OpenToola Guides
HEIC or JPG: What iPhone Photos Really Are, and When to Convert
Understand HEIC, when JPG is still needed, and how to convert iPhone photos without losing quality, location data or the original file.
You take a photo on an iPhone, send it to a Windows laptop, and the file refuses to open. Or you upload it to a website and the preview is blank. The photo is a HEIC file, and the receiving side does not know what to do with it.
HEIC is not a broken format. It is a more efficient container that Apple has used since iOS 11. The problem is compatibility: Windows, Android, older editors and some websites still expect JPG. Converting is often the quickest fix, but it is worth understanding what you gain and what you lose before you convert an entire library.
What HEIC actually is
HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. The image inside is usually encoded with HEVC, the video codec also used for 4K video. The container can hold more than a single still image: a burst, a depth map, a Live Photo’s still frame, or an image sequence.
The practical advantage is size. A HEIC photo often takes half the space of a JPG at similar visual quality. On a phone with limited storage, that matters. The format also supports transparency and a wider colour range, although most photos do not use those features in a way you will notice.
The disadvantage is that HEIC is not universal. Safari and Apple apps handle it. Recent Android versions often do. Windows needs the HEIF Image Extensions and, for some files, the HEVC Video Extensions. Many web forms, email clients and content management systems still accept only JPG or PNG.
When JPG is still the right choice
Convert to JPG when the photo needs to open on a device or service that does not support HEIC. That includes many Windows PCs, older Android phones, some printers, photo labs, marketplace listings and government portals.
JPG is also the safer choice for email. A JPG attachment opens almost everywhere. A HEIC attachment may look like a blank icon or trigger a “format not supported” message, even when the photo is fine.
Keep HEIC when you are archiving on Apple devices, using iCloud Photos, or editing in an app that supports it. Converting a photo to JPG and then deleting the HEIC removes the original. If you later need the extra dynamic range or the smaller file, it is gone.
What you lose when you convert
JPG does not support transparency. If a HEIC image has transparent areas, those areas will usually become white or black. Use PNG or WebP if transparency matters.
JPG is lossy. Every conversion re-encodes the image and can soften fine detail. Converting once from the original at high quality is fine for most uses. Converting the same photo repeatedly, or converting a JPG screenshot of a HEIC photo, adds unnecessary loss.
Live Photos are a still image plus a short video. Converting the HEIC still frame does not preserve the motion. If the movement matters, export the Live Photo as a video from the Photos app instead.
Portrait mode and depth data can also be lost. The visible photo may keep the blurred background, but the depth map that lets you change the blur later is not part of a standard JPG. If you want to adjust the portrait effect later, keep the original HEIC and edit it in Photos.
Metadata is another uncertainty. A HEIC file can contain the capture date, camera model, orientation and GPS coordinates. Some converters preserve this information, some strip it. If you are sending a photo to a public listing, stripping location data is often desirable. If you need the date and camera details for an archive, check the converted file before deleting the original.
Converting on iPhone
The simplest option for future photos is to change the camera format. Open Settings, go to Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be captured as JPG instead of HEIC. This does not convert the photos you already have.
For existing photos, you can use the Files app and a browser-based converter. Save the HEIC files to Files, open the HEIC to JPG tool, select the photos, choose JPG and a quality around 90 %, then download the result. If you convert several files, the tool packages them in a ZIP.
You can also share a photo from the Photos app and choose Save to Files, then convert it. Some iOS versions offer an automatic conversion when sharing to certain apps, but it is inconsistent. A converter gives you control over the format and quality.
Converting on Mac
Preview can open HEIC and export it as JPG. Open the photo, choose File > Export, select JPEG and set the quality. This works for a few images. For a folder of photos, the browser converter is faster and does not create a copy of every file in a temporary folder.
If you use Photos, you can drag a photo to the desktop and macOS may export a JPG automatically, depending on the destination. Check the file extension before assuming it worked. A file named IMG_1234.HEIC is still HEIC even if the icon looks like a photo.
Converting on Windows
Windows 10 and 11 can display HEIC if the HEIF Image Extensions are installed. The extension is free in some regions and paid in others, and some files also need the HEVC Video Extensions. If the photo still will not open, a browser converter avoids the codec question entirely.
Open the HEIC to JPG tool in Edge or Chrome, select the files, choose JPG, and download. The conversion runs on your machine. For a large batch, close other tabs; decoding many high-resolution photos uses memory.
Do not rename a HEIC file to .jpg and assume it will work. The extension is not the format. A renamed file may open in some viewers and fail everywhere else, and it can confuse the person receiving it.
Quality settings that make sense
For photos you will look at on a screen, JPG quality 85–90 % is a good balance. The difference above 90 % is hard to see, while the file size grows quickly. For printing, use 95 % and check the result at 100 % zoom.
Do not convert a HEIC file to PNG just because PNG sounds “higher quality”. PNG is lossless, but it is designed for graphics, screenshots and transparency. For a photograph, a PNG will be much larger than the JPG with no visible benefit.
WebP is a good option for websites: it is smaller than JPG at similar quality and supports transparency. Not every older app accepts WebP, so check the destination. For email and general sharing, JPG remains the safest bet.
Batch conversion without losing track
When converting a folder, keep the original filenames where possible. IMG_4821.jpg is easier to match with IMG_4821.HEIC than a file renamed converted_001.jpg.
Convert in batches of 20–30 photos if the browser feels slow. The tool creates a ZIP for multiple files; unzip it before uploading the photos elsewhere. Check a few files at random, not just the first one. A batch that starts well can still fail on a corrupted or unusually large file.
If one file fails, try it alone. A HEIC file that is truncated, still downloading from iCloud, or protected by a device passcode may not decode. Download it fully from iCloud first, then try again.
Colour, orientation and the photo that looks different
A HEIC photo from an iPhone may use the Display P3 colour profile. A JPG viewer that assumes sRGB can show slightly different colours, especially strong reds and greens. For social media and email, the difference is usually small. For print or a colour-critical project, convert to a profile your printer accepts and check a proof.
Orientation is stored in metadata. Most converters apply the rotation so the JPG looks upright. If a photo appears sideways after conversion, open it in an editor and rotate it, then save. Do not convert it again just to fix orientation; that adds another round of compression.
Privacy and the files you keep
A browser-based converter keeps the photos on your device. OpenToola does not upload them and does not keep a library. That is useful for personal photos, identity documents and images you would rather not send to an unknown server.
It does not remove every risk. If the converted JPG still contains GPS coordinates, sharing it publicly can reveal where it was taken. Check the metadata with your operating system’s file properties or an EXIF viewer. If you need to remove it, use a tool that explicitly strips metadata; converting alone may or may not do it.
Keep the original HEIC files until you have checked the JPGs. Store them in a folder you will not accidentally delete. If the converted files are for a one-time upload, delete the JPGs after the upload and keep the originals.
Tools mentioned
Frequently asked questions
Is HEIC better than JPG?
HEIC stores the same visual quality in a smaller file and supports features such as transparency and image sequences. JPG is more widely compatible. The better choice depends on where the photo will be used.
Does converting HEIC to JPG reduce quality?
Any conversion from one lossy format to another can lose a little detail. Convert once from the original HEIC, use a high quality setting, and keep the original file.
Are my photos uploaded when I convert them?
No. OpenToola converts HEIC files in your browser. The photos are not sent to a server.