What Is HEIC? How to Convert iPhone Photos to JPG for Uploads

You try to upload a photo from your iPhone to an online application form, and the site won't take the file. Or you move the photo to your PC, and Windows can't open it. Most of the time, the cause is the same: your iPhone saved the picture as an HEIC file. This guide explains what HEIC is in plain terms, then shows how to convert HEIC photos to JPG (JPEG) three ways: in your browser, through your iPhone settings, and on your computer. We also cover what to check before you send a photo of your driver's license or ID card.

What is HEIC? The iPhone's default photo format

HEIC is the image format the iPhone camera uses to save photos. Once a photo is on your computer, you can spot it by its file extension: .heic (sometimes uppercase, .HEIC).

More precisely, HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a standard for storing images, and an HEIC file is an HEIF file whose images are compressed with HEVC (H.265). HEIF was developed by MPEG (the Moving Picture Experts Group), the international group behind many audio and video standards. HEVC was originally designed to compress video, and putting that compression power to work on still photos is what keeps the files small.

The iPhone switched to HEIC with iOS 11, released in September 2017. iPhone 7 and later can capture HEIC, and unless you've changed the camera settings, that's how your photos are saved. When Apple introduced iOS 11, it said the new compression technology lets you take photos "with the same quality as before at half the file size" (actual savings depend on the photo).

Incidentally, JPG and JPEG are the same format; only the spelling of the extension differs. The bottom line is that HEIC is an efficient format that saves space on your iPhone, and nothing is wrong with the photo itself. The trouble starts when whoever receives it doesn't support HEIC.

When HEIC causes trouble

Apple devices handle HEIC without a hitch, but elsewhere you may run into problems like these:

• Upload forms reject it: forms for contracts, account sign-ups, and other applications may accept only certain formats, such as JPG and PNG. An HEIC photo may be impossible to select, or it may trigger an error when you submit.
• Windows can't open it: Windows needs extensions from the Microsoft Store to display HEIC (more on this below). On a PC without them, the photo may not display.
• Older software and systems can't handle it: image editors, workplace systems, and photo-printing services may not support HEIC.
• The person you send it to can't open it: share an HEIC file as-is through cloud storage, and the recipient may be stuck, depending on their device.

According to Apple, when you share photos via AirDrop, Messages, or email and the receiving device doesn't support the newer format, they might automatically be sent in a more compatible format such as JPEG. How uploads through a web form are handled, however, varies by site and method. Don't count on your iPhone to always convert photos to JPG for you. If an upload fails, converting the photo yourself is the reliable fix.

Convert to JPG in your browser (the quickest way)

To turn HEIC photos you already have into JPGs right away, try the browser-based HEIC to JPG Converter. There's no software to install.

1. Open the HEIC to JPG Converter and select the HEIC photos you want to convert. You can pick several at once.
2. Choose JPG or PNG as the output format. For JPG, you can set the quality anywhere from 1 to 100% (the default is 92%).
3. If the site you're submitting to has a file size limit, shrink the image by setting the number of pixels on the long side.
4. Save the results one by one, or download them all together as a ZIP file.

A few things make it a good fit for photos you need to submit:

• No uploads: conversion happens inside your browser, on your own device. The only network traffic is loading the conversion program itself.
• No location data: exported images don't keep metadata (the hidden details stored in a photo) such as the GPS location where it was taken.
• Correct orientation: portrait photos stay portrait, so every image comes out the right way up.
• No extensions needed: because the converter loads its own conversion program in the browser, it works even on Windows PCs that don't have the HEIC extensions installed.

If you're unsure about quality, the default of 92% is fine. To make files smaller, shrink the long side first, and lower the quality a little at a time only if the file is still too large. Pushing the quality too low can blur the edges of text and make it hard to read. Also, photos saved as PNG tend to be large, so stick with JPG unless the destination specifically asks for PNG.

You can also open HEIC photos in these tools. Pick the one that fits the job:

Make your iPhone shoot JPG from the start

If you want future photos saved as JPG, change your iPhone's camera settings. For photos you're taking specifically to submit, such as pictures of your ID, switching beforehand saves you the conversion step.

Set Formats to Most Compatible

1. Open Settings, then tap Camera.
2. Tap Formats, then tap Most Compatible.

From then on, new photos are saved as JPEG (and videos as H.264). Photos you've already taken stay in HEIC, so convert them with a tool if needed. To switch back, choose High Efficiency on the same screen.

Keep in mind that JPEG files are larger than HEIC, so your iPhone and iCloud storage will fill up faster. One approach is to switch back to High Efficiency once you've taken the photos you need to submit.

Check the setting for transfers to a computer

If you import photos by connecting your iPhone to a computer with a cable, also check the Transfer to Mac or PC section near the bottom of Settings > Apps > Photos (Settings > Photos on older versions of iOS). If Keep Originals is selected, photos are imported as HEIC. With the other option, labeled something like Automatic, photos may be converted to JPEG during import.

Choose the format when sharing

When you share a photo from the Photos app, tap the Share button, then tap Options to choose the file format. Automatic picks the best format for the destination, Current keeps the original format, and Most Compatible may convert the file to JPEG (or MOV for videos). On some versions of iOS, the same Options screen also lets you leave out location information.

Setting names and locations can vary slightly between iOS versions. If you can't find a setting, try searching for it (for example, "Formats") in Settings.

Open or convert HEIC on a Mac or Windows PC

Mac: export from Preview

Macs with macOS High Sierra or later support HEIC out of the box, so the photos open as-is. To make a JPG, export it from Preview, which comes with every Mac.

1. Open the HEIC photo in Preview.
2. Choose File > Export.
3. Click the Format pop-up menu, choose JPEG, adjust the quality if needed, then click Save.

To convert several photos at once, open them in one Preview window, select them in the sidebar, then follow the same steps. You can also Control-click photos in the Finder, choose Quick Actions, and then choose Convert Image (on some versions of macOS, it's under More).

Windows: install the extensions

To view HEIC on Windows, you need extensions from the Microsoft Store. As of October 2026, the Store descriptions say you need both of these:

According to the Microsoft Store, to view images stored in HEIF files with extensions such as .heic, you must install HEVC Video Extensions in addition to the HEIF extension. Some PCs already have what's needed and can open HEIC in the Photos app right away.

If you can't install apps on a work PC, or you just need a JPG rather than a way to view the file, the browser-based HEIC to JPG Converter does the job without any extensions.

Tips for sending photos of ID documents

Driver's licenses, passports, and ID cards carry some of your most sensitive personal information. Before you convert and send a photo of one, check these four points.

Don't upload your ID to unfamiliar converter sites

Some online converters send your photo to their server to process it. What happens to the image there, and when it gets deleted, depends on each service's terms, and you have no way to verify it. Avoid sending photos of ID documents to sites when you don't know who runs them. A tool that converts inside your browser without uploading the image is the safer choice (our guide to handling PDFs safely explains why).

Watch out for location data

iPhone photos can carry metadata such as the date, time, and place they were taken (GPS location) and the device used. Apple notes that sharing a photo also shares this kind of metadata. If you photograph a document at home, the file may record where you live.

• Images exported from the HEIC to JPG Converter keep no location data or other metadata.
• To double-check a converted JPG, load it into the EXIF Viewer & Remover. If any location data remains, you can remove it right there.
• To stop recording location in future photos, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera and set the camera not to use your location.

For more on photo location data, see Photo EXIF Data and Privacy.

Follow the destination's size and format rules

Upload forms may set rules such as "JPG or PNG only" or "up to 5 MB per file." Converting HEIC to JPG can make the file larger, so if it goes over the limit, shrink the long side.

Shrink it too far, though, and the text becomes unreadable. A long side of about 2,000 px is a reasonable place to start; check that the text on the document is still crisp and adjust from there. If the destination specifies a resolution (pixel dimensions), follow it.

Follow the destination's photo instructions

A photo of an ID must be clear enough that every word and your face can be read. If the instructions ask you to focus carefully, avoid glare that washes out the text, or include all four corners of the document, follow them. Converting the format won't sharpen a blurry photo.

Some ID cards also show sensitive numbers, such as a national identification number. Send images showing those numbers only when the recipient specifically asks for them.

Summary

HEIC is an efficient format that keeps iPhone photos small. But in places that don't support it, such as Windows PCs and online application forms, it's the reason photos won't open or upload. When that happens, choose the method that fits:

• Convert HEIC photos you already have: use the browser-based HEIC to JPG Converter (no uploads, and no location data left behind)
• Shoot JPG from now on: on your iPhone, set Settings > Camera > Formats to Most Compatible
• Convert on a Mac: in Preview, choose File > Export and pick JPEG
• Open on Windows: install the HEIF Image Extension and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store

Before you send a photo of an ID document, steer clear of unfamiliar sites, and check the location data, the size limit, and the destination's instructions.

Sources

• Apple Support, "Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices": what HEIF and HEVC are, supported devices, the Most Compatible setting, and how sharing, converting, and USB import work
• Apple, iOS 11 product page (archived September 2017, Internet Archive): "the same quality as before at half the file size" and the iOS 11 release date
• iPhone User Guide, "Share photos and videos on iPhone": shared metadata and the format choices in Options
• iPhone User Guide, "Control the location information you share on iPhone": Location Services settings
• Preview User Guide, "Convert image file types using Preview on Mac"
• macOS User Guide, "Perform quick actions in the Finder on Mac": Convert Image
• Microsoft Store, "HEIF Image Extension" (checked October 17, 2026)
• Microsoft Store, "HEVC Video Extensions" (checked October 17, 2026)
• Nokia Technologies, "HEIF - High Efficiency Image File Format": HEIF as an MPEG standard and HEVC compression

This article reflects information as of October 2026. Screen labels and setting locations in iOS, macOS, and Windows, as well as Microsoft Store prices, can change between versions and over time. Check each company's official website for the latest information.