JFDI Blog

Tag: JPG

  • 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.

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