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

By Tooldesk team · · 3 min read

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The fastest way to convert HEIC to JPG on any computer is a browser converter. Open HEIC to JPG, drop in your photos, and download the JPGs. Nothing gets installed or uploaded. On a Mac you can also use Preview. On an iPhone, the Photos app converts automatically when you share. Details for each are below.

What is a HEIC file?

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the format iPhones use for photos by default. It stores the same photo at about half the size of a JPG. The catch is support: many Windows PCs, older Android phones, websites and upload forms cannot open it, so you’ll see errors or blank thumbnails.

JPG works everywhere, which is why converting is the usual fix.

Convert HEIC to JPG in your browser (any device)

  1. Open HEIC to JPG.
  2. Drag your .heic files onto the page, or click to choose them. You can add many at once.
  3. Set the JPG quality (90% is a good default).
  4. Download each JPG, or select Download all as ZIP.

Conversion happens on your device, so your photos stay private. It also works on Chromebooks and work computers where you can’t install software.

Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files if you install two free extensions from the Microsoft Store: HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions. The HEVC extension may cost a small fee, depending on your PC. Once installed:

  1. Open the photo in the Photos app.
  2. Select ⋯ → Save as, choose JPG, and save.

This converts one photo at a time. For a whole folder, the browser converter above is faster.

Convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac

macOS opens HEIC natively.

  1. Open the photo in Preview.
  2. Choose File → Export.
  3. Set Format to JPEG, adjust the quality, and select Save.

To convert many photos, select them all in Finder, right-click, and choose Quick Actions → Convert Image. Then pick JPEG.

Convert on iPhone

You usually don’t need to. When you share a photo by email or upload it to a website, iOS converts it to JPG automatically. If you need actual JPG files:

  1. Open the Files app and find the photo (or save it there from Photos).
  2. Long-press the photo, then choose Quick Actions → Convert Image → JPEG.

How to stop your iPhone saving HEIC

Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG. Photos you’ve already taken stay HEIC, and JPGs take roughly twice the storage.

You can also keep HEIC on the phone and have the iPhone convert when you copy photos to a computer: Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic.

HEIC vs JPG at a glance

HEIC JPG
Typical size of a 12 MP photo 1.5–3 MB 3–6 MB
Opens on Windows without extras No Yes
Accepted by most websites and forms Often not Yes
Supports transparency and 16-bit color Yes No
Live Photos and bursts in one file Yes No

If a converted JPG is too large for an upload limit, run it through Compress Image. A quality of 75% often halves the size with no visible change.

Questions people ask

Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?

JPG is slightly lossy, but at 85–90% quality you won’t see a difference in normal viewing.

Will the date and location be kept?

Browser converters, including ours, usually drop the photo’s metadata (date taken, GPS location). That is good for privacy. If you need to keep the date, use Preview on a Mac or the Photos app on Windows.

Why does my HEIC file convert into several JPGs?

Some HEIC files hold more than one image, such as a burst or an image sequence. Each image becomes its own JPG.