Why won't my iPhone's HEIC photo open on Windows?

Windows needs the paid HEIF/HEVC extensions to open HEIC, and many websites and older Android phones reject it outright. iPhones have saved HEIC by default since iOS 11 (2017) because it's about half the size of JPEG at similar quality. Converting to JPG or PNG makes the photo open everywhere.

Should I choose JPG or PNG?

For a normal photograph, choose JPG: it's exported at quality 0.92, so it stays small with no visible artifacts. Choose PNG only when you need lossless pixels, and expect the file to be several times larger, since PNG doesn't compress photographic detail well.

Are my photos uploaded, and what about the GPS data in them?

Decoding the HEIC and re-encoding it both happen entirely in your browser, so the photo and any GPS coordinates or timestamps it carries never leave your device. There's no server involved and no size limit imposed by one.

Can I make my iPhone stop creating HEIC files?

Yes. In iOS, go to Settings, Camera, Formats and pick 'Most Compatible' to shoot JPEG directly, so future photos never need converting. This tool is for the HEIC files you already have.

Why does my converted photo look slightly less vivid?

HEIC can store HDR and the Display P3 wide color gamut, but the JPG and PNG output here is standard 8-bit sRGB. A very bright or highly saturated shot can look a touch flatter after conversion. That's expected behavior, not a fault in the file.

HEIC to JPG

Convert iPhone HEIC photos to JPG/PNG — in your browser.

iPhone HEIC photos are converted in your browser — never uploaded.

Choose a HEIC fileOutput format

Choose a HEIC file.

What is HEIC to JPG?

HEIC to JPG converts the HEIC photos iPhones save by default into universally supported JPG or PNG, free and entirely in your browser. Use it when a HEIC file won't open on Windows, older Android, or a website — choose the .heic file, pick a format, and download.

Key features

Converts iPhone .heic and .heif photos
Choose JPG or PNG output
Simple flow: choose a file, pick a format, download
Opens HEIC photos that Windows or older Android reject

How to convert HEIC to JPG

Since iOS 11 (2017), iPhones and iPads save photos as HEIC by default. HEIC (a still image inside the HEIF container, encoded with HEVC) stores a photo at roughly half the file size of a JPEG at similar quality — great for your camera roll, but a headache the moment you leave Apple's ecosystem. Windows without the paid HEIF/HEVC extensions, older Android phones, many web upload forms, and older photo editors simply refuse to open a .heic. This tool converts it to JPG or PNG, which open everywhere.

How to use it

Choose a .heic or .heif file from your phone or computer.
Pick an output format — JPG for a small, universally accepted photo, or PNG if you need it lossless.
Convert & download. The result keeps your original filename with the new extension (IMG_1234.heic → IMG_1234.jpg).

Where the conversion happens

Decoding HEIC and re-encoding it runs entirely in your browser — the photo is never uploaded. That matters, because photos carry GPS coordinates and timestamps, and here they never leave your device. The trade-off is that decoding HEVC is CPU-heavy: a big 12-megapixel shot takes a moment, and doing a whole album one file at a time is slower than a desktop app. For a handful of photos it's instant.

JPG vs PNG for this job

For a normal photograph, choose JPG. It's exported at quality 0.92 — high enough that you won't see artifacts at normal viewing sizes — and the file stays small. Choose PNG only if you specifically need lossless pixels (for example, a screenshot saved as HEIC, or an image you'll edit repeatedly); expect the PNG to be several times larger than the JPG for the same photo, since PNG doesn't compress photographic detail well.

Gotchas worth knowing

HDR and wide color get flattened. HEIC can store HDR and the Display P3 wide gamut. JPG and PNG output here is standard 8-bit sRGB, so a very bright or vividly colored shot may look slightly less punchy than it did in Apple Photos. That's expected, not a bug.
A HEIC can hold more than one image. Live Photos and bursts bundle multiple frames; the conversion takes the primary still, not the motion or every frame.
Prefer converting to prevention? In iOS, Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes the camera shoot JPEG directly, so future photos never need converting. This tool is for the HEIC files you already have.
The file must really be HEIC. If a photo was already converted or renamed, decoding may fail — start from the original .heic off the phone.

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my iPhone's HEIC photo open on Windows?: Windows needs the paid HEIF/HEVC extensions to open HEIC, and many websites and older Android phones reject it outright. iPhones have saved HEIC by default since iOS 11 (2017) because it's about half the size of JPEG at similar quality. Converting to JPG or PNG makes the photo open everywhere.
Should I choose JPG or PNG?: For a normal photograph, choose JPG: it's exported at quality 0.92, so it stays small with no visible artifacts. Choose PNG only when you need lossless pixels, and expect the file to be several times larger, since PNG doesn't compress photographic detail well.
Are my photos uploaded, and what about the GPS data in them?: Decoding the HEIC and re-encoding it both happen entirely in your browser, so the photo and any GPS coordinates or timestamps it carries never leave your device. There's no server involved and no size limit imposed by one.
Can I make my iPhone stop creating HEIC files?: Yes. In iOS, go to Settings, Camera, Formats and pick 'Most Compatible' to shoot JPEG directly, so future photos never need converting. This tool is for the HEIC files you already have.
Why does my converted photo look slightly less vivid?: HEIC can store HDR and the Display P3 wide color gamut, but the JPG and PNG output here is standard 8-bit sRGB. A very bright or highly saturated shot can look a touch flatter after conversion. That's expected behavior, not a fault in the file.

Privacy

Decoding the HEIC file and re-encoding it as JPG or PNG both happen locally in your browser — your original photo is never uploaded.