How to Convert HEIC Photos from Your iPhone to JPG or PNG

Photos taken on a recent iPhone often arrive as .HEIC files, and then refuse to open in an older photo viewer, a web form, or a Windows program. Nothing is wrong with the file. It is stored in a format that is efficient but not universally supported. This guide explains what HEIC is, how to avoid it at the source, how to convert existing files in your browser, and what you give up in the conversion.

What HEIC and HEIF actually are

HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a container format for images. HEIC is the common file extension used when the image data inside is compressed with HEVC, a video codec that is also used for High Efficiency video. The aim is to store a photo at a smaller size than a JPEG of similar visible quality. The container can also hold extras such as multiple images, depth data, and short sequences, which is part of how Apple stores things like Live Photos.

The trade-off is compatibility. JPEG is decoded by essentially every device, browser and editor ever made. HEIC decoding depends on the operating system or software having the right codec, and some of that support depends on licensing. That is why a HEIC file may open fine on a recent Apple device, and then show as a blank icon or an unsupported-file message in other places.

Why the file does not open everywhere

Common failure points are online upload forms that only accept JPG or PNG, older versions of image editors, some content management systems, and some operating system installs without the HEIF codec added. The fix is not to repair the file but to change its format to one that the target accepts. JPEG is the safest for photos, and PNG is a lossless alternative.

Avoiding HEIC on the iPhone

iOS has a camera setting that controls the format. Open Settings, choose Camera, then Formats. There you will find a choice between High Efficiency and Most Compatible. Choosing Most Compatible makes new photos be captured as JPEG rather than HEIC. Menu wording can change between iOS versions, so if you do not see exactly those labels, look inside the Camera settings for the Formats entry. This only affects photos taken after you change it; existing HEIC photos stay as they are. You will pay for it with larger files, because JPEG is generally less space-efficient than HEIC.

Converting HEIC in your browser

For photos you already have, HEIC to JPG and HEIC to PNG convert one file at a time. Both accept .heic and .heif files and both run in your browser. Here is what the code does, step by step:

• Your browser first tries to decode the file itself. Some browsers, notably on Apple devices, can read HEIC natively.
• If the browser cannot, the page downloads a bundled WebAssembly decoder on demand. This download happens only when needed, so expect a short delay the first time you convert on a browser that lacks native support. Your photo is not sent anywhere; only the decoder is fetched.
• The decoded pixels are drawn onto a canvas and re-encoded in the format you chose.
• You download the result.

Both tools take a single file per run. If you have a whole camera roll to convert, you will be repeating the process per photo. HEIC to JPG has no quality slider; it uses a fixed high-quality default. If you need a smaller JPG afterwards, you can pass the converted file through Image Compressor, which has a quality slider and an optional size cap, or through Image Resizer to reduce the dimensions.

JPG or PNG: which output to pick

The important point is that the HEIC file is already lossy. Converting to PNG does not bring back detail that HEIC compression discarded; it only stops any further loss. For an ordinary photo you plan to share or upload, JPG is the practical choice. Pick PNG when you will edit the picture and want to avoid adding another round of lossy compression, and you accept a bigger file. See the format comparison for a wider view.

What is lost in the conversion

Be aware of these limits before deleting anything.

• Metadata. The conversion draws pixels onto a canvas and encodes a new image from them. That process carries pixel data only; the code does not copy camera details, timestamps or location tags into the new file. In practice this means the converted file will most likely have none of the original EXIF data. That can be a privacy benefit if you wanted it, and a nuisance if you sort photos by date taken. Check the result in a metadata viewer if it matters. For the privacy angle, see removing image metadata before sharing.
• Live Photos. A Live Photo is a still plus a short video clip. The converter handles the still image only; the motion is not converted, and you cannot get it back from the output.
• Extra image data. Depth information and other auxiliary data stored in a HEIC container are not carried across, since the output is a plain flat image.
• The original. Keep the HEIC file until you are satisfied with the converted one. It is the only version with the full stored information.

Colour handling can also differ between software, particularly for wide-gamut photos, so if colour accuracy matters, compare the converted file against the original on the same screen.

Practical limits

Conversion is done by your own device, so speed and memory depend on it. A very large HEIC photo or a small-memory phone or older laptop may be slow, and in the worst case the tab can run out of memory and fail. If that happens, try again in a fresh tab, close other heavy tabs, or use a desktop browser. The WebAssembly decoder is downloaded the first time you need it, so an unreliable connection can make that first conversion fail; retry when the connection is stable. The tools accept only HEIC and HEIF input, so convert other formats with Image Converter instead.

What to do

If you mostly share photos with people and services that expect JPG, switch the iPhone to Most Compatible under Settings, Camera, Formats, and enjoy files that open everywhere at the cost of extra storage. If you prefer to keep the smaller HEIC files, convert the specific photos you need to JPG when you need them, one at a time. Choose PNG only for pictures you will edit further. Keep the originals, and remember that converted copies will most likely have lost their date and location tags.