Convert HEIC to JPG
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What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is Apple's name for a still image stored in an HEIF container and compressed with HEVC, the same intra-frame codec used for 4K video. It produces files roughly half the size of an equivalent JPEG at similar visual quality, which is why Apple made it the iPhone default in iOS 11 back in 2017. Unless you have changed Camera settings to "Most Compatible", every photo taken on an iPhone 7 or later is a HEIC file.
The format is genuinely better than JPEG on almost every measurable axis: 10-bit colour instead of 8-bit, a real alpha channel, depth maps, and several images in one file for bursts and Live Photos. The problem is that very little outside Apple's ecosystem will open one.
Why convert HEIC to JPG?
- Windows does not open HEIC out of the box. Windows 10 and 11 include the free HEIF Image Extensions, but decoding Apple’s HEVC-compressed images also requires HEVC Video Extensions, which Microsoft charges $0.99 for. JPG requires nothing.
- Upload forms reject it. Job portals, government sites, university applications and most older content management systems accept JPG and PNG only, and usually fail HEIC with an unhelpful validation error.
- Chrome and Firefox cannot display HEIC at all. Safari is the only browser that decodes it, so a HEIC you email or embed is invisible to most people who receive it.
- Photo software older than roughly 2018 does not recognise the format — including plenty of still-current print services, photo kiosks and desktop editors.
- JPG is the one raster format you can assume will still open in twenty years. It has been universally supported since 1992.
HEIC compared with JPG
| Attribute | HEIC | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | HEVC intra-frame — roughly 50% smaller than JPEG at equal quality | DCT, standardised 1992 — larger, but implemented everywhere |
| Support | Apple platforms; Safari only among browsers; Windows needs a paid HEVC codec | Every browser, operating system and image tool since 1992 |
| Transparency | Yes — full alpha channel | No — alpha is flattened onto a background colour |
| Metadata | Full EXIF and GPS, plus depth maps and Live Photo pairing | EXIF and GPS (stripped here by default) |
| Typical size | ≈1.8 MB for a 12 MP iPhone photo | ≈3.5 MB for the same photo at quality 82 |
What actually changes
HEIC is already lossy, so converting to JPG is a second lossy pass and some detail is discarded permanently. In practice this is invisible at quality 85 and above at normal viewing sizes; we default to 82, which is a good size-to-quality balance for photographs.
Two things genuinely change. Transparency is lost, because JPG has no alpha channel — any transparent pixels are flattened onto a background colour, white by default. Very few camera photos have alpha, but HEIC screenshots and stickers can. And 10-bit colour is reduced to 8-bit, which very occasionally shows as banding across smooth gradients such as a clear sky.
EXIF orientation is applied to the pixels before encoding, so photos do not come out sideways — a common failure in other converters. Depth maps, Live Photo video and burst sequences are not carried across, because JPG cannot represent them; only the primary image is converted.
Frequently asked questions
Will converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
Yes, a little. HEIC is already lossy, so re-encoding to JPEG is a second lossy pass. At quality 85 and above the difference is not visible at normal viewing sizes. If you intend to edit the photo afterwards, convert to PNG instead and accept a much larger file — every additional lossy save compounds the loss.
Why is my JPG bigger than the HEIC I started with?
Because HEIC compresses better — that is the whole reason Apple adopted it. HEIC uses HEVC intra-frame coding, which is roughly twice as efficient as JPEG, so the same photo at the same visible quality typically comes out 1.5-2x larger as a JPEG. A 2 MB HEIC becoming a 3.5 MB JPG is normal, not a fault. You are trading file size for a format every device and website can actually open. If the result has to fit a limit — an upload form, an email attachment — switch to target-size mode and set the exact size you need.
Will my location data be removed?
Yes, by default. iPhone photos carry GPS coordinates accurate to within a few metres, along with the camera model and the exact capture time. All of it is stripped unless you turn stripping off. Orientation is the one exception: it is applied to the pixels first so the image stays the right way up, then discarded.
Why will Windows not open my HEIC files?
Windows 10 and 11 can display HEIC only with two Microsoft Store extensions installed. HEIF Image Extensions is free, but it depends on HEVC Video Extensions, which costs $0.99 because HEVC is patent-encumbered. That same licensing situation is why Chrome and Firefox never added HEIC support. Converting to JPG sidesteps the problem entirely.
Can I convert many photos at once?
Yes. Drop a whole folder — there is no file count limit and no upload cap or daily quota, because the work happens on your device rather than on a server somebody has to pay for. Your device’s own memory is the only real limit, and very large images are handled by scaling them down rather than failing. Files are processed in parallel across your available CPU cores, and results download individually or together as a ZIP.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser, so your photos never leave your device. You can verify that yourself: open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the Network tab, and convert a file — you will see no upload. The page also keeps working with your network disconnected.
Nothing is uploaded — and you can check
Conversion happens on your own device, inside this browser tab. There is no server to receive your files, which is a stronger guarantee than a promise not to look at them. Open your browser's developer tools, switch to the Network tab, and convert something: you will see no request carrying your image. The page keeps working with your network disconnected.