Updated
To open iPhone photos anywhere, convert them from HEIC to JPG: drop the files, keep the default quality and download the JPGs. This tool runs on our servers rather than in your browser, because most browsers cannot decode HEIC.
Why the photos are HEIC in the first place
Every iPhone and iPad on iOS 11 or later shoots HEIC unless the setting is changed. The format packs a photo into noticeably fewer bytes than JPG, which is good for phone storage. The trouble starts once the file leaves the phone: a PC, a web form or older software may refuse to open it. A JPG opens everywhere.
How to convert HEIC to JPG
- Drag your .heic or .heif photos, or a folder of them, onto the drop zone.
- Keep quality at 90, or pick a lower number for lighter files.
- Click Convert.
- Save the JPG, or one ZIP when you converted several photos.
Quality, size and orientation
JPG compresses differently from HEIC, so every photo is re-encoded. Quality starts at 90 out of 100, and at normal viewing sizes you will not see a difference from the original. Setting it to 80 cuts the size noticeably.
Expect each JPG to weigh more than the HEIC it came from. A format that everything can open costs some space. We read the orientation the iPhone stored and stand each photo upright, so none come out sideways.
What the JPG leaves out
Live Photos pair a still picture with a short clip, and only the still comes across. A standard JPG has nowhere to put Portrait depth data or HDR gain maps, so what you get is the ordinary photo you see in the camera roll. If one HEIC file holds a burst or several pictures, its primary picture is the one converted.
None of the original EXIF data goes into the JPG either: no GPS position, no camera details, no date taken. That is handy before sharing pictures publicly. Photo libraries that sort by date taken need that date, though, so hang on to the HEIC files.
Albums, batches and limits
Every conversion happens on our servers in Germany. Uploads travel over an encrypted connection, and both the HEIC files and the JPGs are deleted automatically within two hours.
Without an account, each photo can be up to 50 MB, a batch holds up to 5 photos, and you get 20 server jobs a day. A free account raises the batch to 10 photos and gives a bigger daily allowance. For a whole holiday album, Pro takes batches of up to 500 photos and files up to 500 MB, with no daily allowance. Credits suit a single big album without a subscription: one credit covers 25 files, and credits never expire. Results download one by one or as a single ZIP, and a pipeline can resize the photos in the same run.
FAQ
Can the iPhone shoot JPG instead?
Yes. Under Settings, Camera, Formats, pick Most Compatible, and the camera saves JPG from then on.
Why do some iPhone photos arrive as JPG already?
iOS converts HEIC on its own in some sharing paths, such as email. Files moved by cable or through cloud sync stay HEIC.
Can I get PNG files instead?
First make a JPG here at quality 100, then switch the format to PNG. The PNGs will be large, since that format does not suit photos.
What about iPhone videos?
Those are HEVC, not HEIC, so this tool does not take them. MOV to MP4 handles them.