What Is HEIC and How to Convert It to JPG
You emailed some iPhone photos, and the person on the other end can't open them. The culprit is almost always HEIC — the format Apple uses by default. Here's what it is, why it causes trouble, and how to convert it safely.
What HEIC actually is
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple's name for images stored using the HEIF format with HEVC compression. Since iOS 11, iPhones and iPads save photos as HEIC because it packs the same visual quality into roughly half the file size of a JPEG. That's great for your phone's storage — less great for sharing.
Why HEIC won't open everywhere
HEIC is newer and patent-encumbered, so support is patchy outside Apple's ecosystem:
- Windows needs an extra codec from the Microsoft Store to preview HEIC.
- Many websites and apps reject HEIC uploads outright.
- Older software and some Android devices can't read it at all.
JPG, by contrast, opens literally everywhere — which is why converting is usually the fastest fix.
HEIC vs JPG: the trade-off
- Size: HEIC is smaller for the same quality.
- Compatibility: JPG wins decisively.
- Quality: Converting HEIC → JPG is visually lossless at high quality; converting to PNG is fully lossless but larger.
How to convert HEIC privately
Because these are personal photos, avoid random sites that upload your images to a server. Our HEIC to JPG converter decodes the file directly in your browser using WebAssembly, so the photo never leaves your device. Drop in one or many HEIC files, pick JPG or PNG, and download.
After converting, you can compress or resize the JPGs for email or the web, and strip their EXIF data to remove the location the photo was taken. To turn off HEIC on your iPhone entirely, go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible.