How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows

The quickest way to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows without installing anything is a browser converter. Open the free HEIC to JPG tool in Edge or Chrome, drag your iPhone photos in from File Explorer, and click Convert to JPG. If you'd rather use Windows' own apps, you'll first need Microsoft's HEIF Image Extensions, and often the HEVC Video Extensions too. Both are covered below.

Option 1: Convert in your browser (no installs)

1. Open HEIC to JPG in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox.
2. Drag .heic or .heif files from File Explorer onto Drop HEIC / HEIF photos, or click to browse. Each file can be up to 25 MB.
3. Set JPEG quality (50-100%, default 85%).
4. Click Convert to JPG. The status shows "Decoding HEIC locally…".
5. Click Download JPG, or Download ZIP for several photos (heic-converted.zip). In File Explorer, right-click the ZIP and choose Extract All.

IMG_5512.HEIC becomes IMG_5512.jpg with the same pixel dimensions. This route works on locked-down work PCs where you can't install Store apps, and it doesn't need the HEVC extension.

Option 2: Windows Photos with the HEIF extensions

Windows can read HEIC once the right codecs are installed:

1. Install HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. It's free and may already be on Windows 11.
2. If photos still won't open, install HEVC Video Extensions. iPhone HEIC images are compressed with HEVC, and Microsoft charges a small fee for this codec.
3. Open the photo in the Photos app.
4. Use the … (See more) menu and choose Save as, then pick .jpg as the file type. Menu names vary between Photos versions.

Paint also works once the codecs are installed: open the HEIC, choose File > Save as > JPEG picture. Both apps convert one photo at a time, so for dozens of files the browser tool is faster.

Why HEIC files won't open on Windows

• Missing HEIF extension. Without it, Windows doesn't recognize the format at all, and the Photos app may show an error or offer to download the codec.
• Missing HEVC codec. With only the HEIF extension, you may get a blank image, an error, or a prompt to buy HEVC Video Extensions.
• No thumbnails in File Explorer. Explorer generates HEIC previews only when the codecs are installed. After installing them, thumbnails may take a moment to appear, or need a restart of Explorer.
• Older apps. Some photo editors, upload forms, and office software don't support HEIC even when Windows does. These need a JPG regardless.
• Files from iCloud or email. A file may have been renamed .heic without really being one, or only partly downloaded. Download it again before converting.

Worked example: attaching iPhone photos to a form

An insurance form accepts JPG only, with a 2 MB limit per file. You have three 4032×3024 HEIC photos copied from your iPhone.

1. Convert all three with HEIC to JPG at 85% and download the ZIP.
2. Extract it and drop the JPGs into the Image Compressor. Keep Quality: 80% and the default Max width (px) of 2048. Each photo is scaled to 2048×1536 (3024 × 2048 ÷ 4032 = 1536).
3. Check the per-file sizes in the result list. If any are still over 2 MB, lower the max width to 1600 and run them again from the full-size JPGs.

Our guide on compressing images without losing quality explains which settings to change first.

Stop HEIC at the source

On the iPhone:

• Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible saves new photos as JPG. It uses more storage and doesn't affect existing photos.
• Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC > Automatic converts photos to JPG when you import them to Windows over a USB cable.

Apple's page on using HEIF or HEVC media explains these options in more detail.

Troubleshooting

The browser tab is slow or freezes. HEIC decoding runs on your PC's processor and uses a lot of memory. Low-memory laptops can take several seconds per photo. Convert in batches of 10-20 and close other heavy tabs.

"Conversion failed." The file may be corrupt, incomplete, or not actually HEIC. Copy it from the iPhone again. If it opens in Photos once the codecs are installed, use Save as there instead.

The file wasn't added. It's over 25 MB or lacks a .heic or .heif extension. Windows sometimes hides extensions, so turn on View > Show > File name extensions in File Explorer to check.

I need WebP or PNG instead of JPG. Convert to JPG first, then use the Image Converter to switch formats.

Using a Mac too?

macOS has built-in conversion through Finder, Preview, and Photos, with no codecs to install. See how to convert HEIC to JPG on Mac.

Privacy

Toolstik converts HEIC with the heic2any library running in your browser. Photos stay on your PC and aren't uploaded to Toolstik servers. For the rest of the image toolkit, see the best free image tools.