HEIC to JPG Converter — Convert iPhone Photos to JPG Free Online

What Is HEIC?

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is Apple's implementation of the HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) standard, which uses the HEVC (H.265) video codec for image compression. Compared to JPEG:

• HEIC files are typically 40–50% smaller than equivalent-quality JPEGs, saving significant storage space.
• HEIC supports 16-bit colour depth (vs JPEG's 8-bit), allowing more nuanced colour gradations.
• HEIC supports Live Photos — it can store both the still image and the short video clip in a single file.
• HEIC supports image sequences (like burst photos or animations) in a single container file.
• HEIC supports transparency (alpha channel), unlike standard JPEG.

The main drawback is compatibility. HEIC was standardised in 2015 and adopted by Apple in 2017, but many non-Apple platforms still do not fully support it without additional software.

Platform Compatibility

How to Convert HEIC to JPG

1. Open the HEIC to JPG converter.
2. Click Upload HEIC Files or drag and drop your .heic files onto the converter. Multiple files can be added for batch conversion.
3. Choose your output quality (85% is recommended for most uses — excellent quality with significantly reduced file size vs. 100%).
4. Click Convert. Each HEIC file is converted to a JPG in your browser.
5. Download individual JPG files, or click Download All to get a ZIP archive of all converted images.

Output Quality Settings

Alternative: Change iPhone Camera Settings

If you frequently need JPG files and do not want to convert, you can configure your iPhone to capture photos in JPG (JPEG) format directly:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap Camera.
3. Tap Formats.
4. Select Most Compatible (instead of "High Efficiency").

With "Most Compatible" selected, the camera saves photos as JPEG. The trade-off is larger file sizes — each photo takes more storage space than in HEIC format. If storage is a concern, keep HEIC enabled and convert files as needed rather than switching globally.

Privacy Considerations

Most HEIC-to-JPG converters online require you to upload your photos to a server. Your personal photos — which may include family members, locations, and private moments — are transmitted to and processed by a third-party service. Privacy policies vary; some services retain uploaded images for days or longer.

The converter on PublicSoftTools uses a JavaScript library (libheif.js) that decodes HEIC files entirely within your browser. No image data is ever sent to any server. This is particularly important for photos that include people, identifiable locations, or sensitive content.

HEIC vs. JPG: Technical Comparison

Compression efficiency

A 4032×3024 pixel iPhone photo in HEIC typically occupies 2–4 MB. The same photo saved as JPEG at 85% quality occupies 4–8 MB. At 100% JPEG quality, the file may be 10–20 MB. This means converting from HEIC to JPG at any quality setting produces a larger file than the original HEIC — but one that is universally compatible.

Colour and dynamic range

HEIC supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) images with 10-bit colour per channel, capturing a wider range of brightness and colour than standard JPEG (8-bit). When converting to JPG, the HDR metadata may be discarded and the image is tone-mapped to standard dynamic range. For most display purposes, this difference is invisible — screens that cannot display HDR content show both formats identically.

Metadata preservation

HEIC files contain EXIF metadata: camera settings, GPS location (if enabled in iOS), timestamp, and orientation. The HEIC-to-JPG converter preserves this metadata in the output JPG, so location data and capture timestamp are retained. If you need to strip location data before sharing photos (for privacy), use a metadata removal tool after conversion.

Batch Converting Large Photo Libraries

For large collections (hundreds or thousands of HEIC photos), browser-based conversion can be slower than desktop software. For bulk conversion, consider:

• macOS Preview: Select multiple HEIC files, open with Preview, File → Export Selected Images → change format to JPEG.
• macOS command line: sips -s format jpeg *.heic --out output/ converts all HEIC files in the current directory to JPEG.
• Windows: Install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store, which enables HEIC support in Windows Photos and allows export to JPG.
• Online batch tools: For small-to-medium batches, the browser-based converter handles multiple files efficiently.

What to Do With Converted JPGs

Upload to websites and CMS platforms

After converting to JPG, photos are ready for upload to WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, or any web platform. JPG is the universal web image format and is accepted everywhere.

Share via email

JPG attachments display inline in most email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. HEIC files may appear as generic attachments rather than previews on non-Apple devices.

Edit in image editors

JPG works in all image editors: Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Canva, Pixelmator, Affinity Photo, and any phone-based editing app. Some editors support HEIC, but JPG eliminates compatibility concerns.

Convert to PDF

After converting HEIC to JPG, use the image to PDF converter to combine multiple photos into a single PDF document — useful for sending multiple photos as one attachment or creating a simple photo report.

Common Questions

Does the conversion reduce photo quality?

At high quality settings (85–100%), the visual quality of the converted JPG is indistinguishable from the original HEIC for most viewers. Some subtle loss of colour depth occurs because HEIC supports 10-bit colour while JPG is 8-bit, but this difference is not visible on standard displays.

Why is my converted JPG larger than the original HEIC?

HEIC achieves better compression than JPEG. Converting from HEIC to JPG will almost always produce a larger file. At 85% JPG quality, the output is typically 1.5–3× the size of the HEIC original. At 100% JPG quality, the output can be 5–10× larger. This is expected — you are trading storage efficiency for compatibility.

Can I convert HEIC to PNG instead of JPG?

The converter on PublicSoftTools outputs JPG. If you need PNG output (for transparency support or lossless compression), convert from HEIC to JPG first, then use the image converter to convert JPG to PNG. Note that converting to PNG will produce much larger files than JPG.

What happens to Live Photos during conversion?

A Live Photo is stored as a HEIC file (for the still image) plus a separate .mov file (for the video clip). The HEIC-to-JPG converter handles the still image component. The video component (.mov) is not processed — only the still frame is converted. To share Live Photos as videos, AirDrop them to a Mac or use an iOS shortcut to export the video separately.