If you've ever transferred photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC and found they won't open, HEIC is almost certainly the reason. Apple switched to HEIC as the default photo format starting with iOS 11, and while it produces smaller, better-quality files than JPEG, it causes compatibility headaches everywhere else.
Here is everything you need to know about HEIC, and the fastest ways to convert it to JPG on any device.
What is HEIC?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple's implementation of the HEIF standard, which uses HEVC (H.265) compression to store photos. Compared to JPEG, HEIC typically achieves:
- About half the file size at equivalent visual quality
- Better colour depth — up to 16-bit per channel vs JPEG's 8-bit
- Support for image sequences — Live Photos and burst shots in a single file
- Better dynamic range preservation, especially in HDR content
The problem is that HEVC decoding requires hardware support that many older devices and software packages don't have, and licensing fees have slowed adoption outside the Apple ecosystem.
Where HEIC Causes Problems
- Windows — older versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 require a paid codec pack to open HEIC natively. The Photos app will often show a blank thumbnail or an error.
- Android — most Android apps cannot open HEIC files at all.
- Web browsers — while Chrome and Safari support static HEIC, many sites that accept photo uploads only accept JPEG, PNG, or WebP.
- Email attachments — some email clients display HEIC files as attachments rather than inline images.
- Editing software — older versions of Photoshop, Lightroom, and GIMP require plugins to open HEIC.
Method 1: Convert in Your Browser (Fastest, Any Device)
Convly's HEIC to JPG converter converts HEIC files to JPEG entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — no upload to a server, no account required, no file size limits enforced externally.
Simply drag and drop your HEIC file, and download the JPG in seconds. This works on Windows, Mac, Android, and any device with a modern browser.
Method 2: On iPhone — Change the Format Before Transferring
The simplest long-term fix on iPhone is to change the camera format setting so photos are saved as JPEG from the start.
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and select Most Compatible. This switches the camera to JPEG (and H.264 for video). The tradeoff is slightly larger files, but every device will be able to open them without conversion.
Alternatively, when AirDropping or transferring to a non-Apple device, iPhone automatically converts photos to JPEG if you use the Files app or select Transfer to Mac or PC when connecting via USB. The conversion happens transparently.
Method 3: On Mac — Export from Photos
If you already have HEIC files on a Mac:
- Open the Photos app
- Select the photos you want to convert
- Go to File → Export → Export [N] Photos
- In the export dialog, set Photo Kind to JPEG
- Click Export and choose a destination folder
This is the built-in way to batch-convert HEIC to JPEG on macOS without any third-party software.
Method 4: On Windows — Using the HEIF Image Extensions
If you want to open HEIC files natively on Windows 11:
- Open the Microsoft Store
- Search for HEIF Image Extensions (it's free)
- Install it
After installation, Windows Photos and most Windows apps will be able to open HEIC files. This doesn't bulk-convert existing files, but it stops the problem from occurring with new ones.
Method 5: Disable HEIC on iPhone Going Forward
As mentioned above, Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible is the cleanest solution if you regularly share photos with non-Apple devices. You lose a small amount of storage efficiency, but you eliminate the compatibility problem entirely.
What Quality is Lost When Converting HEIC to JPG?
HEIC supports wider colour gamut and higher bit depth than standard JPEG. When converting, this data is mapped to JPEG's sRGB 8-bit colour space. For most everyday photos, this difference is not visible. For professional or HDR photography, some colour information at the extremes of the gamut may be clipped.
Converting at JPEG quality 90–95 preserves almost all the detail from the original HEIC while staying at a reasonable file size.
Batch Conversion
If you have a large number of HEIC files to convert, Convly supports batch conversion — drop multiple files at once and download each converted JPG individually. Everything happens locally in your browser, so there are no upload limits or privacy concerns.