How to Convert HEIC to JPG for Free on iPhone, Mac and Windows

HEIC is the format iPhones use to save photos. Apple says HEIF, the format behind it, offers better compression than JPEG while keeping the same visual quality, which is why your phone uses it. The problem is that plenty of websites, older PCs and booking forms still won't accept it. Here's how to get a JPG every time.

Quick guide

Where you are	Free way to get a JPG
Mac	Preview or Photos, File, Export, JPEG
iPhone, one photo	Preview app, Export, JPEG
iPhone, from now on	Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible
Windows	Import from your iPhone by USB, email it to yourself, upload to OneDrive, or add the HEIF and HEVC extensions
Any browser	Adobe Express HEIC to JPG converter

On a Mac: Preview or Photos

1. Open the HEIC photo in Preview (or in Photos).
2. Choose File, then Export.
3. Click the Format pop-up menu and choose JPEG.
4. Adjust the quality slider if you want a smaller file.
5. Name it, pick a folder and click Save.

Apple says you can convert several images at once in Preview: open them in one window, select them in the sidebar, then export. That's the quickest way to turn a whole shoot into JPGs.

On iPhone: convert one photo

Apple's Preview app on iPhone can export an image as HEIC, JPEG, PDF, PNG or TIFF:

1. Open the Preview app.
2. Open the photo.
3. Tap the menu next to the filename, then tap Export.
4. Choose JPEG and drag the size slider to balance file size and quality.
5. Save the new copy.

On iPhone: stop taking HEIC photos

If you're always converting, change the setting at the source. Apple's steps:

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

Apple says all new photos and videos will then use JPEG or H.264. The setting only appears on devices that can capture HEIF, which Apple lists as iPhone 7 and later among others. The trade-off is storage: your photos take up more space, so I'd only do this if you regularly upload phone photos to systems that reject HEIC.

The setting that converts for you automatically

This is the one most people never find. Apple says that when you import photos from an iPhone into a Mac's Photos or Image Capture, or into a PC, over a USB cable, the photos might be converted to JPEG automatically. That happens unless you've told your iPhone otherwise: the option that stops it sits in Settings, Apps, Photos, then Keep Originals. If your transfers keep arriving as HEIC, check that setting hasn't been switched to Keep Originals.

Apple also says that if you share a photo by AirDrop, Messages or email to a device that doesn't support HEIF, it might be sent in a more compatible format such as JPEG automatically.

On Windows

Microsoft's support page gives three options when the Photos app says it can't open a HEIC file:

1. Buy the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft lists the HEVC Video Extensions at $0.99, as of October 2026, and says you'll need both even if you only use photos. Restart the Photos app after installing.
2. Let the transfer convert them. Plug your iPhone into the PC and move the files over, or email the photos to yourself. Microsoft says many devices convert HEIC to a more common format during transfer or email.
3. Upload the photos to OneDrive, which Microsoft says can convert HEIC photo files automatically.

If you only need a few photos, the transfer or email route costs nothing. If you handle iPhone photos on a PC every week, the extensions save you the extra step.

You can also turn pictures into moving images, as our guide to making a GIF shows.

In any browser: Adobe Express

1. Open Adobe Express's HEIC to JPG converter.
2. Upload an HEIC image under 40 MB.
3. Download the converted JPG.

Adobe says there's no limit to the number of HEIC files you can convert with the free tool, and it works from your iPhone or a web browser. You can keep editing the JPG in Adobe Express afterwards if it's going into a social post or flyer. If you edit photos on your phone a lot, my roundup of free photo editing apps for iPhone has some good options.

HEIC or JPG: which should you keep?

• Keep HEIC for your own photo library. It uses less storage and keeps the same visual quality.
• Use JPG for uploads, email to people on older devices, websites and print shops.
• Convert copies, not originals, so you always have the best version saved.
• If you manage lots of business photos, a dedicated photo management tool can keep both versions organised.

My verdict

Don't switch your iPhone to Most Compatible just because one website complained. Convert the odd photo with Preview on your Mac or iPhone, or Adobe Express in a browser, and leave HEIC on for everything else. If you're on Windows and do this every week, the Store extensions are the tidy fix. And if your USB imports suddenly start arriving as HEIC, check the Keep Originals setting first.

Once the photos are JPGs, our guide to JPG to PDF shows how to bundle them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac?

Open the photo in Preview or Photos, choose File, then Export, and choose JPEG as the format.

How do I stop my iPhone saving photos as HEIC?

Open Settings, tap Camera, tap Formats, then tap Most Compatible. Apple says new photos will then use JPEG.

Why do my iPhone photos arrive on my PC as JPG?

Apple says photos imported over USB into Photos, Image Capture or a PC might be converted to JPEG, unless you choose Keep Originals in Settings, Apps, Photos.

How do I open HEIC files on Windows?

Microsoft says you can install the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, re-import or email the files, or upload them to OneDrive.

Is Adobe's HEIC to JPG converter free?

Yes. Adobe says there's no limit to the number of HEIC files you can convert with the free tool, for images under 40 MB.