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HEIC to JPG Converter

Convert Apple HEIC and HEIF photos to universally compatible JPG format. Instant conversion with no quality loss — all processing happens in your browser.

The HEIC Compatibility Problem

If you've ever tried to open a photo from your iPhone on a Windows PC, share it with a friend using Android, or upload it to a website, you've likely encountered the HEIC problem. Since 2017, Apple has used HEIC as the default photo format on iPhones and iPads. It's technically superior to JPEG — producing better image quality at smaller file sizes — but it's not universally supported.

Windows doesn't open HEIC files without additional codecs. Many web platforms don't accept HEIC uploads. Older Android devices can't display them. Even some professional software and print services don't support the format. The result? You end up with photos you can't use where you need them.

This is a simple, practical problem that affects millions of people. You took a photo, it's stuck in a format that doesn't work, and you need a JPG. That's exactly what this tool does — no complexity, no sign-ups, no server uploads. Drop your HEIC file, get a JPG back.

How HEIC and JPEG Differ

Understanding the difference between these formats helps explain why conversion is sometimes necessary.

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container)

HEIC uses HEVC (H.265) compression, the same codec used for 4K video. This allows it to achieve roughly 50% better compression than JPEG at the same visual quality. A photo that would be 5MB as a JPEG might only be 2.5MB as HEIC. Apple adopted it to save storage space on devices and in iCloud, which is a legitimate engineering decision.

Beyond compression, HEIC supports features that JPEG doesn't: 16-bit color depth (vs. JPEG's 8-bit), transparency (like PNG), image sequences (Live Photos), and non-destructive editing data. It's a technically better container format.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

JPEG has been the standard photographic image format since 1992. It's supported by every device, operating system, browser, and piece of software that handles images. What it lacks in compression efficiency and features, it makes up for in universal compatibility. When you need a photo to just work everywhere, JPEG is still the safest bet.

When You Need to Convert HEIC to JPG

Sharing Photos With Non-Apple Users

If you're sending photos to someone using Windows or Android, converting to JPG ensures they can open the files without installing anything. While some modern Android phones and Windows 11 systems support HEIC, it's not guaranteed — especially on older devices. Converting to JPG eliminates the compatibility question entirely.

Uploading to Websites and Platforms

Many websites, CMS platforms, and e-commerce systems don't accept HEIC uploads. WordPress, Shopify product photos, job application portals, government forms, and countless other web services expect JPEG (or PNG). If you're trying to upload a photo and getting a format error, converting to JPG is the fix.

Printing Photos

Most online print services and local print shops accept JPEG files. While professional services may support HEIC, consumer printing services (Walgreens, CVS, Shutterfly, etc.) typically work best with JPEG. Converting ensures your prints process without issues.

Email Attachments

When you attach a HEIC photo to an email, the recipient may not be able to open it depending on their device and email client. Converting to JPG before attaching ensures the recipient can view the photo regardless of their setup.

Using in Documents and Presentations

Microsoft Office, Google Docs, and many other document editing tools have inconsistent HEIC support. If you're inserting photos into a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or Google Slides, JPG is the safest format to ensure the image displays correctly across all devices and platforms.

How to Use the HEIC to JPG Converter

  1. Select your HEIC file — drag and drop a .heic or .heif file onto the upload area, or click to browse your files.
  2. Click "Convert to JPG" — the tool will decode the HEIC image and re-encode it as a JPG file. This typically takes 2–5 seconds depending on the image size.
  3. Preview the result — the converted JPG is displayed so you can verify the output quality before downloading.
  4. Download your JPG — click the download button to save the converted file. The original filename is preserved with a .jpg extension.

Technical Details

The conversion is performed in your browser using the heic2any JavaScript library. This library includes a WebAssembly-compiled HEVC decoder that can read Apple's HEIC format without any server-side processing. The decoded image data is then encoded as JPEG at 92% quality, which provides an excellent balance between file size and visual fidelity.

Because the conversion happens client-side, there's no file size limit imposed by a server. The practical limit depends on your device's available memory. Most photos (even high-resolution ones from modern iPhones at 48MP) convert without issues on devices with 4GB or more of RAM.

Privacy and Security

Your HEIC files are never uploaded to any server. The entire conversion process runs in your browser's sandbox. We don't log filenames, file contents, or any other information about your images. Once you close the tab, everything is gone from memory. This is especially important for personal photos that may contain sensitive content.

Preventing HEIC Photos on iPhone

If you'd rather avoid the conversion step entirely, you can change your iPhone to capture photos in JPEG format:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone
  2. Scroll down and tap Camera
  3. Tap Formats
  4. Select Most Compatible

This changes the capture format to JPEG going forward. Keep in mind that JPEG files are larger than HEIC files (roughly 2x for the same quality), so this will use more storage space on your device and in iCloud.

Related Tools

After converting your HEIC file to JPG, consider running it through the metadata remover to strip any personal data before sharing. Your iPhone photos contain GPS coordinates and device information that you may not want to share publicly. NoFileUpload makes it easy to handle both steps right in your browser.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is an image format based on the HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) standard. Apple adopted HEIC as the default photo format on iPhones and iPads starting with iOS 11 in 2017. HEIC files use advanced compression (based on HEVC/H.265) to produce smaller file sizes than JPEG while maintaining equal or better image quality. The trade-off is that HEIC isn't universally supported by all devices and software.
Windows does not natively support HEIC files out of the box. While Microsoft offers HEVC extensions in the Microsoft Store (some paid, some free from device manufacturers), many users find it simpler to convert HEIC files to JPG. This gives you universal compatibility without installing additional codecs or extensions.
Our converter uses a quality setting of 92%, which produces visually identical results to the original for most images. Since HEIC uses more efficient compression, the resulting JPG file may be slightly larger, but the image quality is preserved. For most practical purposes — sharing, printing, uploading — you won't notice any difference.
No. The conversion happens entirely in your web browser using JavaScript (the heic2any library). Your HEIC file is read locally, decoded in memory, and converted to JPG without any data leaving your device. No server is involved in the process.
Currently, the tool processes one image at a time to keep the interface simple and ensure reliable results. Each conversion typically takes just a few seconds. We may add batch conversion in a future update.
You can change your iPhone's camera format in Settings → Camera → Formats. Select 'Most Compatible' instead of 'High Efficiency'. This will make your iPhone capture photos in JPEG format going forward. Note that JPEG files will be larger than HEIC files for the same image quality.
HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) is the overarching standard, while HEIC is a specific implementation of HEIF that uses HEVC (H.265) compression. In practice, they're used interchangeably — Apple's .heic files are technically HEIF containers with HEVC-encoded image data. Both file extensions (.heic and .heif) are supported by this converter.