How to Convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone

iPhones save photos as HEIC by default. The format keeps files small, but some websites, older computers and editing apps do not accept it. This guide shows how to turn existing HEIC photos into JPG files on the iPhone itself, and how to make the camera save JPG for future shots.

Before you start

• An iPhone with the built-in Photos, Files and Shortcuts apps. Shortcuts comes preinstalled on current iOS versions and can be downloaded again from the App Store if it was removed.

• Enough free storage for copies. Every method below creates a new JPG file and keeps the original HEIC photo.

• If your library uses iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone Storage turned on, the full-resolution original may need to download first. Without an internet connection, conversion of those photos can fail or wait.

The methods below use Apple's own apps, and Apple describes the conversion as happening on the device. Third-party converter apps and conversion websites are different: many of them upload your photos to a server. If privacy matters, read the app's or site's description of where files are processed and how long they are kept before you use it.

Step-by-step instructions

Method 1: Copy photos into the Files app

This is the quickest way to convert a few photos without extra setup. On many iOS versions, Photos hands copied images to other apps in a compatible format, so the pasted files often arrive as JPG. Check the result as described in the next section, because this behavior is not documented for every iOS version.

• Open Photos, tap Select and choose the photos you want to convert.

• Tap the Share button and choose Copy Photos (on some versions it is labeled Copy).

• Open the Files app and go to a folder under On My iPhone or iCloud Drive. Create a new folder if you want to keep the copies separate.

• Touch and hold an empty area of the folder, then tap Paste.

• Look at the file names. If they end in .jpg or .jpeg, the conversion worked. If they still end in .heic, use Method 2.

Method 2: Build a conversion shortcut

The Shortcuts app has a Convert Image action that saves images in the format you choose. Build the shortcut once and you can reuse it for any batch of photos.

• Open Shortcuts and tap the plus button to create a new shortcut.

• Add the Select Photos action. To convert several photos at once, expand the action and turn on Select Multiple.

• Add the Convert Image action and set the format to JPEG. If a quality setting is shown, keep it high to limit compression loss. Decide whether metadata such as location and capture date should be kept: keep it for your own archive, or turn it off before sharing photos with others.

• Add the Save to Photo Album action, or Save File if you want the JPGs in the Files app.

• Name the shortcut, run it, pick your photos and allow access to Photos when asked.

The JPG copies are saved next to the originals. Nothing is overwritten. To undo, delete the copies you don't need.

Method 3: Save new photos as JPG from now on

If you always need JPG files, change the capture format. Go to Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be saved as JPG. Photos you already took are not converted. Some video modes, such as high frame rate 4K recording on supported models, require High Efficiency, so switch back if those options disappear. To reverse the change, select High Efficiency again.

Transferring to a computer

If the JPG files are only needed on a Mac or Windows PC, go to Settings, then Photos, and find the Transfer to Mac or PC option. Automatic converts photos to a compatible format when you import them over a cable. Keep Originals sends the HEIC files unchanged.

Check the output

• In the Files app, the extension should be .jpg or .jpeg. To see the file type and size, touch and hold the file and tap Get Info.

• In Photos, open the image and swipe up or tap the info button. Recent iOS versions show a format label such as JPEG or HEIF. Make sure you are looking at the new copy, not the original.

• Expect the JPG to be larger than the HEIC original. That is normal, because JPG compresses less efficiently.

• Converting cannot add quality the original didn't have, and each JPG save is lossy. Convert from the original HEIC rather than from an earlier JPG copy.

• A converted Live Photo becomes a still image. Depth effects and some HDR or wide-color details may not carry over the same way.

Common problems and next steps

Pasted files are still HEIC: the copy method depends on how your iOS version shares images, so use the Convert Image shortcut instead, since it sets the format explicitly.

The shortcut stops or shows a permission error: open Settings, find Shortcuts and check that it can access Photos. If the photos are stored in iCloud, connect to the internet and let them download before running the shortcut again.

Camera Formats option is missing: very old iPhones that cannot capture HEIF don't show this setting, and they already save photos as JPG.

Location or date is missing in the JPG: open the shortcut, check the metadata setting in the Convert Image action, then convert the original again.

Duplicates fill your library: after confirming the JPG copies are correct, either delete the HEIC originals you no longer need or save converted files to the Files app instead of Photos. Deleted photos stay in Recently Deleted for a limited time, so you can still recover them if you change your mind.