How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

To convert HEIC to JPG, open the photo in a converter or in an app that can read HEIC and export it as JPG at a high quality setting. On a Mac, Preview does this built in. On Windows you need Microsoft's HEIF extension. On any device, a browser-based converter works without installing anything. If you want your iPhone to stop creating HEIC files, switch the camera to Most Compatible in Settings.

What a HEIC File Is

HEIC is Apple's name for photos stored in the HEIF container format and compressed with HEVC (H.265), the same codec used for high-efficiency video. Apple made it the default camera format in iOS 11, so most iPhone photos taken since then are .heic files. Some Android phones can also shoot HEIF if the option is turned on. Wikipedia's HEIF article explains the technical background.

The advantage is size: HEIC stores a photo of similar visual quality in noticeably fewer bytes than JPG, which saves a lot of space on a phone with thousands of pictures. It can also hold higher colour depth and multiple images in one file.

The drawback is compatibility. JPG opens everywhere. HEIC often doesn't: older Windows PCs, many websites, exam and job application portals, print kiosks and older editing software either refuse it or show a blank icon. That is why people convert.

The Quickest Way on Any Device

A browser-based converter works the same on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone or a Chromebook:

1. Open the HEIC to JPG converter.
2. Select or drag in your .heic file.
3. Download the JPG.

The conversion happens inside your browser, so the photo is not uploaded to a server. That matters with personal photos, which can contain faces, documents and location data.

If you need a different output, HEIC to PNG gives a lossless file for further editing, and HEIC to WebP gives a small file for use on a website.

Converting on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files once the right extensions are installed from the Microsoft Store:

• HEIF Image Extensions (free) adds support for the container.
• HEVC Video Extensions may also be needed to decode the image data. It is preinstalled on some PCs; on others it is a small paid download.

With both installed, open the photo in the Photos app, use the menu's Save as option, choose JPG as the file type, and save. This is fine for a handful of images, but it is slow one by one, and it doesn't help on a PC where you can't install apps. The browser converter above avoids both problems.

Converting on a Mac

macOS reads HEIC natively.

1. Open the photo in Preview.
2. Choose File → Export.
3. Set Format to JPEG and move the quality slider near the top.
4. Click Save.

To convert several at once, open them together in Preview, select all the thumbnails in the sidebar, and use File → Export Selected Images. The Photos app can also export selected photos as JPEG from File → Export.

Converting on iPhone

You can get JPGs from an iPhone in three ways.

Stop Creating HEIC Files

Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. From then on the camera saves JPG. Photos will take more storage, and photos you already took stay HEIC.

Convert Automatically When Transferring to a Computer

Go to Settings → Photos and, under Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic. When you copy photos to a computer over a cable, the iPhone converts them to a compatible format such as JPG.

Convert Individual Photos

Open the browser converter in Safari, choose the photo from your library, and download the JPG to the Files app. Some sharing routes, such as attaching a photo to an email, also send a JPG copy, but the behaviour varies by app, so check the file extension if a form is strict.

Converting on Android

Support for HEIC on Android depends on the phone and Android version. Many recent phones and Google Photos can display HEIC files, but exporting them as JPG isn't always obvious. The simplest route is the browser converter: no app to install and no storage permissions to grant. If you'd rather use a converter app, check its privacy policy before giving it access to your photos.

Keeping the Quality When You Convert

JPG is lossy, so conversion discards a little data. Done properly, the difference is not visible.

• Use a high quality setting (around 90 or higher) for the conversion itself. You can make a smaller copy later if needed.
• Convert once, from the original. Don't convert a JPG back to HEIC and then to JPG again. Each lossy save adds artifacts.
• Keep the original resolution unless a form asks for specific dimensions.
• Keep the HEIC files until you have checked the JPGs.
• Expect a larger file. A JPG is usually bigger than the HEIC it came from, because JPG compression is less efficient. That is normal, not a sign of a problem.

HEIC can store more colour depth than JPG's 8 bits per channel. For everyday photos this is rarely visible, but if you are editing high-dynamic-range shots seriously, keep the HEIC or export to PNG for editing.

Common Problems and Fixes

The JPG is too large for an upload form. Exam portals, job applications and KYC uploads often set a limit such as 100 KB or 50 KB. After converting, use compress image to size to hit the exact target. Our guide to image sizes for online forms lists typical requirements.

The photo looks blurry or blocky. The conversion used too low a quality setting. Convert again from the original HEIC at a higher setting.

Colours look slightly different. Some converters handle colour profiles poorly. Try another conversion method and compare.

Location data is still in the file. Many converters keep the original metadata, including GPS coordinates. Check and remove it with the metadata remover before posting photos publicly.

The photo is sideways. iPhones store orientation as metadata. If a converter ignores it, fix the image with rotate.

Should You Convert to JPG, PNG or WebP?

For most people, JPG is the answer. For more detail on each format, read PNG vs JPG vs WebP vs AVIF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does converting HEIC to JPG reduce quality?

JPG is a lossy format, so a little data is discarded, but at a high quality setting the difference is not visible in normal viewing. Convert once from the original HEIC and keep the HEIC as a backup.

Why is the JPG bigger than the HEIC file?

HEIC uses more efficient compression than JPG, so the same photo needs more bytes as a JPG. If the JPG is too large for an upload limit, compress it to a target size after converting.

How do I stop my iPhone from saving photos as HEIC?

Go to Settings, Camera, Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be saved as JPG. Photos you already took stay HEIC and need converting.

Is it safe to convert HEIC files online?

It depends on the tool. A converter that processes files in your browser never uploads the photo. If a service uploads files to a server, read its privacy policy before using it with personal photos.

What happens to Live Photos when I convert them?

You get the still image only. The motion part of a Live Photo is stored as a separate video, so the converted JPG is a normal photo.