HEIC to JPG Converter (Open iPhone Photos on Windows)

Runs in your browser: nothing you enter or choose is uploaded.

Choose several at once if you like. Photos are converted on your device and never uploaded.

This HEIC to JPG converter turns iPhone photos into ordinary JPG files that open on Windows, Android and any website. Choose one or more HEIC photos, pick a quality, and download each JPG, or all of them at once.

The conversion runs in your browser, so your photos are never uploaded.

How to use the HEIC to JPG converter

  1. Select Choose HEIC photos and pick one or more .heic or .heif files. On Windows, they are often in the folder you imported your iPhone photos into.
  2. Under JPG quality, keep High for printing and editing, or choose Medium or Small for smaller files to share.
  3. The conversion starts as soon as you choose the files. Select Convert to JPG to run it again after changing the quality.
  4. Watch each photo’s line: it shows Converting…, then the old and new size and a preview.
  5. Select Download JPG under a photo, or Download all to save every converted photo. Your browser may ask once whether the site can download several files: allow it.

Converting can take a few seconds per photo, and longer on older phones. Large batches are fine: the photos are converted one after another.

What is a HEIC file?

HEIC is how iPhones store photos by default. Apple calls the format HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format), and photos in it usually end in .heic. Apple’s support page says iPhone 7 and later can capture HEIF photos, starting with iOS 11. WebKit, the team behind Safari, says a HEIC photo can take up about half the space of a JPEG of the same quality.

That saving is why Apple uses it. The catch is compatibility: Apple devices running iOS 11 or later and macOS High Sierra or later open HEIC files without help, but many other devices and apps don’t.

Why Windows can’t open iPhone photos

A HEIC file is a container, and the picture inside is usually compressed with HEVC, the same codec used for some video. Microsoft’s documentation explains that Windows reads HEIF through the HEIF Image Extension from the Microsoft Store, and that the HEVC codec might not be available on every PC; it can also be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. Without both pieces, the Photos app may say it can’t open the file, or File Explorer shows no thumbnail.

You have three ways out: convert the photos to JPG on this page, make your iPhone save or transfer JPEGs in the first place, or add HEIC support to Windows. The sections below cover each one. More Windows help is on our Windows hub.

Convert HEIC to JPG on this page

If your browser can already display HEIC photos, the converter uses the browser’s own decoder. Safari added HEIC support in version 17. In other browsers, it uses heic2any, an open-source, MIT-licensed library that decodes HEIC with JavaScript on your device. Either way, the photo is drawn and saved as a JPG without leaving your computer or phone.

  • Quality: High keeps the most detail. Medium and Small make files that are quicker to email and upload.
  • Metadata: the JPG doesn’t keep the photo’s EXIF details, so the date taken, camera model and GPS location are not copied. That is good for privacy, but photo apps may sort the JPGs by the conversion date. To check a photo for location before sharing, use our EXIF remover.
  • Files with several images: if a file holds several images, you get the first one.

Make your iPhone save JPG instead of HEIC

If most of your photos end up on Windows or Android, you can make the iPhone camera take JPEGs. Apple’s steps:

  1. Open Settings, then tap Camera.
  2. Tap Formats, then tap Most Compatible.

From then on, new photos are saved as JPEG and new videos as H.264. Photos you have already taken stay HEIC. To go back to smaller files, choose High Efficiency in the same place. JPEG photos take more storage on the iPhone and in iCloud.

Let the iPhone convert photos when you transfer them

Apple says that when you import photos from an iPhone into a PC over USB, they might be converted to JPEG. That depends on a setting: open Settings, tap Apps, tap Photos, then scroll down to Transfer to Mac or PC (on older iOS versions, Photos is directly under Settings). Choosing Keep Originals stops the conversion, so choose Automatic if you want JPGs on your PC.

To import on Windows, Apple recommends installing the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, connecting the iPhone with a USB cable, unlocking it and tapping Trust or Allow if asked. If you use iCloud Photos, download the full-resolution originals to the iPhone before importing. Moving to a new computer? See our guide to moving files to a new Windows 11 PC.

Apple also notes that when you share photos by AirDrop, Messages or email and the other device doesn’t support HEIF, the photos might be sent in a more compatible format such as JPEG.

Open HEIC files on Windows without converting

Install the HEIF Image Extension from the Microsoft Store. Because iPhone HEIC photos use HEVC compression, the PC also needs an HEVC codec; Microsoft’s documentation says HEVC might not be available on all PCs and can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. After that, the Photos app should open HEIC files, but other programs and websites still may not, so converting is still the safest choice for files you share.

If it doesn’t work

Windows 11

If the file picker shows nothing, check you are in the right folder and that the type box next to the file name allows HEIC files, or set it to all files. If you selected Download all and only one file appeared, look for a blocked-downloads icon in the address bar and allow multiple downloads for this site.

Android and Samsung Galaxy

HEIC files sent from an iPhone usually arrive as attachments or in the Files app. Choose them from Files (My Files on a Galaxy) when the browser asks. Converted JPGs are saved to Downloads.

iPhone and iPad

You rarely need this tool on the iPhone itself, because iOS opens HEIC photos. To share JPEGs, use the Most Compatible setting above. In Safari, downloads are saved to the Files app. More iPhone tips are on our iPhone hub.

Mac

Macs running macOS High Sierra or later open HEIC files. If a website or app on your Mac wants a JPG, convert the photos here or export them from the Photos app as JPEG. See our Mac hub for more.

  • “We couldn’t convert this photo”: the file may be damaged or use a HEIC variant the converter can’t read. Try sharing it from the iPhone by email or AirDrop instead.
  • “The converter didn’t load”: reload the page. Content blockers sometimes stop the script; allow this site and try again.
  • Slow or frozen: very large batches use a lot of memory. Convert a smaller batch at a time on older devices.

Privacy

Many HEIC converters upload your photos to a server, which means trusting someone else with personal pictures. This one works entirely in your browser: the photos are read, converted and offered for download on your device, and the download links are cleared when you convert again or close the page.

Related free tool: our image compressor.

FAQ

Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?

A little, because JPEG is a lossy format. The High setting keeps the most detail of the three. Keep the HEIC originals if you want the best possible copy.

Why are my iPhone photos HEIC?

Because the camera is set to High Efficiency. Apple says iPhone 7 and later can capture HEIF photos. Switch to Most Compatible under Settings → Camera → Formats to take JPEG photos instead.

Is the HEIF Image Extension free?

The HEIF Image Extension is a Microsoft Store app. Check the Store listing for the current price on your PC; iPhone photos also need an HEVC codec to open.

Are my photos uploaded?

No. The conversion happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.

Does the JPG keep the date and location?

No. The converted JPG doesn’t include the original EXIF data, so the date taken and GPS location are not copied.

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