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.
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
- 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.
- Under Save as, choose JPG. (If you leave it on Same as the original, HEIC files become JPG anyway.)
- Set the quality. 82, the starting point, is hard to tell from the original. Go lower for smaller files to email.
- Check the preview. Drag the line across the picture to compare before and after; zoom to 100% to see real pixels.
- 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.