Turn iPhone HEIC/HEIF photos into JPG or PNG that open anywhere — all in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
HEIC is Apple's name for images stored in the HEIF container using HEVC compression. iPhones have shot in it by default since iOS 11 in 2017. It produces files roughly half the size of an equivalent JPG at the same visual quality, supports 16-bit colour depth against JPG's 8-bit, handles transparency, and can hold multiple images in one file — which is how Live Photos and burst sequences are stored.
Technically it is a clear improvement on a format designed in 1992. The difficulty is entirely one of compatibility.
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Baseline | 1.5-2x larger |
| Colour depth | Up to 16-bit | 8-bit |
| Transparency | Supported | Not supported |
| Multiple images per file | Yes | No |
| Compatibility | Apple ecosystem, limited elsewhere | Universal |
The size increase is the main cost. A 2 MB HEIC typically becomes a 3-4 MB JPG at comparable visual quality, because JPG's older compression simply cannot match HEVC's efficiency.
Photos shot in HDR on a recent iPhone carry more than 8 bits per channel. Converting to JPG reduces them to 8 bits, which is usually invisible in a finished photograph but does reduce headroom for heavy editing — pushing shadows or recovering highlights afterwards can produce banding in smooth gradients like skies.
If you plan to edit substantially, do the editing before converting, or export from the original HEIC rather than from a converted JPG. If you are simply sharing or uploading, the difference will not be visible.
A Live Photo is a still image paired with a short video. Converting produces only the still frame — the motion and audio are not carried across, since JPG has no mechanism for them. The same applies to burst sequences and depth information used for portrait-mode background blur, none of which survives the conversion.
If the motion matters, export the Live Photo as a video from the Photos app instead.
To avoid the problem in the first place, go to Settings, Camera, Formats and choose Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency. Your phone will shoot JPG from then on, at the cost of roughly double the storage per photo.
There is also a separate setting under Settings, Photos, Transfer to Mac or PC. Setting it to Automatic converts HEIC to JPG when you transfer photos off the device, which solves the transfer case while keeping the storage benefit on the phone itself. Note that AirDrop to a Mac and sharing through Apple apps keeps the original format regardless.
Decoding runs entirely on your device using a WebAssembly HEIC decoder loaded into the page — browsers cannot decode HEIC natively. Your photos are never uploaded, so there is no server queue, no file size limit and no copy of your images anywhere but your own machine. This matters more than usual here, since phone photos routinely contain location data and pictures of family.
Because the decoding happens locally, converting many large files at once is processor-intensive and will be slower on an older device. Converting in batches of a few at a time is more reliable than queuing dozens.
They are HEIC files, and Windows needs the HEIF Image Extensions codec from the Microsoft Store to display them. Converting to JPG avoids the dependency entirely and works on any machine.
Slightly, since JPG compresses less efficiently and reduces colour to 8 bits per channel. At a high quality setting the difference is not visible in a finished photo, though it leaves less headroom for heavy editing afterwards.
HEIC uses HEVC compression, which is roughly twice as efficient as JPG's much older algorithm. A 2 MB HEIC typically becomes a 3-4 MB JPG at comparable quality — that size increase is the price of universal compatibility.
Only the still frame converts. The motion, audio and any depth information used for portrait blur are lost, since JPG cannot store them. Export the Live Photo as a video from the Photos app if you need the movement.
Settings, Camera, Formats, then choose Most Compatible. Photos will be JPG from then on, using roughly twice the storage. Alternatively leave the camera as it is and set Settings, Photos, Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic.