What is a HEIC file?
Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos in the HEIC format (High Efficiency Image Container). It stores a photo in about half the space of a JPG at similar quality. The downside is support: Windows needs an extra codec to show HEIC, and many programs and websites cannot open it at all.
Option 1: Convert HEIC to JPG (works everywhere)
- Open the HEIC to JPG converter.
- Drop in your HEIC photos. You can add many at once.
- Click Convert and download the JPGs, or all of them as a ZIP.
The JPGs open in every Windows program, website and phone. Photos are turned upright automatically, and location data from the camera is removed from the converted file, so it is safe to share. If you need a transparent or lossless image use HEIC to PNG, and for forms that want a document use HEIC to PDF.
Option 2: Install the HEIF extension in Windows
Windows 10 and 11 can show HEIC photos in the Photos app after installing the HEIF Image Extensions (and on some PCs the HEVC Video Extensions) from the Microsoft Store. This lets you view the photos, but many other programs and upload forms still will not accept them, so converting is often still needed.
Option 3: Make your iPhone save JPG
On the iPhone, open Settings, Camera, Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG. Existing photos stay HEIC.
Another option: in Settings, Photos, set Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic. The iPhone then converts photos to JPG when you copy them to a computer with a cable.
Should I stop using HEIC?
Not necessarily. HEIC saves a lot of storage on your phone and in iCloud. Keeping HEIC on the phone and converting only the photos you need to share is a good middle way.