How to convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone and Android

Contents7 sections

1. Why are my iPhone photos HEIC instead of JPG?
2. How do I make my iPhone take JPG photos instead?
3. How do I convert HEIC photos I already have on iPhone?
4. How do I convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac or Windows PC?
5. What about Android phones?
6. Should I convert everything to JPG?
7. Questions people ask

To get JPGs from now on, set Settings > Camera > Formats to Most Compatible. That only changes new photos, so photos you've already taken stay HEIC. To convert those, export them from the Preview app (iOS 26 or later) or Preview on a Mac, or batch-convert them on the phone with a converter such as Siftlo.

Why are my iPhone photos HEIC instead of JPG?

When the camera is set to High Efficiency, your iPhone saves photos as HEIF files, which end in .heic. Apple’s reason is storage: HEIF compresses better than JPEG, so the same photo takes up less space while looking the same.

The catch is compatibility. Apple’s devices open HEIC without a second thought, but plenty of websites, older computers and work systems still expect a JPG. That’s usually when you notice: an upload form rejects the file, or a colleague on Windows can’t open it.

You have two separate jobs. One is to stop new photos being HEIC. The other is to convert the ones you already have.

How do I make my iPhone take JPG photos instead?

1. Open Settings, then Camera, then Formats.
2. Choose Most Compatible.

From then on, new photos are saved as JPEG and new videos as H.264. Apple is clear that this applies to new photos and videos only, so your existing library doesn’t change.

It costs space. Every new photo is bigger than it would have been as HEIC, so on a phone that’s already short of storage, keep High Efficiency and convert only the photos you need to send.

How do I convert HEIC photos I already have on iPhone?

There’s no single convert button in the Photos app, but there are three routes, depending on how many photos you have.

Let sharing do it. When you send a photo by AirDrop, Messages or email to a device that can’t open HEIC, Apple says the photo may be sent in a more compatible format such as JPEG. “May” is doing some work there: it depends on the receiving device, so check the file that arrives.

Use the Preview app (iOS 26 and later). Open the photo in Preview, tap More (the three dots) next to the file name, tap Export and choose JPEG. Apple’s Preview also exports to PNG, TIFF and PDF. It works one file at a time, so it suits a handful of photos, not an album. The same Export screen has a Size slider, which is the built-in way to make a photo smaller on iPhone.

Batch-convert with an app. For a holiday album or a whole year of photos, a converter app saves the tapping. Siftlo’s Convert tool works through a batch on the phone itself, so nothing is uploaded, and you choose whether to keep the converted copies alongside the originals or replace them. The first 100 photos a month are free, and Plus removes the limit. It’s one of the tools that come with Siftlo.

How do I convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac or Windows PC?

Where	How	Cost
Mac, a few photos	Open in Preview, then File > Export, choose JPEG	Free
Mac, many photos	In Photos, select them, File > Export > Export Photos, set Photo Kind to JPEG	Free
Windows	Install HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store so Windows can open HEIC files	Free (HEVC Video Extensions are a small charge)
Copying from iPhone to a computer	Settings > Apps > Photos, then under Transfer to Mac or PC, leave Keep Originals off	Free

That last row is easy to miss. With Keep Originals off, Apple says photos copied to a Mac or PC may be converted to JPEG on the way. On iOS 17 and earlier the setting is under Settings > Photos.

What about Android phones?

Android has been able to open HEIC files since Android 8.0, so photos you receive from an iPhone should display normally in your gallery.

Some Android phones can shoot HEIF too. On Samsung phones it’s Camera > Settings > Advanced picture options > High efficiency pictures. Turn it off if you’d rather have JPGs from the start. As on iPhone, that only affects new photos.

To convert HEIC files you already have on Android, a converter app is the reliable route. Siftlo works the same way on Android as on iPhone, with the same free monthly allowance.

Should I convert everything to JPG?

Usually not. HEIC exists to save space, and converting a whole library makes it bigger. If your phone is already running low, our guide to freeing up space on an iPhone without deleting photos you love is the better place to start.

Convert what you need to send, upload or open somewhere that won’t take HEIC, and leave the rest as it is. If you do convert in bulk, keep the originals until you’ve checked the JPGs open where you need them.

Questions people ask

Does converting HEIC to JPG reduce quality?

JPG compresses images in a way that throws away some detail, and Apple's own export tools let you choose the quality. At a high setting the difference is hard to see, but the JPG is usually a bigger file than the HEIC it came from.

Will switching to Most Compatible convert my old photos?

No. Apple's setting only applies to new photos and videos. Everything you've already taken stays in HEIC until you convert it.

Can Windows open HEIC files?

Yes, with Microsoft's HEIF Image Extensions, which are free from the Microsoft Store. Photos taken with HEVC video compression also need the HEVC Video Extensions, which Microsoft lists at a small charge.