How the conversion works
HEIC is the format iPhones and iPads use for photos by default. Apple says devices from the iPhone 7 onward running iOS 11 or later capture photos as HEIF, saved with the .heic extension. It takes less storage than JPG, but a lot of software outside Apple's own cannot open it.
This tool first asks your browser to open the photo itself. Safari 17 and later can, and it is still the only major browser that can. Chrome, Edge and Firefox cannot, so for them the page loads an open-source HEIC decoder (heic2any, built on libheif) and decodes the photo in the page instead. Either way the decoded picture is saved again as JPG or PNG.
IMG_4021.HEIC → decode on your device → save as JPG at the quality you chose → IMG_4021.jpg
Worked example: sending vacation photos to a Windows user
You have 12 iPhone photos, each 4032 × 3024 pixels (12.2 megapixels). Drop all 12 here, keep JPG at quality 92 and press Convert. Each comes out as a JPG with the same 4032 × 3024 pixels and the same name, so IMG_4021.HEIC becomes IMG_4021.jpg. Press Download all and the 12 JPGs arrive in your downloads one after another. Your browser may ask once whether to allow several downloads; say yes.
Why convert at all
- Windows PCs. Microsoft says Windows needs both HEIF Image Extensions (free) and HEVC Video Extensions ($0.99) from the Microsoft Store to open HEIC files.
- Web forms. Job, school, rental and government upload forms often accept only JPG or PNG.
- Older software and printers. Many photo kiosks, editors and print services still expect JPG.
To avoid HEIC in the future, Apple's article explains the setting: Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible saves new photos as JPG.
JPG or PNG
| JPG | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy, adjustable with the quality slider | Lossless |
| File size for a photo | Small | Several times larger |
| Opens in | Everything | Nearly everything |
| Best for | Sharing, uploading, printing | Further editing, screenshots |
Privacy and limits
Photos never leave your device. The converted files do not keep the original EXIF details such as GPS location, which makes them safer to share. Live Photos convert to a still picture, and burst or multi-image HEIC files give the first image only. A few HEIC files from the newest cameras use features the bundled decoder does not support; if one fails, open it in the Photos app on a Mac or iPhone and export it as JPG instead. Converting a large batch on a phone can be slow, because each 12-megapixel photo is decoded in the browser.
Questions people ask
Are my iPhone photos uploaded to convert them?
No. The conversion runs in your browser. The HEIC decoder is downloaded once as part of the page, then each photo is decoded and saved as JPG or PNG on your own device. No photo is sent to a server.
Why can't my Windows PC open HEIC photos?
Windows needs two add-ons from the Microsoft Store to show HEIC photos: HEIF Image Extensions (free) and HEVC Video Extensions ($0.99). Microsoft says you need both even if you only want photos. Converting to JPG avoids the add-ons entirely, and JPG also works in email, web forms and older software.
Should I pick JPG or PNG?
JPG for almost everything: it opens everywhere and keeps files small. PNG is lossless, so it never adds compression artifacts, but a photo saved as PNG is usually several times larger than the same photo as JPG. Pick PNG only if you will edit the picture further or a site specifically asks for it.
What quality setting should I use?
The default of 92 is a good balance: the result looks the same as the original on screen and in prints. Go up to 100 for the most detail and the biggest files, or down to 75–80 when a website limits upload size.
Does it keep the photo date and location?
No. The converted JPG or PNG is a fresh image without the original EXIF data such as camera model, date taken and GPS location. That is often an advantage when sharing photos, but keep the HEIC originals if you rely on that information.
How do I stop my iPhone from taking HEIC photos?
Open Settings, tap Camera, tap Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG. Photos already taken stay as HEIC.