How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows

You copied photos from your iPhone to a Windows PC and every file ends in .heic. Some apps won't open them, and upload forms often reject them. Here are three ways to get JPGs instead, from "fix it for the future" to "convert the ones you already have".

Why your photos are HEIC files

Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos in the HEIC format by default. HEIC files are often around half the size of a JPG of similar quality, which saves space on your phone. The catch is compatibility: Windows doesn't open HEIC files out of the box, and many websites and apps still expect JPG.

Option 1: Have your iPhone send JPGs

If you mostly move photos to a PC with a cable, your iPhone can convert them for you as they transfer:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings → Apps → Photos (Settings → Photos on older iOS versions).
2. Scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic.

With Automatic, the iPhone converts photos to a compatible format while copying. To stop taking HEIC photos at all, go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be JPGs, and they will take up more space on your phone.

Neither setting changes photos you have already copied, and neither applies to photos you sync another way, such as through a cloud service.

Option 2: Install the HEIF extension and use Paint

Windows can read HEIC files once you install the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Some PCs also need the HEVC Video Extensions, which Microsoft sells for a small fee; many PCs already have them installed by the manufacturer.

With the extensions installed:

1. Right-click the HEIC file and choose Open with → Paint.
2. Select File → Save as → JPEG picture.
3. Pick a folder and name, then select Save.

This works well for a few photos. For dozens, it gets slow, because Paint saves one file at a time.

Option 3: Convert a batch in your browser

Our HEIC to JPG converter converts several photos at once, right in your browser:

1. Open the converter and drop in your HEIC files, or a whole selection from File Explorer.
2. Adjust the JPG quality if you like. The default suits most uses.
3. Select Convert to JPG and download the JPGs one by one or as a single .zip.

The photos are converted on your computer. They are not uploaded, so this also works for personal photos you would rather not send to a server. You don't need to install anything, and it works the same on Windows, a Mac or a Chromebook. The free plan converts up to 5 photos per batch; Pro converts up to 200 at a time. Need a lossless copy instead? Use HEIC to PNG.

Which option should you pick?

Want to know more about the format itself? Read HEIC vs JPG.