Convert HEIC to JPG
For the iPhone photo your computer won't open and the form that says "unsupported file type." Convert one photo or twenty, in your browser — nothing is uploaded. No ads.
How This Converter Works — and What It Strips Out
Drop in your photos — a single .heic or a whole camera roll's worth — and
they convert to JPG right here. Your file names carry over, so
IMG_1234.heic comes back as IMG_1234.jpg instead of
output_1.jpg. One photo is one credit, a batch of up to 20 is two.
All of the decoding and re-encoding happens in JavaScript inside your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored on a server, and nothing is left behind when you close the tab. It works the same on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android, because your browser does the work and not us.
Converting removes the photo's hidden information. The GPS coordinates, the date and time it was taken, your camera model and its settings — all of that is dropped, and the JPG comes out carrying only the picture. For most people that is a good thing: if you're sending a photo to a stranger on a marketplace or attaching it to a form, the location it was taken is not something you want going with it. But if you need the original date kept — for an insurance claim, a warranty, anything where the timestamp is the point — keep the original .heic file and send the JPG as a copy. Once it's converted, the date is not recoverable from the new file.
Why Your iPhone Photos Are HEIC (and How to Stop It)
Starting with iOS 11, Apple changed the default photo format from JPG to HEIC — High Efficiency Image Container. A HEIC file is roughly half the size of the same photo as a JPG at the same visual quality, which on a phone holding thousands of pictures adds up fast. The trade is compatibility. HEIC is Apple's choice and the rest of the world never followed.
Where it breaks, and what to do about each one:
| Where you're opening it | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 / 11 | Photos app shows a blank or an error until you install HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store — some machines also want the paid HEVC Video Extensions | Convert to JPG, or install the extension if you get iPhone photos constantly |
| Windows 8 and older | Cannot open it at all, no extension available | Convert to JPG |
| Upload forms — jobs, visas, passports, university portals, insurance claims | "Unsupported file type." Most allow only JPG, PNG, and sometimes PDF | Convert to JPG before you start the form |
| Photoshop | Older versions reject it outright; newer ones open it inconsistently depending on your OS | Convert to JPG |
| WordPress | Core support arrived only recently and most themes and plugins still can't process it | Convert to JPG |
| Shopify, Squarespace, Wix | Reject the upload outright | Convert to JPG |
| Sending to an Android phone, or emailing a client | Apple converts to JPG on some sharing paths and not others, and never tells you which | Convert deliberately rather than hoping |
| AirDrop to another iPhone or iPad | Works fine | Nothing — leave it as HEIC |
To make your iPhone stop saving as HEIC: open Settings, tap Camera, tap Formats, and choose Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency. From that point on your phone shoots JPG and you never have this problem again. Two things to know before you do it. It only affects photos taken after you change it — everything already in your library stays HEIC and still needs converting. And your photos will take up noticeably more space, which is the trade Apple was making in the first place. If you only occasionally need to send a photo somewhere, leaving the setting alone and converting the few you need is the better deal.
One thing that surprises everyone: the JPG comes out bigger. Because HEIC is the more efficient format, the converted file is typically 30–50% larger than the original — a 2MB HEIC might land at 3MB as a JPG. That's the cost of universal compatibility, and it matters when a portal has a format rule and a size limit at the same time. Convert first, then run it through the image compressor to hit the limit.
Your photos are personal — holidays, family, screenshots of private conversations. Most online HEIC converters upload your photo to their server, convert it there, and send the JPG back, which means your picture sat on a machine you don't control. This one never sends it anywhere. That's also why there's no account needed to try it.
Why Your HEIC File Still Won't Open
- You renamed the extension to .jpg. This is the most common one and
it doesn't work. Changing the file name does not change the file — the data inside is
still HEIC, so Windows, Photoshop, and upload forms all still reject it. It will also
break this converter, which looks at the extension to decide whether a photo needs
decoding. If you already renamed a file, rename it back to
.heicand then convert it properly. - You expected the file to get smaller. It won't. HEIC is more efficient than JPG, so converting nearly always increases the size. If you're fighting an upload limit, convert first and compress second.
- You assumed AirDrop or email converts it for you. Apple converts on some sharing paths and not others, with nothing on screen to tell you which one you're in. If the person on the other end isn't using Apple hardware, convert it yourself.
- You converted your whole library. HEIC is the better format to store photos in. Convert the ones you need to send or upload and leave the rest — the rest is just storage traded for nothing.
- Your file is .heif, not .heic. Both work here. They're the same thing with a different extension, and this tool handles either one.
iPhone Photo Won't Open? Common Questions
Why won't my iPhone photos open on Windows?
Because they're .heic files and Windows can't read them out of the box.
Windows 10 and 11 need the HEIF Image Extensions installed from the Microsoft Store;
anything older can't open them at all. Converting to JPG solves it permanently for
that photo, on any computer.
I renamed the file to .jpg and it still won't open. Why?
Renaming changes the label, not the contents. The file is still a HEIC inside, and
every program that actually reads the file — rather than trusting the name — will
still refuse it. You need to convert it, which is what this page does. Rename it back
to .heic first so the converter recognises it.
Does converting remove the location from my photo?
Yes. Your iPhone records where it was taken inside the photo file, along with the date and time and your camera details, and all of it is dropped during conversion. The JPG that comes out has the picture and nothing else. If your reason for converting was to avoid sending your home address along with a photo, this does that as a side effect.
My converted photos lost their dates. Can I get them back?
Not from the JPG — the information isn't in the file any more. It's still in your
original .heic, though, so if you keep the originals nothing is really
lost. Treat the JPG as a copy for sending, not as a replacement.
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
A little, and not in a way you'll see. JPG is a lossy format, so re-encoding always costs something in theory. This converter saves at high quality and the photo is re-encoded exactly once, so on a normal photograph the difference isn't visible. What you should not do is convert the same photo back and forth repeatedly — that stacks up.
Why is my JPG bigger than the HEIC was?
Because HEIC is a more efficient format. Storing the same picture as a JPG simply takes more room — usually 30–50% more. Nothing went wrong. If you now need it smaller, compress the JPG rather than going back to HEIC.
How do I stop my iPhone from saving photos as HEIC?
Settings → Camera → Formats → choose Most Compatible. Your phone will shoot JPG from then on. It doesn't change any photo you've already taken, and your library will grow faster, so it's worth doing only if you're constantly moving photos off the phone.
Is HEIC better than JPG?
As a format, yes — better compression, more colour information, smaller files. As something to send to another person, no, because half the world can't open it. That's the whole tension, and it's why converting a copy is usually the right answer instead of switching your phone over.
Can I convert a lot of photos at once?
Up to 20 in one go. They come back as a zip with the original file names kept. A single photo costs one credit and any batch costs two, so doing them together is cheaper than one at a time.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs in your browser using your own computer's processing. Your photos never travel to us or to anyone else, which you can verify by turning off your wifi after the page loads — the tool still works.