How to Convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone (Free)

iPhone saves photos as HEIC by default because the format takes up less storage for the same quality. To convert existing HEIC photos to JPG so they open on Windows, Android or any website, use a free online HEIC to JPG converter. To stop new photos from being saved as HEIC at all, go to Settings, Camera, Formats and choose Most Compatible.

Why your iPhone photos are HEIC in the first place

Since iOS 11, iPhone 7 and later models capture photos in HEIF (the files end in .heic) by default. Apple says HEIF compresses better than JPEG, so photos use less storage on the phone and in iCloud Photos while keeping the same visual quality. This is genuinely useful for storage on the phone itself, but HEIC is not read by every app, website form or older Windows program, which is where the trouble starts. A form that expects a JPG or PNG upload will often simply reject a HEIC file, or the upload button will not let you select it at all.

Try it here

HEIC to JPG

Same settings as the full tool page.

Runs in your browser. Your file never leaves your device. Open the full HEIC to JPG page

Stop new photos from being saved as HEIC

If you would rather your iPhone save future photos as JPG straight away, Apple documents one setting for this:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Camera.
3. Tap Formats.
4. Under Camera Capture, select "Most Compatible" instead of "High Efficiency".

With this setting on, your iPhone's Camera app saves new photos as JPG, and new videos as H.264 instead of HEVC, both of which open more widely without any conversion step. This does not change photos you have already taken. Those still need to be converted separately.

Convert HEIC photos you already have

For photos already sitting in your camera roll, the fastest fix is a batch converter rather than fixing one photo at a time.

1. Open the HEIC to JPG converter in Safari or Chrome on your iPhone, iPad or computer.
2. Select the HEIC photo or photos you want to convert. You can pick several at once if you are clearing out a batch.
3. Let the converter process them into JPG.
4. Download the converted JPG files to your device or save them to your files.
5. Delete or archive the original HEIC versions once you have confirmed the JPG copies open correctly.

Uploading a HEIC photo without converting it first

Some websites and apps quietly convert HEIC to JPG themselves during upload, so it is worth trying the upload once before assuming you need to convert manually. If the upload fails, shows a broken image icon, or the file picker will not let you select the photo at all, that is your sign the site does not support HEIC and you need to convert it first with the HEIC to JPG converter.

What changes and what stays the same after converting

Converting HEIC to JPG does not crop, rotate or otherwise edit your photo; it only changes how the same image data is stored. JPG files are usually a bit larger than the equivalent HEIC file at the same visual quality, so expect your storage use to go up slightly if you keep both versions. Once you are sure the JPG copies open fine wherever you need them, it is safe to delete the original HEIC files to free up that space again.

Why the person on the other end cannot open your photo

If you have ever sent a photo to someone on Android or an older Windows computer and they said the file will not open, HEIC is almost always the reason. Newer computers and phones often open HEIC, but plenty of people are still on older software or apps that only understand JPG. Converting to JPG before sending removes this guesswork entirely, since JPG opens on essentially every device and app without any extra codec or app installed.

Batch converting before a big upload or backup

If you are clearing out your camera roll before switching phones, backing up to a cloud drive that prefers JPG, or preparing a folder of photos for a print shop, it is worth converting the whole batch in one sitting rather than one photo at a time whenever you next need it. Select all the HEIC photos for that batch, run them through the HEIC to JPG converter together, and save the JPG output into its own folder so you always know which copies are ready to share or upload.

Common mistakes

• Trying to rename a HEIC file's extension to .jpg instead of actually converting it. This does not change the underlying image data and most apps will still fail to open it.
• Forgetting that the Settings > Camera > Formats change only affects photos taken after you change it, not your existing camera roll.
• Converting a very large batch on a slow connection and giving up partway; smaller batches finish more reliably.
• Not checking that the site actually needs JPG specifically, when it may already accept HEIC or PNG too.

Tools for this

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Apple Support, Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices (checked 2026-09)

Rules and limits change. Always check the latest official notification or portal before you submit a form.