How to Open HEIC Photos on Windows and Convert Them to JPG

Why iPhone photos arrive as .heic, why Windows and upload forms refuse them, and how to turn them into JPGs in your browser without uploading your photos.

2026-10-16 · Convertube team

Quick answer: HEIC is the photo format iPhones use by default. Many computers, older phones and website upload forms do not accept it. Open HEIC to JPG, drop your photos in — up to 20 at a time — and download JPGs that open everywhere. The conversion happens in your browser; your photos are never uploaded.

What is a HEIC file?

Since iOS 11 in 2017, iPhones have saved photos as HEIC by default. It keeps the same picture in roughly half the space a JPG needs, which is why Apple chose it. The catch is support: Windows needs extra codecs from the Microsoft Store before it shows one, and many upload forms, older Android phones and desktop programs simply refuse the file.

How to convert HEIC to JPG

Open HEIC to JPG
Drop your .heic files in, or click to choose them — up to 20 at once
Leave the quality on its default, or raise it if you plan to edit the photos
Download the JPGs, one by one or all together as a ZIP

The first conversion downloads the HEIC decoder into your browser — about 1.4 MB — once. Nothing about the photo itself goes anywhere: to check, convert one photo, switch off your Wi-Fi and convert another.

JPG or PNG?

	JPG	PNG
File size	Small	Several times larger
Quality	Very slightly compressed again	No further loss
Best for	Sharing, uploading, email	Editing, screenshots, when every pixel matters
Convert with	HEIC to JPG	HEIC to PNG

What to know before converting

The JPG is larger than the HEIC — usually about twice the size, because HEIC is the more efficient format. That is expected
Location and camera details are removed. The date, GPS position and camera information do not carry over to the JPG. If you are posting photos publicly, that is a privacy plus; if you need the location kept, keep the original HEIC too
Portrait photos stay upright. The rotation your phone recorded is applied to the picture itself
Colours are converted for ordinary screens. iPhones shoot in a wider colour range (Display P3); the JPG is converted to standard sRGB so it looks the same in every browser and on every screen
Live Photos and bursts: you get the still photo — the one your phone shows. The short video part of a Live Photo is a separate file

Stop your iPhone saving HEIC

If you would rather get JPGs from the start: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. Photos take more space from then on, and photos you already took stay HEIC — which is what the converter is for.

Opening HEIC without converting

On Windows 10 and 11 you can install the HEIF and HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store, after which the Photos app opens HEIC files. That helps on your own computer; it does not help when a website or another person needs the file, which is when converting to JPG is the reliable answer.

Try it now

Converted in your browser. Nothing uploaded, no sign-up.

HEIC to JPG HEIC to PNG About the HEIC format All image conversions

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert HEIC to JPG for free?

Open a HEIC to JPG converter, drop the photos in and download the JPGs. Convertube does it in your browser, up to 20 at a time, without uploading them.

Why will my HEIC photo not open on Windows?

Windows needs extra codecs from the Microsoft Store to show HEIC. Converting to JPG makes the photo open everywhere without installing anything.

Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?

Very slightly, since JPG compresses the photo again. At the default setting the difference is hard to see; choose PNG if you need no further loss.

Are my photos uploaded when I convert them?

No. The decoder runs in your browser and the photos stay on your device. You can check by turning off your network after the first conversion.

How do I make my iPhone take JPG instead of HEIC?

Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG; existing ones stay HEIC.