Images guide
How to Convert HEIC to JPG (or PNG) — iPhone Photos That Open Anywhere
Updated 27 September 2026 · 3 min read
You send a photo from your iPhone to a Windows laptop, a job portal or a printing website, and it refuses to open — or the file ends in .heic and nobody knows what to do with it. HEIC is a perfectly good format, just not a universally supported one. Converting to JPG takes a few seconds and fixes the problem for good.
Open the free HEIC to JPG ConverterWhat is a HEIC file?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the format iPhones and iPads use for photos by default. It stores images using a newer compression method, so a HEIC photo is often around half the size of the same photo as JPG while looking the same. That saves a lot of storage on a phone full of pictures.
The catch is compatibility. Apple devices open HEIC natively, but many Windows programs, older Android phones, websites, upload forms and print services still expect JPG or PNG.
How to convert HEIC to JPG, step by step
- Open the HEIC to JPG Converter.
- Add your photos — you can select up to 30 at once, straight from the Photos app or a folder.
- Adjust the quality if you like. The default keeps photos looking the same as the original.
- Download each JPG, or download them all together as a ZIP file.
The conversion happens in your browser. The first time you convert a HEIC photo in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, the page loads a small decoder (about 3 MB); after that, conversions are quick. Your photos are never uploaded.
JPG or PNG?
| Choose | When | File size |
|---|---|---|
| JPG | Sharing, email, upload forms, printing — almost everything | Smaller |
| PNG | You’ll edit the image repeatedly, or need lossless quality for design work | Much larger |
For ordinary photos, JPG is the right choice nine times out of ten. Use the HEIC to PNG Converter when you specifically need a lossless file.
Why is my JPG bigger than the HEIC?
Because HEIC is the more efficient format. A 2 MB HEIC photo may become a 3–4 MB JPG at high quality. If the result is too large for an upload form, run it through the Image Compressor or reduce its dimensions with the Image Resizer — 1600 pixels wide is plenty for most online forms.
Stop your iPhone saving HEIC in the first place
- Open Settings → Camera → Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible.
New photos will be saved as JPG (and videos as H.264). Photos you have already taken stay as HEIC. The trade-off is that JPG photos take more storage space on your phone.
There is also a setting under Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC. Set to Automatic, the iPhone converts photos to a compatible format when you copy them to a computer by cable. It doesn’t apply to every way of sharing, so converting is still the reliable option. Menu names can change between iOS versions [check your iPhone if they differ].
Opening HEIC files on Windows
Recent versions of Windows can open HEIC photos once Microsoft’s HEIF image support is installed from the Microsoft Store, but it isn’t always set up out of the box, and other programs on the PC may still not recognise the files. If you just need the photo to work, converting to JPG avoids the problem entirely.
Common uses
- Job and visa applications that only accept JPG or PDF. Convert, then combine with JPG to PDF if a single document is required.
- Passport photos. The Passport Photo Maker opens HEIC photos directly, so you can crop to size without converting first.
- Online shops and marketplaces that reject HEIC uploads.
- Photo printing services and kiosks.
- Sharing with Windows or Android users by email.
Privacy
Photos often contain hidden details such as the location where they were taken. Converting keeps your photo on your device, and if you’re about to post a picture publicly you can strip that information with the EXIF Remover.