HEIC to JPG, PNG, WebP
Convert one photo or a batch of iPhone HEIC files. Control output quality, resize on export, and see the exact compression savings per file. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored.
Select HEIC files
Click, drag & drop, or paste from clipboard
Up to 30 files · 25 MB per file · JPG, PNG, or WebP output
Runs on your device. Every file is decoded and re-encoded by your browser. No image data touches a server, and nothing is retained after you close the tab. You can verify by disconnecting from the internet after the page loads — conversion will still work.
What is HEIC and why Apple uses it
HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is the default format the iPhone camera has used since iOS 11 in 2017. Apple chose it because it stores the same visual quality as a JPEG in roughly half the space. A 4 MB JPEG typically becomes a 2 MB HEIC with no visible difference in normal viewing. On a 128 GB iPhone that is the difference between 32,000 photos and 64,000.
The compression behind HEIC is called HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), the same algorithm used for 4K video. It analyses each 8×8 block of pixels and discards information the human eye is unlikely to notice — usually subtle colour variation in low-detail regions. JPEG uses an older algorithm from 1992 that does the same thing less efficiently.
The compatibility problem comes from that same efficiency. HEVC is patent-encumbered, and many software vendors chose not to pay the licensing fee. Windows did not add native HEIC support until Windows 10 with the HEIF Image Extensions pack installed separately. Android added it in Android 10 for capture, but viewing HEIC files received from other devices is still inconsistent. Web browsers, until recently, ignored HEIC entirely.
The practical result: your iPhone takes great photos in a format that most of the world cannot open. Converting to JPG makes the file readable everywhere at the cost of a slightly larger size.
HEIC vs JPG vs PNG vs WebP — what is actually different
| Format | Compression | File size for a 12 MP photo | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEIC | Lossy, HEVC | ~1.8 MB | iPhone capture, Apple ecosystem |
| JPG | Lossy, DCT | ~3.5 MB | Universal sharing, forms, email, printing |
| PNG | Lossless | ~18 MB | Screenshots, logos, transparency, archival |
| WebP | Lossy or lossless | ~1.6 MB | Website images, smaller than JPG at same quality |
Sizes are approximate and vary with scene complexity. A photo of a plain sky compresses far smaller than a photo of dense foliage.
How to convert iPhone photos
Add your files
Drag any number of HEIC files onto the upload box. On mobile, tap to open the photo picker and select multiple photos at once.
Set output options
Choose JPG for compatibility, PNG for lossless, or WebP for the smallest size. Use the quality slider to trade file size against visible detail.
Convert and download
Click Convert. Each file is processed in sequence. Download individually, or grab the whole batch as a single ZIP.
If conversion does not work
HEIC is a family of formats, not a single one. Apple has released several variants over the years, and a small percentage of files cannot be decoded by open-source libraries. Here is what to try if a file fails.
- Re-export from Photos. Open the file on the iPhone, tap Share, and choose Save as JPEG. This re-encodes using Apple's own decoder and produces a JPG the tool can always read.
- Use AirDrop to a Mac. macOS decodes HEIC natively. AirDrop the file, open it in Preview, and export as JPG.
- Check the file is actually HEIC. Some files with a
.heicextension are actually MP4-based Live Photos. The tool will reject those. Only the still-image component can be converted. - Look at the file size. A 200 KB file with a
.heicextension is usually a thumbnail rather than a full photo. Try the original from the Photos app rather than a copy saved to Files or a chat app. - Try a smaller batch. Converting 30 files at once on a low-memory phone can cause the browser tab to close. Convert 5 to 10 files per batch if you see this happen.
How to stop future iPhone photos from being HEIC
If you regularly need JPG files, you can change the default on your iPhone once and every future photo will be saved as JPG.
- Open Settings.
- Scroll to Camera, then tap Formats.
- Select Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency.
The trade-off is that future photos will take up roughly twice the storage space. If space is tight, leave the setting on High Efficiency and use this tool to convert only the photos you need to share.
Frequently asked questions
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the default photo format introduced by Apple for iPhones and iPads. It compresses photos roughly twice as efficiently as JPEG at equivalent quality, which is why iPhone photos look sharp while taking less space. The trade-off is compatibility: older Windows versions, most Android phones, and many web forms cannot open HEIC files without extra software.
Instead of purchasing codec extensions from the Microsoft Store or installing third-party viewers, you can open the file in your browser. The page decodes the image locally, lets you preview it, and exports it to JPG, PNG, or WebP in one step. Nothing to install, nothing to activate.
Yes. The conversion runs entirely in your browser using native web APIs and a small open-source decoding library. No image data is transmitted to any server. You can verify this by loading the page, disconnecting from the internet, and running a conversion — it will still work.
Choose JPG for maximum compatibility with forms, email, and messaging apps. Select PNG if you need lossless quality or transparency. Choose WebP for the smallest file size at good quality on websites, though not every older application can open WebP files.
Most portals only accept JPG, PNG, or PDF. HEIC files are rejected even though they are valid images. Convert to JPG before uploading. If the portal also has a size limit, use our photo compressor to reduce the file to the exact KB size the form requires.
JPG is a lossy format, so some detail is discarded at every save. At 90% or higher quality the difference is usually invisible in normal viewing. If you need pixel-perfect fidelity for archival or printing, use PNG — it is lossless, at the cost of a larger file size.
HEIF is the overall structural standard (High Efficiency Image Format), and HEIC is the specific container Apple uses inside HEIF. In practice they mean the same thing for iPhone photos — if a file has either extension, this tool will convert it.
The conversion preserves visible image data but does not carry over all Apple-specific metadata such as Live Photo sequences, Portrait depth maps, or location data. Date, orientation, and basic EXIF fields are typically retained by the browser's encoder for JPG output.
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