To convert HEIC to JPEG for free: on a Mac, Control-click the file in Finder and choose Quick Actions, then Convert Image; on an iPhone, set Settings > Camera > Formats to Most Compatible so new photos are saved as JPEG; on Windows, upload the file to OneDrive or run magick photo.heic photo.jpg with ImageMagick. Keep the HEIC as well. A JPEG made from it is a new lossy copy, and it is usually bigger.
Why do iPhone photos come out as HEIC?
HEIC is Apple's name for images stored in the HEIF format, and it is the iPhone's default because it saves space. Apple's guide to HEIF and HEVC (published Dec 5, 2025) says iPhone 7 and later, iPad from the 6th generation and Apple Vision Pro can capture in it, under the setting it calls High Efficiency.
The trouble starts when the file leaves Apple's world. On Nov 1, 2026, Can I use put HEIF support at 16.93% of browsers worldwide: Safari 17 and later on the Mac and on iPhone, and no version of Chrome, Edge or Firefox. That is why a HEIC upload fails on so many websites, and why Windows asks for an extension before it opens one.
How do you convert HEIC to JPEG on a Mac?
Two ways, both built in, from Apple's own guides:
| Use | Steps |
|---|---|
| Finder, one or a few files | Control-click the file, choose Quick Actions, then click More, choose Convert Image, then a format and a size. Apple's own example is an iPhone .heic made into a .jpeg. |
| Preview, with a quality slider | Open the file, choose File > Export, and pick JPEG in the Format menu. For many files at once, open them in one window, select them all in the sidebar, then export. |
Both guides were for macOS 27 when we read them, so an older Mac may lay the menus out a little differently.
How do you get JPEG instead of HEIC on an iPhone?
There are two settings, and they do different things. Both are in Apple's guide.
| You want | Do this |
|---|---|
| New photos saved as JPEG from now on | Settings > Camera > Formats, then Most Compatible. Choose High Efficiency to go back. |
| Photos copied to a computer over USB as JPEG | Do not choose Keep Originals in Settings > Apps > Photos. Apple says media imported to Photos, Image Capture or a PC "might be converted to JPEG", and Keep Originals is the setting that stops it. |
Most Compatible only changes photos you take after you switch, and Apple calls High Efficiency the space-saving choice, so expect larger files. Apple also says that when you share by AirDrop, Messages or email, a device that cannot read the newer formats may be sent a more compatible one, such as JPEG. It may, so check what arrived.
How do you convert HEIC to JPEG on Windows?
Out of the box, Windows cannot even open a HEIC. Microsoft's support page gives three ways around it, and we read it on Nov 1, 2026:
- Install two extensions from the Microsoft Store: HEIF Image Extensions (free) and HEVC Video Extensions ($0.99). Microsoft says you need both, even for photos alone. This lets Windows open the file; it does not convert anything by itself.
- Let the phone convert it as it copies, by connecting it to the PC (the iPhone setting above) or emailing the photo to yourself.
- Upload it to OneDrive, which Microsoft says converts photo files for you.
For a folder of files with no store purchase, ImageMagick is free and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Its format list shows HEIC as read and write, through the libheif library:
# One file
magick photo.heic photo.jpg
# Set the JPEG quality (0 to 100) yourself
magick photo.heic -quality 90 photo.jpg
We wrote these from ImageMagick's documentation and did not run them for this post.
Does converting HEIC to JPEG lose quality?
Yes, a little, every time. Both formats are lossy, so the converter decodes the HEIC and compresses the result again as JPEG, which throws away some new detail on top of what HEIC already dropped. At a high quality setting you will rarely see it, but you cannot get the HEIC back from the JPEG.
The JPEG is also usually larger, since saving space is the reason HEIC exists. That is why it makes sense to convert a copy for the person or site that needs it and keep the HEIC as your original.
Some converters also copy the file's metadata, including where the photo was taken, and some drop it. If that matters, check the location tag on the JPEG before you send it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just rename a .heic file to .jpg?
No. The name changes but the data inside is still HEIF, so most programs will refuse it or show an error. The file has to be decoded and encoded again.
Is HEIC better than JPEG?
For storage on an Apple device, usually yes: Apple calls it the space-saving format. For sharing, JPEG still wins, because nearly everything can open it and only Safari can show HEIC on a web page.
Is there a modern format that browsers can show?
Yes. AVIF works in 96.35% of browsers by Can I use's count on Nov 1, 2026, and it is the one we serve. Our AVIF vs JPEG XL vs WebP post compares the options.
Will my HEIC photos open on an Android phone?
Often, but not always. Android's media format list has decoded HEIF since Android 9, yet marks it as optional for each device, and apps vary too. If you do not know what the other person has, send a JPEG.
Are online HEIC converters safe?
They work, but you are uploading your photos, location tags included, to someone else's server. The built-in routes above keep the files on your own device.
What Heart Photos does
You do not have to convert anything to share a HEIC through Heart Photos. You can upload HEIC files as they are, from a phone or a computer, and Heart Photos makes an AVIF of each one, in the sizes each screen needs, so it shows in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari alike.
The HEIC itself is kept, byte for byte. In the viewer's download options it appears as Original HEIC, beside the AVIF. Heart Photos does not offer a JPEG download, so if someone needs a JPEG, convert a copy with one of the methods above.
The original keeps its metadata, location included, and anyone who can open an unlisted or public image can download it. Keep a photo with a location private, or strip the location first. When you are ready, open Heart Photos and drop in a HEIC.