HEIC is the file extension Apple uses for photos stored in the HEIF format with HEVC compression. iPhones save photos this way when the camera format is set to High Efficiency, because the files are smaller than JPG at similar quality. The catch is compatibility: Windows apps, many websites and upload forms do not accept HEIC.
What HEIC is
Which browsers can convert HEIC here
This converter does not include its own HEIC decoder. It asks the browser to open the file, which only works if the browser itself understands HEIC. Safari on recent versions of macOS and iOS can. Chrome, Edge and Firefox generally cannot, and the file will be marked as failed with a message that the format may not be supported.
If you are not on Safari, these alternatives produce a JPG without any converter:
- On the iPhone: Settings, Camera, Formats, choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG.
- When sharing from the Photos app by email or many messaging apps, iOS usually sends a JPG copy.
- On a Mac: open the photo in Preview and use Export to save it as JPEG.
What the JPG keeps and loses
The photo is converted at quality 0.9, which looks the same as the original at normal sizes. The JPG will usually be larger than the HEIC. Location, date and camera metadata are not copied into the JPG, which is useful if you are sharing the photo publicly. Live Photo motion, depth data and multiple images stored in one HEIC are not converted; you get one still image.
Settings and output
- Quality: JPG is written at quality 0.9 where the format uses a quality setting. There is no slider on converter pages; use the Image Compressor if you want to choose the quality yourself.
- Size limits: images longer than 4096 px on either side are scaled down to 4096 px. If a converted file would be over 10 MB, it is reduced in steps until it fits.
- Batches: add several files; three are converted at a time. One file downloads directly, two or more come as a ZIP.
- Metadata: EXIF data (camera, date, GPS) and colour profiles are not carried into the new file.
Where the processing happens
The photo is decoded and converted in your browser, not uploaded.
Questions about this tool
Why does every HEIC file fail in Chrome?
Chrome cannot decode HEIC, and this tool uses the browser's decoder. Open the page in Safari, or use one of the iPhone or Mac options described above.
I sent iPhone photos to my Windows computer and they will not open. What do I do?
Those are HEIC files. Open this page in Safari on a Mac, iPhone or iPad and convert them to JPG. On Windows, Chrome, Edge and Firefox cannot read HEIC, so the files will fail here.
How do I stop my iPhone from saving HEIC in the first place?
On the iPhone open Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG.
Is the location of the photo kept in the JPG?
No. Location, date and camera details are not copied into the JPG, which is useful when you share photos publicly.
What happens to Live Photos?
You get one still JPG. The motion part of a Live Photo is not converted.