How to Convert HEIC to JPG or JPEG

HEIC is the file format many iPhones and some other cameras use to save photos. It keeps good image quality in a smaller file, but some apps, websites and older computers cannot open it. Converting a HEIC file to JPG (also written JPEG; it is the same format) gives you an image that almost any device or upload form accepts. This guide covers the main ways to do it and what to check afterwards.

Before you start

Decide where the conversion should happen. Built-in tools on a Mac, an iPhone, Windows apps with the right codec, and command-line tools all convert files on your own device. An online HEIC to JPG converter sends your photos to someone else's server, so the privacy and file-retention terms of that service are things you need to check yourself, not assume.

• Keep a copy of the original HEIC files. JPG uses lossy compression, so the converted file cannot be turned back into the original quality.
• Check whether your photos contain location data or other metadata you do not want to share. Many converters copy this information into the JPG.
• On Windows, check that your system can open HEIC files at all. If it cannot, you may need to install Microsoft's HEIF Image Extensions, and on some systems the HEVC Video Extensions as well.
• For command-line conversion on Linux or macOS, you need a tool built with HEIC support, such as ImageMagick compiled with libheif, or the heif-convert utility from libheif.

Step-by-step instructions

iPhone or iPad: stop creating HEIC files or convert on transfer

If you want new photos saved as JPEG from the start, open Settings, go to Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. This only affects photos you take after the change; existing HEIC photos stay as they are. Switch back to High Efficiency at any time to return to smaller HEIC files.

If you copy photos to a computer over a cable, open Settings, go to Photos, and under Transfer to Mac or PC choose Automatic. The device then tries to send compatible files, usually JPG, instead of the originals. Choosing Keep Originals transfers the HEIC files unchanged.

Mac: Preview or Photos

• Open the HEIC file in Preview.
• Choose File, then Export.
• Set Format to JPEG.
• Adjust the Quality slider. Higher quality means a larger file with fewer compression artifacts.
• Choose a name and location, then click Save. The original file is left untouched.

To convert several HEIC files at once in Preview, select them all in Finder, open them together, select all thumbnails in the sidebar, and use Export Selected Images. In the Photos app, select the photos, choose File, then Export, then the option to export the selected photos, and pick JPEG as the photo kind.

Windows: Photos or Paint with the HEIF extension

• Make sure the HEIF Image Extensions are installed so Windows can read HEIC files.
• Open the HEIC file in Paint.
• Choose File, then Save as, and select JPEG picture.
• Save the file under a new name so the original remains available.

The Photos app can also open HEIC files once the extension is installed. Whether it offers a Save as option with a JPG choice depends on the version you have, so check the menus in your copy rather than relying on a fixed path.

Linux or macOS: command line

With libheif installed, run heif-convert followed by the input HEIC file and the output file name ending in .jpg. Some versions accept a quality option; check the tool's help output for what yours supports. With ImageMagick 7 built with HEIC support, run magick followed by the input file and an output file name ending in .jpg. Command-line tools are useful for converting a whole folder with a simple loop, and the files never leave your computer.

Online converters

A free online converter is convenient when you cannot install anything. Before uploading, read what the service says about how long it keeps files and whether it strips metadata. Avoid uploading photos that show documents, faces of other people or private locations unless you are comfortable with those terms. If the service limits file size or the number of files, a local method is usually the better choice for large batches.

Check the output

• Open the JPG in a different app from the one you used to convert it, to confirm it is a real JPEG and not just a renamed HEIC file.
• Compare pixel dimensions with the original. A converter should not shrink the image unless you asked it to.
• Check the aspect ratio and orientation. Some tools ignore the rotation flag stored in the photo, so the image may appear sideways.
• Zoom in on fine detail, sky and skin tones. Blocky patches or banding mean the compression quality was set too low.
• Look at the file size. A JPG is often larger than the HEIC it came from; that is expected and not a sign of an error.
• Check the metadata in your file properties or photo app if you need to confirm that location or date information was kept or removed.

Some features of the original do not survive conversion. JPG has no transparency, so any transparent areas are filled with a solid color. Live Photo motion, depth data used for portrait effects, and HDR information are typically lost, and colors may look slightly different if the converter does not carry over the color profile.

Common problems and next steps

Renaming the file does not convert it. Changing the extension from .heic to .jpg leaves the data in HEIC format, and most apps will either refuse to open it or show an error. Use an actual export or conversion step.

Windows cannot open the file. Install the HEIF Image Extensions and, if photos still fail to open, the HEVC Video Extensions. Restart the app after installing.

The converted photo is rotated. Open it in an editor, rotate it manually and save again, or use a converter that applies the orientation flag. Saving again re-compresses the JPG, so keep the number of edits low.

Colors look washed out or different. The original may use a wide color profile. Try another converter that keeps the embedded color profile, or export from the Photos app or Preview, which handle profiles from Apple devices.

Converted files are too large or too blurry. Adjust the JPEG quality setting: lower it for smaller files, raise it if you see artifacts. If you need smaller pixel dimensions, resize in the same step rather than compressing a full-size image heavily.

Photos keep arriving as HEIC. Switch the iPhone camera format to Most Compatible for future shots, or set photo transfer to Automatic. If you need the best quality and smaller files on the phone, keep HEIC and convert only the photos you share.