HEIC to JPG

How to use it

1. Drop your .heic files on the box above, or tap it to choose them from your phone.
2. Leave quality at 90% unless you need smaller files.
3. Download each JPG, or grab them all in one ZIP.

Good to know

HEIC files hold about the same detail as a JPG at roughly half the size, so expect the JPG to be larger than the original. That is normal and it does not mean quality has improved.

If an iPhone photo has several frames, as Live Photos do, only the still image is converted.

Why your iPhone makes HEIC files

Apple switched to HEIC as the default camera format with iOS 11 in 2017. It is a container built around HEVC video compression, which is why a HEIC photo takes about half the space of a similar JPG. The catch is compatibility: a lot of web forms, older editors and Windows machines without the right codec still do not understand it.

On Windows, the Photos app needs the HEIF and HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store before it can open these files, and the HEVC one may be paid. Converting to JPG is often simpler, especially when the picture is going to someone else.

Renaming the file does not convert it

Changing photo.heic to photo.jpg only changes the name. The data inside is still HEIC, so upload forms that inspect the file will reject it and most viewers will show an error. A real conversion decodes the image and writes new JPG data, which is what happens here.

Which format should you end up with?

Avoiding HEIC next time

• Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible makes new photos JPG, at the cost of larger files.
• Settings, Photos, Transfer to Mac or PC, Automatic lets the iPhone convert photos when you copy them over a cable.
• AirDrop and many mail apps can send a compatible copy, but this depends on the app, so check what actually arrives.

Questions