How to Convert HEIC to JPG (Every Method, Compared)

JPG is the format that just about everything on the internet expects — job applications, marketplace listings, forum uploads, older editing software. If a website or app is rejecting your iPhone photos, converting them from HEIC to JPG is almost always the fix. Here's every practical way to do it, along with the trade-offs of each.

Option 1: Convert instantly in your browser

The fastest option if you already have the HEIC files on a computer or phone is a browser-based converter. Drop your photos into a tool like our HEIC to JPG converter, and the conversion happens locally using your device's own processing power — nothing gets uploaded to a server.

Best for: converting existing photos quickly, in bulk, without installing anything.
Trade-off: requires an internet connection to load the page (though the conversion itself works offline once it's loaded).

Option 2: Change your iPhone's camera settings

If you'd rather your iPhone stop saving new photos as HEIC altogether, you can switch its default capture format to JPG:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone
2. Tap Camera, then Formats
3. Under "Camera Capture," choose Most Compatible instead of "High Efficiency"

Best for: avoiding the problem going forward.
Trade-off: new photos will take up roughly twice the storage space, and this doesn't do anything for photos you've already taken.

Option 3: Export as JPG from the Photos app

You don't need to change your camera settings permanently to get a JPG copy of an existing photo. On iPhone, open the photo, tap the share icon, and depending on where you're sending it, iOS often converts it automatically. For more control, use "Duplicate" and then edit, or share via Mail or Files and choose the option to keep the original format versus converting — the exact wording varies by iOS version, but the option to export as JPEG is usually there when sharing outside Apple's own apps.

Best for: converting a small number of photos directly from your phone.
Trade-off: slower for large batches, and the exact steps shift between iOS versions.

Option 4: Use Preview on a Mac

If your HEIC photos have made it onto a Mac (via AirDrop, iCloud, or a cable), Preview can convert them without any extra software:

1. Open the HEIC file in Preview
2. Go to File → Export
3. Choose JPEG from the format dropdown and set your quality level
4. Click Save

For multiple files at once, select them all in Finder, right-click, and look for an option to convert or export selected images depending on your macOS version.

Best for: Mac users who want a native, no-install solution.
Trade-off: one file at a time in older macOS versions, and it's Mac-only.

Option 5: Windows Photos app

Recent versions of Windows can open HEIC files after installing the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store, and from there you can open a photo in the Photos app and use "Save As" to export it as a JPG.

Best for: Windows users converting a small number of files they've already received.
Trade-off: requires installing an extension first, and batch conversion isn't built in.

Option 6: Desktop software

Full photo editors like Photoshop, Affinity Photo, or free tools like IrfanView and XnConvert can open and batch-convert HEIC files, often with more control over compression settings and the ability to process thousands of files at once using a watch folder or batch export feature.

Best for: professionals converting very large batches with specific quality or renaming requirements.
Trade-off: requires installing software, and some tools need a plugin for HEIC support specifically.

Which method should you actually use?

For most people converting a handful of photos to send, upload, or print, a browser-based tool is the simplest path — no install, no settings to hunt for, and it works the same whether you're on a phone, Mac, or Windows PC. If you're regularly taking photos that need to end up as JPG (say, for a website or a client), changing your iPhone's camera format setting saves you the extra step every time.

A note on quality

However you convert, know that going from HEIC to JPG involves re-encoding the image, so there's a small, generally invisible amount of quality loss. If you're archiving something important, use a higher JPG quality setting (85–100%); if the photo is just headed to a web form or a text message, a lower setting keeps the file size down without a visible difference.

Common questions about the process

Will the converted JPG have the same filename? Yes, in every method described above, the file keeps its original name — only the extension changes, from .heic to .jpg — so your existing folder organization and any naming conventions stay intact.

What happens to Live Photos when you convert? A Live Photo is really two files working together: a HEIC still image and a short video clip. Converting the HEIC portion to JPG gives you a static image of that moment, but doesn't carry over the motion — if you want to preserve the Live Photo's movement, you'll need to export it as a video (like a GIF or MOV) rather than converting the still frame.

Does converting affect the photo's date taken? Reputable conversion methods preserve the original capture date in the file's metadata. It's worth spot-checking after a batch conversion if photo organization by date matters to you, since this can occasionally vary between tools.

Try it now

If you just want to get this done, our HEIC to JPG converter handles single files or entire batches, lets you adjust the quality setting, and never uploads your photos anywhere.