How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows (Free, No Upload)

You copy photos from an iPhone to your PC, double-click one, and Windows says it can't open the file. Or an upload form rejects it. The culprit is almost always the .heic extension.

What HEIC is and why Windows struggles with it

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) stores images compressed with HEVC, the same codec used for modern video. Apple made it the default for iPhone photos in iOS 11 because it produces files roughly half the size of a JPG at similar quality, and it can hold extras such as depth maps, Live Photo frames and wide-gamut color.

The problem is licensing. HEVC is covered by patents, so Microsoft doesn't ship full support in every Windows installation. On many PCs you first need two add-ons from the Microsoft Store: HEIF Image Extensions (free) and HEVC Video Extensions (usually a small fee). Even with both installed, older programs, web forms and some photo editors still can't read HEIC.

Option 1: Convert in the browser (fastest for a batch)

The simplest route is a converter that runs locally in your browser:

1. Open the HEIC to JPG converter.
2. Drop your HEIC photos onto the page. You can add dozens at once.
3. Pick a JPG quality. Around 85–90 keeps photos visually identical while staying compact.
4. Optionally limit the size, for example to 2048 px on the long side for email.
5. Convert and download each JPG, or everything as one ZIP file.

Your photos never leave your computer: decoding and encoding both happen on your device. That matters for private pictures and saves time on slow connections, because nothing has to be uploaded.

Option 2: Use the Windows Photos app with codecs

If you only need to view HEIC photos occasionally:

1. Install HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store.
2. Open the photo in the Photos app.
3. Use Save as (or Edit, then Save a copy) and choose JPG.

This works one file at a time, which gets tedious for a full camera roll.

Option 3: Stop the iPhone from creating HEIC files

Two iPhone settings control this:

• Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes the camera save new photos as JPG instead of HEIC. Photos taken before the switch stay HEIC.
• Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic converts photos to JPG when you copy them over a cable. The originals on the phone stay HEIC.

The trade-off: JPGs take more storage on the phone, and you lose some HEIC extras like higher bit depth.

Does converting reduce quality?

Converting from HEIC to JPG re-encodes the image, so it is technically lossy. At a quality setting of 85 or higher you won't see a difference in normal viewing or printing. Keep the original HEIC files if you plan to edit heavily later.

Two details worth checking after conversion:

• Orientation. Phones often store rotation as a tag. A good converter applies it so the JPG isn't sideways.
• Location data. iPhone photos usually contain GPS coordinates. The browser converter writes a fresh JPG without the original metadata, but other methods may keep it. Check any photo with the EXIF viewer before sharing it publicly.

Which option should you use?

Situation	Best option
A handful to hundreds of photos, right now	Browser converter
Viewing HEIC regularly on your own PC	Install the Store codecs
Never dealing with HEIC again	Change the iPhone setting

If the JPGs are still too large for email or a web form, run them through the image compressor to shrink them further without visible loss.

HEIC vs. JPG at a glance

	HEIC	JPG
File size at similar quality	About half	Baseline
Opens everywhere	No	Yes
Transparency, depth maps, 10-bit color	Supported	No
Good for sharing and uploading	Limited	Yes