How to Convert iPhone HEIC Photos to JPG (Free Ways)

iPhones save photos in the HEIC format by default. HEIC files are roughly half the size of JPGs with similar quality, which saves a lot of storage, but some websites, older Windows PCs and upload forms don't accept them. Here's how to turn them into JPGs, and how to stop your iPhone from creating HEIC files in the first place.

Option 1: Make your iPhone shoot JPG from now on

Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be saved as JPG (and videos as H.264). Existing photos stay as they are.

The trade-off: JPG photos take up more storage. If your phone is short on space, you may prefer to keep HEIC and convert only the photos you need to share.

Option 2: Convert automatically when you copy to a computer

Go to Settings → Photos, scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic. When you import photos over a USB cable, your iPhone converts them to JPG as they're transferred.

Also worth knowing: iPhones often convert photos to JPG automatically when you share them by email or to apps and websites that may not support HEIC.

Option 3: Convert on the iPhone

On recent versions of iOS, save the photo to the Files app (Share → Save to Files), then touch and hold the file and choose Quick Actions → Convert Image. Pick JPEG and the size you want, and a JPG copy is saved next to the original.

Option 4: Convert on a Mac

• Preview: open the HEIC file, choose File → Export, set the format to JPEG, adjust the quality slider and save.
• Finder: select one or more HEIC files, right-click and choose Quick Actions → Convert Image. It converts a whole batch at once.

Option 5: Convert on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC photos with Microsoft's free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store; many Windows 11 PCs already have it installed. Then:

1. Open the photo in the Photos app.
2. Open the menu and choose Save as.
3. Pick JPG as the file type and save.

Paint can also open HEIC files once the extension is installed; use File → Save as → JPEG picture.

Option 6: Use a browser tool

The Image Converter converts images to JPG, PNG or WebP in batches, right in your browser. For HEIC files, it works in browsers that can open HEIC themselves, which currently means Safari on Mac, iPhone and iPad. In Chrome, Edge or Firefox, use one of the options above instead.

Does converting lose quality?

A little, technically, because JPG compression is less efficient than HEIC. At a high quality setting, the difference isn't visible in normal viewing. The JPG will be larger than the HEIC file, though. If it's too big for an upload form, shrink it with the Image Compressor; see how to reduce a photo's file size.

What about Live Photos?

A Live Photo is a still HEIC image plus a short video clip. Converting it to JPG keeps just the still photo. The motion part is lost, which is usually what you want when uploading.