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HEIC to JPG Converter

Convert iPhone HEIC photos to universally compatible JPEG format. Works in any modern browser - Windows, Mac, Android or iPhone. Free, no upload, completely private.

What is HEIC and why can't Windows open it?

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple's default photo format used by iPhones and iPads since iOS 11. It uses HEVC (H.265) compression, producing files roughly 50% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality. However, HEIC is not natively supported on Windows 10 (without a paid codec), most Android devices, and many desktop applications.

Browser support for HEIC conversion

How this works on Windows and Android: those browsers have no built-in HEIC support, so the tool loads a small open-source decoder (about 1.3 MB) the first time you select a HEIC file and then decodes the photo entirely on your device. Your photo is never uploaded - only the decoder is downloaded, and your browser caches it for next time. Safari on macOS and iOS decodes HEIC natively, so it skips that step.

Alternative: convert HEIC on your iPhone

If you would rather avoid conversion altogether, configure the iPhone to shoot JPEG in the first place: Settings → Camera → Formats → "Most Compatible." Photos are then saved as JPEG straight away. Converting here works either way.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Windows and Android browsers have no built-in HEIC support, so this tool loads a small open-source decoder (about 1.3 MB) the first time you pick a HEIC file, then decodes the photo locally. Nothing is uploaded - the decoder is downloaded to you, not the other way round. The first conversion takes a couple of seconds while that decoder loads; after that it is cached by your browser. On an iPhone or Mac, Safari decodes HEIC natively and the download is skipped.
Open this page in any browser on your iPhone, tap the upload button and pick the photo from Photos - it is converted on the device and never uploaded. If you would rather not convert at all, set the camera to shoot JPEG directly: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible.
Yes - HEIC achieves the same visual quality as JPEG at roughly half the file size, thanks to the more efficient HEVC codec. However, this efficiency comes at the cost of compatibility. For photos you want to share widely or use in non-Apple software, converting to JPG is the practical choice.
Some quality loss occurs because JPEG uses a different, less efficient compression algorithm. At quality 92 (this tool's default), the JPEG output is visually excellent and the loss is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions. Only at very high zoom levels on detailed photos might you notice subtle differences.