How to convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone, Windows, Mac and online

To convert HEIC to JPG, open the photo in an app that can export JPEG, such as Preview on a Mac (or on iPhone from iOS 26), or use a free browser converter like our HEIC to JPG converter. To stop your iPhone creating HEIC files in the first place, go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible, and new photos are saved as JPEG.

What is a HEIC file?

HEIC is the file extension for photos saved in HEIF, the High Efficiency Image File Format. Apple added HEIF for photos and HEVC (H.265) for videos in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, because they compress better than JPEG and H.264 and use less storage at the same visual quality (Apple). Microsoft notes they are the default formats on most Apple devices running iOS 11 or later (Microsoft).

Apple devices open HEIC without any help. Windows needs extra extensions, and many websites and upload forms around the world accept only JPG or PNG, which is why people convert.

On iPhone

Stop taking photos in HEIC

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

From then on, new photos are saved as JPEG and videos as H.264. Photos you already took stay HEIC. To switch back, choose High Efficiency (Apple). The trade-off is storage: JPEG files are larger than HEIC at the same quality.

Convert photos you already have

• Share them. Apple says that when you share by AirDrop, Messages or email and the receiving device doesn't support HEIF, the photo might be sent in a more compatible format such as JPEG automatically (Apple). "Might" is Apple's word, so check what arrives.
• Use Preview (iOS 26 and later). Open the image in the Preview app, tap the menu next to the file name, tap Export and choose JPEG. The Size slider trades file size against quality (Apple). Preview opens files from the Files app, so save the photo there first (in Photos, tap Share > Save to Files).
• Use your browser. The HEIC to JPG converter works in Safari: choose your photos, tap Convert, then download each JPG or all of them as one ZIP.

On Windows

If you open a HEIC photo in the Windows Photos app and see "You need an extension to use this file", Microsoft's fix is to install two extensions from the Microsoft Store (Microsoft):

1. HEIF Image Extensions, which is free.
2. HEVC Video Extensions, which is paid. When we checked on 2 October 2026, the Store listed it at US$0.99 in the US, £0.79 in the UK and ₹54 in India.

Microsoft says you need both, even if you only want photos. The HEIF extension's Store listing explains why: HEIC pictures are compressed with HEVC, so the HEVC package must be installed to view them (Microsoft Store). After installing, restart Photos.

The extensions let Windows open HEIC files; they don't turn your existing files into JPGs. To get JPG copies:

• Import from your iPhone. Apple says photos imported to a PC over USB might be converted to JPEG unless Keep Originals is selected under Settings > Apps > Photos on the iPhone (Apple). Microsoft also suggests plugging in the phone, or emailing the photos to yourself, because many devices convert them on the way. For the best compatibility with Windows, Apple recommends the Most Compatible camera setting (Apple).
• Use a browser converter. Our HEIC to JPG converter runs in Chrome, Edge and Firefox on Windows without any extensions, because it loads its own decoder into the page. It handles up to 30 photos at a time, each up to 30 MB.

On Mac

Macs running macOS High Sierra or later open HEIC natively. Three ways to save a JPG:

• Preview: open the photo, choose File > Export, set Format to JPEG, adjust the quality slider and click Save. To convert several at once, open them in one window, select them in the sidebar, then export (Apple).
• Finder: Control-click the photos, choose Quick Actions > Convert Image, then pick JPEG and a size. Apple gives HEIC to JPEG as its example (Apple).
• Photos: select the photo, choose File > Export and pick JPEG (Apple).

Online, on any device

A browser converter is handy on Android phones, Chromebooks and shared computers where you can't install anything. Some online converters upload your photos to their servers, so read their privacy policy before using them for personal pictures or ID documents.

Our HEIC to JPG converter converts in your browser, so the photos never leave your device. It saves JPG at 92% quality by default, or lossless PNG, and keeps the full resolution. It doesn't copy the photo's hidden details (EXIF data such as the date taken and GPS location), which is useful before sharing but means you should keep the originals if you need those dates. For other image formats, such as PNG or WebP to JPG, use the image converter.

Does converting reduce quality?

JPEG is a lossy format (JPEG committee), so every save discards a little detail. At a high quality setting the difference is hard to see, but each extra round of editing and saving loses a bit more, so convert from the original HEIC rather than from an earlier JPG copy. The JPG will usually be bigger than the HEIC, because HEIF compresses better (Apple). If a form then needs a smaller file, use the image compressor to reach a size in KB.

Common problems

• The form says JPG but the file ends in .jpeg. They are the same format with two spellings of the extension.
• The converted photo is sideways. If a converter ignores the rotation stored in the photo, the result can come out turned. Our converter turns photos upright before saving.
• You changed the camera setting but old photos are still HEIC. The setting only affects new photos; convert the old ones with one of the methods above.