You AirDrop a photo or a screenshot from your iPhone, try to upload it somewhere, and get an error. The file ends in .heic. Here is what that is and how to convert HEIC to JPG on any device, free.
What HEIC is
HEIC is Apple's default photo format since iOS 11. It stores the same quality as JPG in roughly half the space, which is why Apple uses it. The trouble is support: plenty of websites, older Windows apps, and form uploaders still reject it.
Online, any device, free
The fastest route, and the only one that works the same everywhere: the free GetRef Image Converter. Drop your HEIC files, choose JPG, download. It converts up to 30 at once and runs in your browser, so your photos are never uploaded to a server.
On a Mac
- Preview: open the HEIC, File, Export, choose JPEG.
- Several at once: select them in Finder, right-click, Quick Actions, Convert Image, choose JPEG.
- Photos app: drag a photo out of Photos to the desktop and it is exported as JPG automatically.
On Windows
Windows 11 can open HEIC after installing the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. To convert, open the image in Photos, then Save as and choose JPG. For batches, use the online converter above.
On iPhone
- Files app: copy the photo into Files. Files saves a JPG copy when the destination requires it.
- Mail and Messages: attaching a photo usually sends a JPG automatically.
- Stop it at the source: Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG.
HEIC to PNG
For screenshots of interfaces you want to edit or annotate, PNG keeps every pixel sharp. The same converter outputs PNG.
For designers: screenshots are references
iPhone screenshots of apps are some of the most useful design references you have, and they pile up as HEIC files in the camera roll. Converting is step one. Keeping them findable is the rest: see how to save UI inspiration from mobile apps.
Common questions
- Why are my iPhone photos HEIC?
- Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC by default because it keeps the same quality in about half the space of JPG. Many websites and Windows apps still do not open it.
- Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
- Very little at 90 percent quality or higher. The file gets larger, because JPG compresses less efficiently, but it will not look worse.
- How do I stop my iPhone saving HEIC?
- Settings, Camera, Formats, then choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG. Existing photos stay HEIC.
