How to use HEIC to JPG Converter
- 1Drop in HEIC or HEIF photos — a whole camera roll at once is fine
- 2Wait a moment on the first file while the decoder loads
- 3Set the JPG quality, or leave it at the default 85%
- 4Check the converted previews
- 5Download one photo, or the whole batch as a ZIP
What HEIC to JPG Converter does
Since iOS 11, iPhones and iPads have saved photos as HEIC — an Apple-branded use of the HEIF container holding HEVC-compressed images. It stores roughly the same picture at about half the size of a JPEG, which is why Apple adopted it. The problem is everything else: Windows needs a paid codec extension, Android support is inconsistent, and most websites, printers and older software simply reject the file.
Converting to JPG trades that efficiency for the format every device on earth can open. Because HEVC decoding is not built into non-Apple browsers, the conversion needs a decoder of its own — this tool loads libheif, the reference open-source HEIF implementation, compiled to WebAssembly and run inside the page.
When to use it
- Photos that will not open on Windows
- Windows shows a HEIC as a blank icon unless the HEVC extension is installed, which costs money in the Microsoft Store. Converting sidesteps that entirely.
- Uploading to a site that rejects HEIC
- Job applications, insurance claims and marketplace listings overwhelmingly accept JPG and PNG only. A HEIC is refused without an explanation of why.
- Sending photos to someone on Android
- Android's HEIC support depends on the manufacturer and the app. Converting first means the recipient sees the picture rather than a file they cannot open.
- A whole camera roll at once
- Up to 50 photos convert in one batch and download as a single ZIP, which is considerably faster than converting them one at a time or emailing them to yourself.
HEIC to JPG Converter settings explained
- Quality
- The JPG quality, defaulting to 85%. That is visually indistinguishable from the source for almost any photograph. Raise it towards 100% for archival copies; lower it if the file size matters more than fine detail.
- Batch conversion
- Up to 50 files, 100 MB each, 300 MB in total. Photos are converted one at a time rather than all at once, so a large batch cannot exhaust the browser tab's memory partway through.
- ZIP download
- A finished batch downloads as a single archive built in the browser, so you get one file rather than fifty separate download prompts.
- File detection
- Browsers on Windows and Linux report an empty file type for HEIC because the platform cannot identify it. The tool checks the file's own bytes and its extension, which is what lets those files through at all.
HEIC compared with JPG
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | About half | Baseline |
| Opens on Windows | Needs a paid codec | Always |
| Opens on Android | Inconsistent | Always |
| Accepted by websites | Rarely | Universally |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
Limits and what to expect
- 50 files per batch, 100 MB per file and 300 MB per queue.
- JPG is lossy, so there is always some loss compared with the HEIC original — at 85% it is not visible.
- JPG cannot store transparency or the depth and Live Photo data an iPhone attaches to a HEIC.
- Multi-image HEIC files, such as bursts, convert their primary image only.
- The decoder loads once per session on Windows, Android and Linux; Safari on Apple devices decodes HEIC natively and skips it.
Troubleshooting
- The file picker will not let me select my HEIC photos
- On Windows and Linux the browser reports no file type for HEIC, so a type-based filter hides them. Drag the files onto the page instead — the tool identifies them by their own bytes rather than trusting the platform.
- The first photo took a few seconds
- That was the libheif decoder loading, which happens once per session. Every photo after it converts immediately. On an iPhone or Mac using Safari it does not happen at all, because the browser can already decode HEIC.
- The converted photo is larger than the HEIC
- Expected. HEIC is a more efficient format, so the same picture as JPG is usually bigger. That is the cost of a file that opens everywhere. Lower the quality slider, or compress the result afterwards, if size matters.
- The photo lost its depth or Live Photo effect
- Those are stored as extra data alongside the image in the HEIC container, and JPG has nowhere to put them. Keep the original file if you need the Portrait-mode depth map or the Live Photo motion.
Your files and your privacy
The decoder runs in your browser and every photo is converted on your own device. Nothing is uploaded, which matters more for camera-roll photos than for most files — they routinely carry GPS coordinates, timestamps and faces. EXIF data is read locally to show you what is there, and never transmitted anywhere.
What to use next
FAQ
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is the High Efficiency Image Format Apple devices have used by default since iOS 11. It stores the same photo at roughly half the size of a JPG, but Windows, Android and most websites and printers cannot open it without extra software.
How many photos can I convert at once?
Up to 50 files per batch, 100 MB per file and 300 MB in total. Each photo is converted one at a time so a large batch cannot exhaust your device's memory, and the finished JPGs download together as a single ZIP.
Will I lose quality?
JPG is a lossy format, so there is always some loss compared with the original. The quality slider defaults to 85%, which is visually indistinguishable from the source for almost every photo. Raise it towards 100% for archival copies.
Does it work on Windows and Android?
Yes. Browsers on Windows, Android and Linux cannot decode HEIC on their own, so the tool loads a decoder into the page the first time you open a HEIC photo. Your files still never leave the device.
How do I stop my iPhone making HEIC files?
On the iPhone or iPad, open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG. Photos already on the device stay in HEIC, which is what this tool is for.
What decodes the HEIC files?
libheif, the reference open-source HEIF decoder, compiled to WebAssembly and loaded into the page on demand. It is free software licensed under the LGPL-3.0, and its source is at github.com/strukturag/libheif.