Convert HEIC to PNG, with zero quality loss.

The complete guide

Everything to know about converting HEIC to PNG

Most people converting a HEIC photo reach for JPG without thinking twice, and most of the time that's the right call. This page is for the situations where it isn't — where lossless quality actually matters more than a smaller file size — and covers what PNG does differently, when to use it, and how to get a clean lossless copy of your iPhone photos.

When PNG beats JPG for HEIC conversions

PNG doesn't throw away any image data during compression, which makes it the better choice whenever a photo is going to be edited, layered, or examined closely afterward. The trade-off is file size: a PNG converted from a HEIC photo will usually be noticeably larger than the equivalent JPG, since it isn't discarding the fine detail that JPG's compression removes. That's an intentional trade-off, not a downside — you're paying in storage space for a guarantee that nothing was lost.

Does converting HEIC to PNG add transparency?

No — a regular photo from your camera roll doesn't have transparent areas, so converting it to PNG won't create any. PNG's transparency support matters for graphics, logos, and screenshots, not standard photos. What you do get is a fully lossless copy of the original image, pixel for pixel, which is the actual reason to reach for PNG in the first place.

Step by step: converting HEIC to PNG here

Drop your HEIC files into the box above, or use "Choose files" to select them. Since PNG is lossless by definition, there's no quality slider to think about — every file converts at full fidelity automatically. Each photo shows a download link as soon as it finishes, and "Download all" grabs the whole batch at once if you've converted more than a few. As with the rest of this site, nothing is uploaded — the conversion runs locally in your browser using your device's own processing power, so your files never leave your device.

PNG for editing and design work

If you're about to open a photo in Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo, or a similar tool, starting from a lossless PNG avoids compounding compression artifacts on top of whatever editing you do. This matters more the more aggressive the edit — heavy color grading, sharpening, or repeated re-saves will all show JPG's compression more visibly than they would on a PNG source. For light touch-ups like cropping or a quick filter, the difference is unlikely to be noticeable either way, but for serious editing work, PNG is the safer starting point.

PNG for archiving

For photos that matter enough that you want a permanent, exact copy — a wedding photo, a scanned document, something irreplaceable — PNG guarantees nothing was thrown away during conversion. This is less about how the photo looks today and more about future-proofing: if you (or someone else) wants to edit or reprint that photo years from now, a lossless source gives more room to work with than a photo that's already been compressed once.

PNG and print work

If you're preparing a photo for a print shop or a physical product like a photo book, some print workflows specifically request PNG or TIFF over JPG to avoid compounding compression before the file goes through the print house's own processing. If your print provider doesn't specify a format, JPG at maximum quality is usually accepted just as well and keeps upload times shorter — but if their submission guidelines call for a lossless format, converting your HEIC photo straight to PNG saves you an extra step.

File size expectations

Don't be surprised if a PNG converted from HEIC is three to five times larger than the equivalent JPG. This is expected — it's the cost of losing nothing during compression. If storage or upload limits are a concern, JPG at a high quality setting is usually a better balance; reserve PNG for the specific cases above where lossless quality actually matters for what you're doing next.

Where PNG makes the most sense

• Opening a photo in Photoshop, GIMP, or another editor for retouching
• Archiving an important photo where quality matters more than file size
• Using an image in a design file, presentation, or print layout
• Any case where re-compression artifacts would be noticeable

Quick decision guide

If you're not sure which format to pick: default to JPG for sharing, uploading, and everyday use — our HEIC to JPG converter handles that with an adjustable quality setting. Switch to PNG specifically when you're about to edit the image, need a long-term archival copy, or you're placing it into design software. Our HEIC vs. JPG comparison covers this trade-off in more detail if you want the full picture before converting.