Your iPhone takes photos in HEIC format by default — and then you try to upload one to a website, send it to a colleague, or open it in Windows, and it doesn't work. HEIC is an excellent format for storage on your phone, but its compatibility with the rest of the world is still limited enough to be a genuine friction point.
What is HEIC?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is a container format based on the HEIF standard, which uses HEVC (H.265) compression. Apple adopted it as the default photo format starting with iOS 11 in 2017.
The advantages are real: - About half the file size of JPEG at equivalent visual quality - 12-bit color depth vs JPEG's 8-bit — more color information captured - Non-destructive edits stored in the same file — when you adjust brightness or crop in the Photos app, the original is preserved alongside the edit - Live Photos and depth data (Portrait mode) can be stored alongside the still image
For iPhone storage, HEIC is clearly better than JPG. The problem is compatibility.
Why HEIC doesn't work everywhere
HEIC uses HEVC compression, which requires a license. Many platforms and applications haven't implemented support because of the licensing cost or development effort. As of 2026:
HEIC is not supported natively by: - Most Windows applications (without Apple device codec install) - Google Docs and Slides - Many image editing tools (older versions of Photoshop, GIMP, etc.) - Most social media upload forms (though display is usually fine post-upload) - Most website image uploaders - Many email clients on Windows
HEIC is supported by: - macOS (full native support) - iOS/iPadOS (obviously) - Google Photos (converts on upload) - Recent versions of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom - Windows 11 with HEIF Image Extensions installed (from Microsoft Store)
The pattern: Apple ecosystem = fine, everything else = probably fine for viewing, often broken for editing or uploading.
How to convert HEIC to JPG
Option 1: On iPhone — change the camera format
The most permanent fix is to stop shooting in HEIC in the first place.
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and switch from "High Efficiency" to "Most Compatible." Your iPhone will now take photos in JPG natively. You'll use slightly more storage (roughly 2× per photo), but everything will be universally compatible.
If you already have a library of HEIC photos, you still need to convert the existing ones.
Option 2: Share directly from iPhone as JPG
When you share a HEIC photo from your iPhone via AirDrop to a Mac or iOS device, it stays as HEIC. But when you share it to a non-Apple platform (via Messages, Mail, or a third-party app), iOS automatically converts it to JPG on the way out in many cases.
To force JPG export: open the photo, tap Share, then scroll down and tap "Save to Files" — this triggers a JPG conversion. Or share to Mail and attach it, which converts to JPG automatically.
This works for one or a few photos. For bulk conversion, you need a different approach.
Option 3: Convert on a Mac
On macOS, HEIC is natively supported. Open the HEIC file in Preview, then go to File → Export and choose JPG from the format dropdown. For multiple files, select them all in Preview and export to a folder.
Option 4: Use Converthor
For HEIC files already on your computer — especially on Windows where native support is unreliable — Converthor's HEIC to JPG converter handles the conversion server-side. Drop the file in, get a JPG back. No software installation, no account, files deleted after processing.
This is the simplest option if you're on Windows or need to convert files you've transferred off your phone.
Will I lose quality converting HEIC to JPG?
Yes, but in most cases it's imperceptible. JPG is a lossy format and some detail is discarded on export. At high quality settings (90%+), the difference between a HEIC original and a JPG export is not visible in normal viewing. You'd need to zoom to 200% and pixel-peep to see any difference on a typical photo.
What you do lose that can't be recovered: - 12-bit color depth is downsampled to 8-bit - Non-destructive edit history — edits baked into the exported file, original inaccessible - Live Photo data and depth maps — stripped from the converted file
If you're archiving your original iPhone photos long-term, keep the HEIC files as the master copy and convert to JPG only for sharing or compatibility purposes.
Batch conversion
If you have a folder of HEIC files to convert all at once:
- Mac: select all in Finder, right-click → "Quick Actions" → "Convert Image" (macOS Monterey and later)
- Windows: install the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store (free), which adds HEIC support to Windows Photo viewer and some apps
- Online: most converters handle single files; for large batches a desktop tool like XnConvert (free) is more practical
The short answer
For occasional one-off sharing, use the iPhone's built-in share conversion. For consistent compatibility with everything, switch your camera to JPG format in Settings. For existing HEIC files on a computer, convert with Converthor or Preview on Mac.
The only reason to keep HEIC instead of converting is if you value the original quality and edit history for archival purposes — in that case, keep HEIC as master, export JPG as needed.