Convert iPhone HEIC photos to JPG or PNG -- free, private, runs in your browser
Read more: How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Any Device
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is a modern image format based on the HEVC (H.265) video codec. Apple adopted HEIC as the default photo format starting with iOS 11 in 2017. Compared to JPG, HEIC files are roughly 50% smaller at equivalent visual quality, which saves significant storage space on your device and in iCloud backups.
HEIC also supports features that JPG cannot: transparency, 16-bit color depth, image sequences (used for Live Photos), and non-destructive edits stored as metadata. The format stores both the image data and auxiliary information -- such as depth maps from Portrait mode -- in a single file.
Windows and Android do not natively support HEIC in all applications. Here are the most common approaches:
| Feature | HEIC | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | HEVC-based, ~50% smaller | DCT-based, widely supported |
| Quality at same size | Higher | Lower |
| Transparency | Supported | Not supported |
| Color depth | Up to 16-bit | 8-bit |
| Browser support | Safari only (native) | All browsers |
| Compatibility | Apple ecosystem, limited elsewhere | Universal |
| Editing | Non-destructive edits in metadata | Destructive re-encoding |
| Live Photos | Stores image + video in one file | Still image only |
Live Photos on iPhone are stored as a HEIC still image paired with a short video clip. This converter extracts and converts the still image portion. The video component (the motion part you see when you long-press) is a separate MOV file that is not included in the HEIC container processed here.
Yes. The entire conversion process runs in your browser using a JavaScript HEIC decoder. Your photos are never uploaded to any server. No data leaves your device. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet after the page loads -- the tool will continue to work.
All modern browsers work: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari on both desktop and mobile. The HEIC decoding library (heic2any) is pure JavaScript and does not rely on native HEIC support from the browser or operating system.
Converting to JPG involves lossy compression, so there is a small quality reduction. At the default setting of 92, the difference is virtually invisible to the human eye. If you need perfect quality preservation, choose PNG as the output format -- it is lossless but produces larger files.
This tool processes one image at a time for maximum reliability and to keep memory usage manageable (HEIC decoding is memory-intensive). After downloading one converted image, click "Change Image" to convert the next one.
HEIC uses HEVC compression, which is computationally expensive to decode. The JavaScript decoder running in your browser is doing the same work that dedicated hardware (like the chip in your iPhone) normally handles. Expect 2-5 seconds for a typical 12-megapixel photo, depending on your device.
If you are tired of converting HEIC files every time you need to share a photo, you can change your iPhone's default photo format. Go to Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and select "Most Compatible." This switches from HEIC to JPEG for all future photos and from HEVC to H.264 for videos. Every photo you take after changing this setting will be saved as a standard JPEG that works everywhere.
The tradeoff is storage space. JPEG files are roughly twice the size of HEIC at the same visual quality. A typical 12-megapixel photo that takes about 2MB as HEIC will take 4-5MB as JPEG. If you have a 128GB or larger iPhone, the storage difference is negligible for most people. If you are on a 64GB phone that is already running tight on space, it may be better to keep HEIC as the default and convert individual photos when you need to share them with someone on a non-Apple device.
Note that this setting only affects new photos taken after the change. Your existing HEIC photos remain as HEIC files in your camera roll. To share those older photos in a compatible format, either use this converter or use the built-in iOS sharing feature, which automatically converts photos to JPEG when you send them via email, Messages, or AirDrop to a non-Apple device.
HEIC (also called HEIF) typically produces files 40-50% smaller than JPEG at equivalent visual quality. To put that in concrete terms: a typical 12-megapixel iPhone photo is about 2-3MB as HEIC and 4-6MB as JPEG. For a 256GB iPhone shooting thousands of photos over the course of a year, that is the difference between running out of storage and having plenty of room. HEIC achieves this efficiency through more advanced compression algorithms -- it uses HEVC (H.265) encoding, the same codec used for 4K video streaming, applied to still images.
HEIC also supports features that JPEG simply cannot match: 16-bit color depth compared to JPEG's 8-bit, which means smoother gradients and more accurate colors. It supports transparency (like PNG but with much smaller files), and it can store multiple images in a single container file, which is how iPhone Live Photos work -- the still frame and the short video clip are packaged together.
The quality difference between HEIC and JPEG is effectively invisible at normal viewing sizes. In a side-by-side comparison on a phone screen or a typical monitor, you cannot tell which is which. Pixel-level differences exist if you zoom in far enough, but they are irrelevant for any practical use. The only reason to choose JPEG over HEIC is compatibility -- and that gap is closing as more software, operating systems, and web browsers add native HEIC support. Until that support is truly universal, tools like this converter bridge the gap.