What is a HEIC file?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container, also called HEIF) is the photo format iPhones and iPads use by default since iOS 11. It stores a photo in about half the space of a JPG at similar quality — great for your phone storage, but many programs still cannot open it.
Windows (without the paid HEVC extension), older Android phones, many online forms, print services, Word and PowerPoint, and most websites do not accept .heic files. Converting to JPG — the most widely supported image format in the world — solves this in seconds.
This converter decodes HEIC directly in your browser with libheif compiled to WebAssembly and saves a high-quality JPG with MozJPEG. Your photos are never uploaded, so it is safe for personal and confidential pictures.
HEIC vs JPG vs PNG vs WebP
| Format | Typical size | Compatibility | Transparency | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEIC / HEIF | ≈ 50% of JPG | Apple devices, limited elsewhere | Yes | Storing photos on iPhone and iPad |
| JPG | Reference | Everywhere | No | Sharing, email, printing, uploading |
| PNG | 3–5× JPG | Everywhere | Yes | Editing, graphics, screenshots |
| WebP | ≈ 70% of JPG | All modern browsers | Yes | Websites and online shops |
| AVIF | ≈ 50% of JPG | Modern browsers | Yes | Modern websites |
How to make your iPhone take JPG instead of HEIC
If you always need JPG, you can change the camera format on your iPhone. New photos will then be saved as JPG (they take more storage):
- Open Settings and tap Camera.
- Tap Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency.
- Tip: under Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic so photos are converted to JPG when copied by cable.
Why can’t I open HEIC files on Windows?
Windows 10 and 11 need the “HEIF Image Extensions” plus the paid “HEVC Video Extensions” from the Microsoft Store to show HEIC photos. Converting them to JPG here is free, works on any computer, and the JPG files open in every program.
Pro tips
- Quality 90–92 is visually identical to the original HEIC for almost every photo. Use 100 only for printing or further editing.
- Leave “Keep date & camera, remove GPS location” on to keep your photo library sorted without sharing where the photo was taken.
- To email many photos, set Resize to 1920 px — the files become 5–10× smaller and still look great on any screen.
- Converting a whole camera roll? Use Add a folder — sub-folders are kept inside the ZIP.
