JFDI Blog

Category: Images

  • How to convert HEIC to JPG without uploading your photos

    To convert HEIC photos to JPG without uploading them, open them in a browser-based converter that does the work on your own device. In the JFDI image editor, drop in your HEIC files, set Save as to JPG, and press Download all. It works in any current browser, on Windows, Mac, Chromebook or phone, with no app to install, no account and no limit on how many photos you convert.

    Convert HEIC to JPG

    What HEIC is, and why it’s a problem

    HEIC is the file type iPhones use for photos by default. Apple switched to the HEIF format, which HEIC files use, with iOS 11 in 2017, on the iPhone 7 and later (Apple). It stores photos at roughly half the size of a JPG with the same quality, which is great for your phone’s storage.

    The trouble starts when the photos leave the iPhone. Many websites, upload forms, older Windows computers and photo printers don’t accept HEIC, and some show an error or a blank thumbnail. JPG opens everywhere.

    Step by step

    1. Open the image editor and choose HEIC to JPG on the start page, then drop your photos in. You can add several hundred at once.
    2. Under Save as, choose JPG. (If you leave it on Same as the original, HEIC files become JPG anyway.)
    3. Set the quality. 82, the starting point, is hard to tell from the original. Go lower for smaller files to email.
    4. Check the preview. Drag the line across the picture to compare before and after; zoom to 100% to see real pixels.
    5. Download all (ZIP), or This one for a single photo.

    Safari reads HEIC directly. Chrome, Edge and Firefox use a decoder built into the page, which takes a few seconds for a large photo. Either way, nothing is uploaded.

    Photos come out the right way up

    Phones often save photos sideways, with a note in the file saying which way to turn them. Some converters ignore the note, so portrait photos come out on their side. The image editor turns the picture itself, so it looks right everywhere.

    What happens to the date, camera and location

    iPhone photos carry hidden details: the date and time, the phone model and settings, and usually the exact GPS location where the photo was taken.

    By default, the editor removes all of them (Remove location and camera details is on). That’s the safe choice for photos you’ll post or send to strangers, because the location can reveal where you live. There’s more on this in how to remove location data from photos.

    One thing to know: details can only be kept when a JPG is saved as a JPG. Converted HEIC photos always lose them, including the date taken. If you’re converting photos to keep in a photo library, which sorts by that date, use one of the other methods below.

    Other ways to get JPGs from an iPhone

    • Change the camera setting to save JPGs from now on: Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible. Photos take more space on the phone.
    • Transfer settings: with Settings › Apps › Photos › Transfer to Mac or PC set to Automatic, photos copied over USB are converted to JPG as they go.
    • Share by email or Messages: iPhones may convert to JPG automatically when the other device doesn’t support HEIC.
    • On a Mac, Preview can export a HEIC photo as JPG with File › Export.
    • On Windows, the Photos app opens HEIC once Microsoft’s HEIF and HEVC extensions are installed from the Microsoft Store.

    Is it really private?

    Yes: the conversion happens in your browser tab, and the photos never leave your device. You can check this yourself; our post on which online tools upload your files shows how. Many “free HEIC converter” websites upload every photo to their servers to convert it, which is a lot to hand over for a phone’s worth of family pictures.

    Common questions

    My HEIC photo won’t open

    A few HEIC files, such as some HDR or burst photos, use features the decoder doesn’t support. Open the photo in the iPhone’s Photos app and share or export it as JPG instead.

    Should I use PNG or WebP instead?

    For photos, JPG is the safe choice that opens everywhere. WebP is smaller at the same quality and works in all current browsers, which makes it good for websites. PNG is lossless but makes photos much bigger.

    Can I resize them at the same time?

    Yes. Set a size under Resize (for example Longest side 2,000 pixels) and every photo is resized as it’s converted.

    Related

  • How to compress an image to exactly 100 KB (or any size)

    To compress an image to a specific size such as 100 KB, use a tool that aims for a file size rather than a quality setting. In the JFDI image editor, open the picture, choose Aim for a size under Save as, type 100 KB, and download. The editor tries quality levels until it finds the best one that fits under 100 KB. If even the lowest sensible quality is too big, it makes the picture smaller in pixels until it fits, and tells you.

    Compress an image to a size

    Why forms ask for 100 KB

    Job applications, exam registrations, government portals and membership systems often set a maximum file size for photos and signatures, commonly somewhere between 20 KB and 500 KB. A photo straight from a phone is usually 2 to 5 MB, so it needs to be 20 to 50 times smaller.

    You can get there by trial and error with a quality slider, or let the tool do the search.

    Step by step

    1. Open the image editor and drop in your picture (or several; each one is handled separately).
    2. Crop it first if the form wants a particular shape, such as a square or passport proportions. Click the crop button above the picture, or pick a shape under Crop.
    3. Resize it if the form gives pixel dimensions, under Resize. A smaller picture needs less compression to hit a size, so it looks better. For a 100 KB limit, around 800 to 1,200 pixels on the longest side is usually plenty.
    4. Under Save as, choose JPG and switch to Aim for a size. Type 100 KB (or whatever the form says).
    5. Check the preview. The list on the left shows the new file size. Zoom to 100% to check faces and text are still clear.
    6. Download.

    The editor saves each file as close to the target as it can without going over, so it won’t fail a strict upload check.

    KB or KiB?

    Some forms count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes and others as 1,024. If a form rejects a file that should fit, aim a few kilobytes lower, such as 95 KB for a 100 KB limit.

    Which format?

    FormatUse it when
    JPGPhotos and scans for forms. Accepted everywhere.
    PNGSignatures, logos and screenshots with sharp edges and few colours.
    WebPWebsites. Smaller than JPG at the same quality, but some forms won’t accept it.

    For a PNG, quality can’t be lowered because PNG is lossless. The editor reduces the number of colours instead (256 colours usually looks identical for screenshots and logos), then the pixel size, until the file fits.

    Getting the best quality at a small size

    • Crop away background. Fewer pixels of wall means more detail for the face.
    • Resize before compressing. A 1,000-pixel photo at good quality looks better than a 4,000-pixel photo squeezed hard.
    • Avoid noise. Photos taken in dim light have grain, which compresses badly. Take the photo in good light.
    • Check text at 100% zoom. For scanned documents, make sure small print is still readable.

    What happens to the photo’s hidden details

    Phone photos contain the location where they were taken, the date and the camera model. The editor removes these by default, which also saves a few kilobytes. See how to remove location data from photos.

    Is it private?

    Yes. The photo is compressed in your browser and never uploaded. That matters for ID photos and signatures, which are exactly the images you shouldn’t scatter across free websites.

    Related

  • Remove an image background for free, on your own device

    To remove a background for free without uploading your photo, use a tool that runs the cut-out model on your own device. In the JFDI image editor, open the picture, set Background to Remove, and download a transparent PNG. The AI model runs in your browser, so the photo never leaves your computer, and there are no credits, watermarks or sign-up.

    Remove a background

    How it works

    Background removal uses a machine-learning model trained to find the main subject of a photo, such as a person, pet, product or object, and separate it from everything behind it. The image editor uses a model called IS-Net (from the DIS, “dichotomous image segmentation”, research project), compiled to run inside a web page.

    The first time you use it, the editor downloads the model, about 44 MB, and your browser keeps it for next time. After that:

    • With a graphics card your browser can use (most current computers, and recent iPhones and Android phones), a photo takes a second or two.
    • Without one, it runs on your processor, which takes from a few seconds to about a minute per photo, depending on the device.

    The line under the preview tells you which was used.

    Most free background removers work differently: they upload the photo to a server, run the model there, and send back the result. remove.bg, for example, says it deletes uploads “at the latest about one hour after the upload” (remove.bg). Running the model locally means no upload at all.

    Step by step

    1. Open the image editor and drop in one photo or a whole batch.
    2. Under Background, choose Remove.
    3. Pick the edge style: Soft for hair and fur, Crisp for products and objects. Tighten the edge trims a thin halo if you see one.
    4. Choose what replaces the background: transparent (saved as PNG, or WebP if you prefer) or a solid colour, such as white for marketplace listings.
    5. Touch up if needed with the brush button above the picture: paint with Remove over anything that should go, or Keep over anything that should stay.
    6. Download.

    Where it works well, and where it doesn’t

    Works wellNeeds touching up
    People and portraits against any backgroundBusy scenes where the subject blends in
    Pets, including fur (with Soft edges)Glass, water and see-through objects
    Products on a table or plain backgroundVeils, smoke and fine mesh
    Cars, furniture, foodSeveral people when you only want one

    Plain background? Use One colour instead

    For logos and product shots on a plain white or coloured background, the AI is overkill. Choose Background › One colour instead. The colour is picked automatically from the picture’s edges, and Only where it touches the edges (on by default) keeps the same colour inside the subject, such as the white of an eye or a white label. It’s often more precise than the AI for flat graphics.

    Tips for better cut-outs

    • Start from the largest version of the photo you have. More pixels means finer edges.
    • Light the subject well and keep it in focus; a sharp edge against a blurred background is the easiest case.
    • Save as WebP if the transparent PNG is too large for your website. WebP keeps transparency in a much smaller file.
    • For marketplace photos, replace the background with pure white rather than transparent, since many listing sites require it.

    Common questions

    Is it really free?

    Yes, with no limit on the number of photos and no watermark. Because the model runs on your device, it costs nothing to run.

    Why is it slow?

    Your browser is using your processor rather than your graphics card. It still works; leave the tab open and it will get through the batch. Chrome, Edge and Safari 26 or later use the graphics card on most devices.

    Can I use the results commercially?

    Yes. The pictures are yours.

    Related

  • How to remove location data from photos before posting

    Phone photos usually contain the GPS coordinates of where they were taken, stored as hidden EXIF data inside the file. To remove it, re-save the photo with a tool that strips that data: in the JFDI image editor, open the photos and download them, because Remove location and camera details is on by default. On an iPhone, you can also turn location off for one share using Options at the top of the share sheet.

    Remove location from photos

    What’s hidden in a photo

    Besides the picture itself, a typical phone photo file holds:

    • Location: latitude and longitude, often accurate to a few metres, plus altitude and the direction the camera faced.
    • Date and time, to the second.
    • Camera details: phone model, lens and settings.
    • A small preview image, generated when the photo was taken. If you crop the photo in some apps, this preview can still show the uncropped original.

    A photo taken at home and posted to a forum or sent as a file can tell a stranger your address.

    How to check whether a photo has a location

    • In the image editor, open the photo: the line under the preview says if it contains a location.
    • On Windows: right-click the file › Properties › Details, and look for a GPS section.
    • On a Mac: open it in Preview, choose Tools › Show Inspector, and look for a GPS tab.
    • On an iPhone: open the photo in Photos and swipe up. A map means it has a location.

    Remove it from one photo or hundreds

    1. Open the image editor and drop in your photos.
    2. Check that Remove location and camera details is ticked (it is by default), under Names and details. There’s also a Remove location button on the start page that sets this up for you.
    3. Leave the other settings as they are if you only want to strip the data, or resize and compress at the same time.
    4. Download all (ZIP).

    The location, date, camera details and the hidden preview image are all removed. Nothing is uploaded: the photos are processed in your browser, which is rather the point when the thing you’re hiding is where you live.

    If you’ve changed nothing else and re-saving a photo would make it bigger, the editor keeps the original image data and just removes the hidden details.

    Removing it as you share

    • iPhone: in the share sheet, tap Options at the top and switch Location off. This applies to that share only.
    • Android: Google Photos has a setting to remove location from photos you share by link, under its sharing settings. Other gallery apps vary.
    • Stop recording it: on an iPhone, Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Camera › Never. On Android, turn off location tags in the camera app’s settings. You’ll lose the map view of your own photos, which some people like.

    Do social networks remove it?

    The biggest social networks generally strip location data from the copy of a photo that other people see. But plenty of routes keep it intact:

    • email attachments
    • files sent as documents in chat apps, rather than as photos
    • links to cloud storage folders
    • forums, marketplaces and smaller sites that store the original file

    Don’t rely on the platform: strip it yourself before sharing anything sensitive, such as photos of your home, your children’s school or a car with its number plate.

    Videos too

    Phone videos record a location as well. The JFDI file converter removes it by default when converting a video (untick Remove the location under More options to keep it), while keeping the recording date so the video stays in the right place in your library. See how to convert MOV to MP4.

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