How to Convert HEIC to JPG: The Complete Guide

You took a photo on your iPhone. Now you need to use it somewhere else. But the file is .heic and nobody accepts it.

This is probably the most common image format problem today. Billions of iPhones save photos as HEIC. And most of the world still runs on JPG.

Here's how to fix it, fast.

What Is HEIC and Why Does Your iPhone Use It?

Every iPhone since 2017 saves photos as HEIC by default. Apple chose this format because it's roughly 50% smaller than JPG at the same quality. That saves a ton of space on your phone and in iCloud.

HEIC also stores more color data than JPG. It uses 10-bit color (over a billion colors) compared to JPG's 8-bit (16.7 million colors). You probably won't notice this on most screens, but the extra data is there.

The format is technically superior to JPG. The problem is that Apple adopted it before the rest of the world was ready.

Where Does HEIC Not Work?

The list of places that reject HEIC is long.

Windows PCs. Older versions of Windows can't open HEIC at all. Windows 10 and 11 can, but only after you install a codec from the Microsoft Store. Many people don't know to do this and just see a blank file icon.

Websites and web apps. WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, and most website builders don't accept HEIC uploads. If you're adding photos to your site, you need JPG, PNG, or WebP.

Online forms. Government portals, job applications, college admissions, insurance forms. Almost all of them restrict uploads to JPG and PNG. Try a HEIC file and you'll get an error.

Email clients. You can attach a HEIC file to an email, but the recipient might not be able to open it. Apple Mail handles it fine. Gmail on desktop converts it automatically. But many corporate email systems leave the recipient staring at a file they can't open.

Social media. Most platforms accept HEIC uploads and convert them silently. But some crop or compress differently based on the input format. JPG gives you more predictable results.

Older software. PowerPoint, older Photoshop versions, and many business tools don't recognize HEIC.

JPG fixes all of these problems. It's the one format that works literally everywhere.

How Do You Convert HEIC to JPG?

You have several options. Here are the main ones.

Online converter (fastest). ConvertIMG converts HEIC to JPG right in your browser. Drop your files in, select JPG, choose your quality, and download. No account needed. No uploads to a server. Your photos stay on your device.

iPhone settings (for future photos). You can make your iPhone shoot JPG instead of HEIC. Go to Settings, tap Camera, then Formats, and select "Most Compatible." But this doubles your photo storage use, so most people prefer to convert when needed.

Mac Preview. Open the HEIC file in Preview. Go to File, then Export. Choose JPEG from the format dropdown. Save. This works but it's slow for batches.

Windows. If you have the HEIC codec installed, you can open the file in Photos and use "Save as" to export as JPG. Without the codec, you need an online converter.

For converting more than a few files, the online converter is the fastest option. Drop 50 photos at once and download them all.

What Quality Setting Should You Use?

JPG quality goes from 1% to 100%. Higher means better quality but bigger files. Here's a practical guide.

90-95% for photos you want to keep at high quality. Wedding photos, portfolio images, photos for large prints. Files will be roughly 500 KB to 2 MB each depending on resolution.

80-85% for everyday use. This is the sweet spot for most photos. The quality difference from 95% is invisible to most people, but files are 40-50% smaller. Great for uploading to websites, sending by email, or storing.

70-75% for thumbnails and small images. At small display sizes, nobody can tell the difference. Files are tiny.

60% and below for cases where file size is critical and quality is secondary. Group chat photos, quick reference shots, catalog images.

One important note: your HEIC photos were already compressed by your iPhone. Converting to JPG adds a second round of compression. At 85%+ quality, you won't notice. Below 70%, the double compression can show up as blocky patterns in smooth areas like skies and skin tones.

How Do You Handle Large Batches of HEIC Photos?

After a vacation or event, you might have hundreds of HEIC photos that need converting. Here's an efficient workflow.

Step 1. Transfer your photos from iPhone to computer. Use AirDrop, a USB cable, or iCloud.

Step 2. Sort first. Don't convert everything. Pick the photos you actually need in JPG format. No point converting 500 photos if you only need 50.

Step 3. Batch convert with ConvertIMG. Drop your selected photos in. Choose JPG at 85% quality. Download them all.

Step 4. Keep your HEIC originals. They take up less space than JPGs, and they hold higher quality. If you ever need to convert again at different settings, you want the originals available.

This workflow takes a few minutes even for large batches. Much faster than converting one by one.

Does Converting HEIC to JPG Lose Quality?

Yes, but the amount depends on your settings.

HEIC uses lossy compression. JPG also uses lossy compression. Converting from one to the other means the image is compressed twice. Some additional quality is lost in the process.

At 85%+ JPG quality, the loss is minimal. You'd need to zoom in and compare side-by-side to spot any difference. For sharing, posting, and printing, the quality is more than good enough.

At lower quality settings, the double compression becomes more noticeable. Smooth gradients might show banding. Fine textures might look softer. Shadow areas might show blocky artifacts.

The practical truth: for most uses, convert at 85% and don't worry about it. The photos will look great. If you need the absolute best quality, convert HEIC to PNG instead for lossless results. For web optimization, convert HEIC to WebP for smaller files that still look sharp. You can also convert HEIC to AVIF for the smallest possible files. See our complete image format guide for help choosing the right format.

Ready to Convert Your HEIC Photos?

Stop fighting with file compatibility. ConvertIMG converts HEIC to JPG in seconds. Free, private, and works on any device. No sign-up needed. Just drop your photos in and download. If your older iPhone photos look soft, you can upscale your converted photos with AI to sharpen them up.