You sent iPhone photos to your computer and they won’t open, or an online form says the file type isn’t supported. Usually the reason is that the photos are saved as HEIC. This guide explains why HEIC files don’t open everywhere, how to convert them to JPG on Windows, Mac and iPhone, and how to make your iPhone save new photos as JPG.
Use HEIC to JPGFree, no sign-up. Your files stay on your device.
HEIC (HEIF) is the image format iPhones use for photos. It keeps the same quality as JPG in a smaller file, but not everything supports it.
In every case, converting the photo to JPG makes it open and upload almost anywhere.
Many online HEIC converters exist, but most upload your photos to a server. For photos of ID cards or documents, choose a method that doesn’t upload them.
| Method | Devices | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install Windows extensions | Windows 10 and 11 | Free to paid (depends on the extension) | Viewing HEIC on Windows from now on |
| iPhone “Most Compatible” setting | iPhone | Free | Saving new photos as JPG |
| iPhone “Transfer to Mac or PC: Automatic” | iPhone to PC (cable) | Free | Importing photos over a cable |
| Mac Preview or Quick Actions | Mac | Free | Converting photos on a Mac |
| This site’s HEIC to JPG | Any device (browser) | Free | Converting existing photos right away, many at once |
On Windows 10 and 11, installing “HEIF Image Extensions” from the Microsoft Store lets the Photos app show HEIC files. Some photos also need “HEVC Video Extensions”, which may be paid.
Even with the extensions, websites and other software may still not accept HEIC. For uploading to a form, converting to JPG is the reliable fix.
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose “Most Compatible”. New photos are saved as JPG; existing photos don’t change. Choose “High Efficiency” to go back to HEIC.
If you import photos to a Windows PC with a cable, set Settings → Photos → “Transfer to Mac or PC” to “Automatic”, and they’re converted to JPG as they’re imported.
Open the HEIC photo in Preview, choose File → Export and set the format to JPEG. To convert several at once, select them in Finder, right-click and choose Quick Actions → Convert Image.
This site’s HEIC to JPG converts HEIC photos on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android with no software or app to install. Your photos aren’t uploaded; they’re converted on your device.
Japanese job sites, school portals and government services such as online residence and My Number applications usually accept only JPG or PNG, often with a size limit like “under 200KB”. Convert the HEIC photo to JPG first, then shrink it with Compress Images if needed. Several document photos can be combined into one PDF with JPG & PNG to PDF, and ID photos can be cropped to Japanese sizes with ID Photo Maker.
A. Both are photo formats. HEIC makes smaller files at the same quality but doesn’t open everywhere; JPG works on almost every computer, phone and website.
A. Sometimes, with “HEIF Image Extensions” from the Microsoft Store. Some photos also need the paid “HEVC Video Extensions”. You can also convert to JPG in your browser without installing anything.
A. Yes. Choose Settings → Camera → Formats → “Most Compatible” and new photos are saved as JPG.
A. JPG loses a little quality when saved, but at a high quality setting the difference is hard to see.
A. Yes. HEIC to JPG converts several photos together and downloads them as a ZIP. On a Mac, Finder’s Quick Actions can also convert several at once.
A. With this site’s HEIC to JPG, photos aren’t sent to a server; they’re converted on your device only.