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iPhone HEIC photos: how to convert them to JPG (and avoid the problem)

October 28, 2026 · 4 min read

You move photos from your iPhone to a Windows PC, a job application site or a government portal, and the file is rejected or won't open. Its name ends in .heic. It has been the default iPhone photo format for years: efficient, but still poorly supported outside the Apple world. The simplest fix is to convert the photo to JPG, the most universal image format.

This guide explains what HEIC is, how to convert one or several photos to JPG online, and how to set up your iPhone to avoid the problem in future.

What is HEIC?

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is a modern image format that produces much smaller files than JPG at comparable visual quality. Apple uses it by default on iPhone and iPad to save storage space.

Its drawback is compatibility. Many applications, websites, online forms and older versions of Windows cannot open it or refuse it on upload.

Convert HEIC photos to JPG, step by step

  1. Open HEIC to JPG.
  2. Drop one or more .heic photos (for example from the iPhone Files app or a folder on your computer).
  3. Run the conversion and download your JPGs.

The tool is free, up to 5 files per day (each photo counts as one file). Conversion happens in your browser: your photos are not uploaded to our servers. The photo's dimensions are kept.

If one file is damaged or unreadable, the other photos in the batch are still converted, and the failed file is named so you know which one it was.

Need a PDF rather than a JPG?

For a proof of identity or a document to submit as a PDF, use HEIC to PDF directly. To gather several photos already in JPG into a single document, use JPG to PDF.

Set up your iPhone so you stop getting HEIC photos

Two useful settings in the iPhone Settings app:

  • Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible: new photos are saved as JPG (and videos as H.264). Files will be a little larger.
  • Settings › Photos › Transfer to Mac or PC › Automatic: when you copy photos to a computer over a cable, the iPhone converts them to a compatible format automatically.

These settings do not change photos you have already taken: for those, conversion is still the answer.

Limits worth knowing

  • Live Photos: only the still image is converted, not the short animated clip.
  • HDR photos: JPG does not keep the full dynamic range of an HDR photo; the result can look slightly less bright on an HDR screen.
  • Orientation: check that a photo taken in portrait displays the right way up after conversion; if needed, rotate it in the Photos app, or after converting to PDF with Rotate PDF.
  • Location data: a photo can contain information such as the date or place it was taken; only share publicly what you are happy to share.

Shrinking the resulting JPGs

JPGs from iPhone photos often weigh several megabytes. For email or a size-limited form, run them through Compress an image: 70 to 80% quality stays very sharp on screen.

Check the JPGs before sharing

Keep the original HEIC files and check one export before converting a whole batch.

  • Compare the photo’s pixel dimensions, crop and orientation.
  • Inspect fine details and bright areas, then keep the quality setting that suits your use.
  • Open the JPG in the destination app or form and check its size limit. Simply changing .heic to .jpg does not convert an image.
  • For a batch, compare the number of output files with the number of selected photos.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't my PC open HEIC files?

Windows needs extra extensions to read this format, and many applications do not support it. Converting to JPG fixes the problem for every device.

Does conversion reduce quality?

JPG is a compressed format, but the conversion uses a high quality setting and keeps the original dimensions: to the eye, the difference is usually invisible.

Can I convert several photos at once?

Yes, drop them together. Each photo counts as one file in the free allowance of 5 files per day.

Are my photos uploaded to the internet?

Not for the conversion, which happens in your browser. Only the allowance count goes through our servers, without the photo content.

Does it work directly on an iPhone?

Yes: open the tool in Safari, pick the photos from the Files app or your photo library, then save the resulting JPGs.

Sources and further reading

All your files, the right tools in one place.

HEIC to JPG