How to Convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone, Mac and Windows
By Akmal Ali · Published · Updated · 5 min read
On an iPhone, iPad or Mac, open a HEIC to JPG converter in Safari, or export the photo as JPEG from Preview or Photos. On Windows, install Microsoft’s HEIF Image Extensions, open the photo in Paint and save it as a JPEG. To stop getting HEIC files, set Settings › Camera › Formats to Most Compatible.
You took a photo on your iPhone, tried to upload it to a job portal or open it on a Windows laptop, and got an error. The file ends in .heic. There are four ways to get a JPG, and which one is easiest depends on where the photo is now: still on the iPhone, on a Mac, or already copied to a Windows PC.
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is the file extension Apple uses for photos saved in the HEIF format (High Efficiency Image File Format). iPhones have saved photos this way by default since iOS 11, because HEIF stores a photo of similar quality in less space than JPG, so more photos fit on the phone.
The catch is compatibility. JPG opens almost everywhere. HEIC doesn’t: many upload forms reject it, Windows needs an extra extension to show it, and Chrome, Edge and Firefox can’t display it at all (see current browser support). Apple explains the format, and the setting that makes an iPhone save JPGs instead, in Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices.
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Smaller at similar quality | Larger |
| Opens on iPhone and Mac | Yes | Yes |
| Opens on Windows | Only with the HEIF extension | Yes |
| Accepted by upload forms | Rarely | Almost always |
| Shown in Chrome, Edge, Firefox | No | Yes |
Which method should you use?
- A few photos, on an iPhone, iPad or Mac: convert them in Safari with an online converter.
- Photos you haven’t taken yet: switch the iPhone camera to JPG.
- Moving a whole library to a computer: let the iPhone convert during transfer.
- Files already on a Mac: export them from Preview or Photos.
- Files already on a Windows PC: install the HEIF extension, then save as JPG.
How to convert HEIC to JPG online
Browser converters are the quickest option for a handful of photos, but many upload your pictures to a server first. The VektraTool HEIC to JPG converter doesn’t: it uses the image decoder already built into Safari, so the photos are converted on your own device.
- Open the converter in Safari on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.
- Leave the JPG quality at 92%, which looks the same as the original, or lower it for smaller files.
- Select up to 30 HEIC photos. Each one converts as soon as it’s added.
- Download the JPGs one at a time, or all together as a ZIP file.
The converter applies the photo’s rotation, so portrait shots stay upright, and saves the JPG without camera details or GPS location. That makes the copy safer to share, but keep the original if you want that information.
HEIC to JPG
Convert up to 30 iPhone photos at once in Safari. Nothing is uploaded.
Chrome, Edge and Firefox can’t decode HEIC, so the converter can’t work in them. On a Windows PC or an Android phone, use one of the methods below instead.
How to make your iPhone save JPG instead
To stop new photos being saved as HEIC:
- Open Settings and tap Camera.
- Tap Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible.
Photos you take from now on are saved as JPG. Photos already in your library stay HEIC, and JPGs take more space, so your storage fills a little faster. Many people keep High Efficiency on and convert only the photos they need to share.
How to get JPGs when copying photos to a computer
In Settings › Photos, scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic. When you then import photos over a USB cable, the iPhone converts them to a compatible format, usually JPG. The other option, Keep Originals, copies the HEIC files unchanged.
How to convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac
Macs open HEIC natively, and both built-in apps can export JPG:
- Preview: open the photo, choose File › Export, set Format to JPEG, adjust the quality slider and save. To convert several at once, open them together, select them all in the sidebar and choose File › Export Selected Images.
- Photos: select the photos, choose File › Export › Export Photos, and pick JPEG as the photo kind.
How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows
Windows 10 and 11 open HEIC photos once Microsoft’s HEIF Image Extensions are installed from the Microsoft Store (Microsoft documents the HEIF codec). Photos taken on an iPhone are compressed with HEVC, so Windows may also ask for the HEVC Video Extensions, which some PCs come with and others have to get from the Microsoft Store, sometimes for a small charge. With both installed:
- Right-click the HEIC file and choose Open with › Paint.
- Choose File › Save as › JPEG picture.
- Name the file and save.
This works one photo at a time. For a batch, it’s often easier to transfer the photos again with the iPhone set to Automatic, as described above.
Common problems
- The JPG is bigger than the HEIC. That’s expected, because HEIC is the more efficient format. If an upload form sets a size limit, run the JPG through the image compressor or resize it first.
- A Live Photo lost its movement. A JPG is a still image. Only the key photo is converted; the short video part is not.
- The file says .heic but won’t convert. Check that it copied completely. Photos still downloading from iCloud, or cut off during a transfer, can’t be decoded.
- Renaming the file didn’t help. Changing
.heicto.jpgonly changes the name. The data inside is still HEIC, and most programs will refuse it.
Once you have JPGs, the guide to JPG, PNG and WebP explains when another format would suit the photo better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does converting HEIC to JPG reduce quality?
Very slightly, because JPG is a lossy format, but at 90% quality or more the JPG looks the same as the original on screen and in prints. Keep the HEIC originals if you might edit the photos later.
Why does my iPhone save photos as HEIC?
The High Efficiency camera setting saves photos as HEIC because the files take less space than JPGs of similar quality. You can switch to JPG in Settings › Camera › Formats by choosing Most Compatible.
Can I convert HEIC to JPG on Windows without installing anything?
Not on most PCs, because Windows needs the HEIF Image Extensions to read HEIC. Instead, set Settings › Photos › Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic on the iPhone before copying the photos, and they arrive in a compatible format.
Should I delete the HEIC originals after converting?
Only once you have checked the JPGs. The originals keep details such as the capture date and location, which a converted copy may not include, and they take less space.