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What is a HEIC file, and how do you open one?

Last updated 31 October 2026

Open HEIC to JPG

HEIC is the format iPhones use for photos by default. It keeps a good picture in a smaller file than JPG, which saves room on your phone. The trouble starts when the photo leaves the iPhone: some Windows computers, websites and upload forms can’t open it or won’t accept it.

The quick fix: turn it into a JPG

JPG opens nearly everywhere, so it’s the safest format for sending a photo to someone else.

  1. Open HEIC to JPG on your phone or computer.
  2. Add your photos. You can add several at once.
  3. Press the convert button.
  4. Download each photo, or all of them together.

The photos are converted on your device, so they aren’t uploaded anywhere.

Opening HEIC on a Windows PC

Windows can show HEIC photos, but it may need Microsoft’s HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Without it, the Photos app can show an error instead of the picture. If you only have a few photos, converting them is usually quicker than setting that up, and it also solves the problem for whoever you send them to.

Stop your iPhone making HEIC photos

You can choose either of these. Neither changes the photos already on your phone.

  • Take JPGs from now on: open Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. Photos will take more space on your phone.
  • Keep HEIC on the phone, but copy JPGs to your computer: open Settings, then Photos, and under Transfer to Mac or PC choose Automatic. This applies when you copy photos with a cable.

JPG or PNG?

Choose JPG for sharing, email, websites and forms with a size limit. ChoosePNG only if you plan to edit the photo and want every pixel kept exactly, and don’t mind a file several times larger.

What you lose when converting

  • Live Photos: you get the still photo. The short video is a separate file and isn’t included.
  • Portrait photos: you get the main image, without the separate depth information.
  • HDR photos: you get the standard version of the photo.

The JPG is too big for a form

Phone photos can be several megabytes even as JPGs. Image Compressor can bring a photo down to a limit such as 500 KB. The guide on reducing an image’s file sizeexplains how.

Open HEIC to JPG

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