them in Finder, right-click, and choose Quick Actions → Convert Image, then pick JPEG. This is available on macOS Monterey and later.
- From the Photos app: select the photos and choose File → Export → Export Photos, then set Photo Kind to JPEG.
On Windows
Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files once Microsoft’s HEIF Image Extensions are installed from the Microsoft Store. Some PCs also need the HEVC Video Extensions, which can cost a small fee. After that, open the photo in Paint and use File → Save as → JPEG picture.
If you’d rather not install anything, the browser converter above works without any extensions.
On iPhone
- Save JPGs from now on: go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG. They take more space, and some video modes need High Efficiency.
- When copying to a computer by cable: go to Settings → Photos and, under Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic. The iPhone then converts photos to JPG as they are copied.
- When sharing: many apps and email services receive a JPG automatically when you share from the Photos app, because iOS converts the photo for apps that can’t read HEIC.
Does converting lose quality?
HEIC and JPG are both lossy, so converting re-compresses the photo. At 90% quality, the default on this site, you won’t see a difference. Expect the JPG to be larger than the HEIC, often noticeably so, because JPG is less efficient. PNG is lossless and much larger again, so use it only when you need to edit the photo further.
What happens to the date and location?
The converter on this site doesn’t copy the photo’s metadata, such as the date it was taken or its GPS location, into the new file. That’s good for privacy when you’re sharing. If you want to keep the date so that photo apps sort the pictures correctly, export from the Photos app on a Mac instead, which keeps it.
To see what a photo contains before or after converting, use the EXIF Viewer.