How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows & Mac (Batch, Offline)

Updated September 2026 · Covers iPhone HEIC photos on Windows and Mac, one photo or a whole folder

Your iPhone saved your photos as HEIC, and now Windows won't open them, an upload form rejects them, or a colleague can't view them. This guide shows how to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows and Mac: a desktop app that converts a whole folder at once without uploading anything, the free tools already built into Windows, macOS and the iPhone, and when an online converter is fine.

Convert iPhone HEIC photos to JPG Four iPhone HEIC photos are converted by Multi PDF Converter into four JPG photos with the same names. HEIC PHOTOS HEIC IMG_2041.heic iPhone photo HEIC IMG_2042.heic iPhone photo HEIC IMG_2043.heic iPhone photo HEIC IMG_2044.heic iPhone photo MULTI PDF CONVERTER JPG PHOTOS IMG_2041 .jpg IMG_2042 .jpg IMG_2043 .jpg IMG_2044 .jpg
HEIC photos in, JPG photos out, one for each photo, in a single run.

Convert HEIC to JPG: overview

What a HEIC file is. Since iOS 11 in 2017, iPhones and iPads have saved photos as HEIC by default. HEIC is Apple's name for photos in the HEIF format, which takes less space than a JPG of similar quality. That's good for your phone's storage and less good everywhere else.

Why HEIC photos cause trouble. Windows can't open HEIC photos until two add-ons from the Microsoft Store are installed. Plenty of older apps can't read them at all, and many websites and upload forms (job applications, print shops, government portals) accept only JPG, PNG or PDF. JPG is the format that opens everywhere, which is why "HEIC to JPG" is the conversion most people need.

Your options, in short:

If you're not sure between JPG and PNG: pick JPG for photos you want to share, email or upload. Pick PNG only if you'll edit the photo again and want no quality loss at all (see HEIC to PNG, WebP or PDF).

Method 1: Multi PDF Converter (many photos, Windows & Mac)

Multi PDF Converter is a desktop app for Windows and Mac that converts HEIC photos to JPG, PNG, WebP or PDF on your own computer. It reads HEIC photos itself, so on Windows you don't need Microsoft's add-ons. It's the right pick when you have more than a handful of photos, a whole folder from your phone, or pictures you'd rather not upload to a website.

5-step process: convert HEIC to JPG Five steps: download, pick JPG, add photos or a folder, convert into a folder you choose, open the JPGs. 1 Download free trial 2 Pick JPG Convert to … 3 Add photos or a whole folder 4 Convert choose a folder 5 Done Converted Files
A folder of photos takes about as long as a single one to set up.
Pros
  • Converts whole folders, subfolders included
  • No Microsoft add-ons needed on Windows
  • Photos come out the right way up
  • Files never leave your computer
  • The same app makes PNG, WebP and PDF, and turns PDFs into images
  • Windows 10 and 11, and Macs with Apple silicon or Intel
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
  • Requires download and install
  • A paid subscription after the free trial
  • No quality slider: every JPG is written at one high quality setting
  • Location, capture date and other hidden photo details aren't copied to the JPGs

Step 1: Download Multi PDF Converter

It runs on your computer, not in a browser. Download the free trial for Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) or macOS 13 or later, and try it on your own photos before you buy.

Step 2: Choose JPG as the output

The top of the window reads Convert to JPG · PNG · WebP · PDF. Click JPG; it's selected by default the first time you open the app, and the app remembers your choice.

Multi PDF Converter's start page, with Convert to JPG, PNG, WebP or PDF at the top and a drop zone for files or folders
The start page: pick the format you want, then drop in your files.

Step 3: Add your HEIC photos

Drag the photos, or the whole folder they're in, onto Drop files or folders here. Subfolders are included, so a folder of photos copied off your phone goes in with one drop. You can also click Click here to choose files, or Add Files once some are listed. Mixed folders are fine: photos that are already JPGs are greyed out and skipped.

Multi PDF Converter with iPhone HEIC photos listed and JPG chosen as the output
iPhone HEIC photos added and JPG chosen, ready to convert.

Step 4: Click Convert to JPG and choose a folder

The button follows your choice, so it reads Convert to JPG. Pick where the photos should go. Multi PDF Converter creates a Converted Files folder there and writes one JPG for each photo, with the same name. If two photos would end up with the same name, the second gets " (2)" added.

Step 5: Open your JPGs

When the run finishes, a dialog tells you how many photos were converted. The JPGs come out the right way up, as they looked on your phone, and your original HEIC photos are left exactly as they were.

The dialog Multi PDF Converter shows when a conversion has finished
The finished dialog after a run.

What the JPGs keep, and what they don't. Each JPG has the photo's full picture, turned the right way up. It doesn't carry the photo's hidden details: location, capture date, camera settings and colour profile aren't copied. That's useful before you share photos, since the location isn't in the file. It also means photo apps may sort the JPGs by when the files were made rather than when the photos were taken.

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Method 2: Windows Paint and Photos (free, one photo at a time)

Windows can open and save HEIC photos once two add-ons from the Microsoft Store are installed: HEIF Image Extensions (free, and already on many PCs) and HEVC Video Extensions (a small paid add-on, unless your PC came with the free "from Device Manufacturer" version). With both in place:

  1. Open the HEIC photo in Paint.
  2. Choose File > Save as > JPEG picture.
  3. Name the file and click Save.

The Photos app can show HEIC photos too once the add-ons are installed, but Paint is the quickest way to save one as a JPG.

Pros
  • Built into Windows 10 and 11
  • Nothing uploaded
  • Fine for the odd photo
Cons
  • One photo at a time
  • Needs two add-ons, and one of them may be paid
  • Windows only

Method 3: Mac Finder, Preview and Photos (free)

Macs open HEIC photos out of the box, and there are three free ways to make JPGs:

  • Finder's Convert Image action (macOS 12 Monterey or later): select the photos in a Finder window, Control-click them, choose Quick Actions > Convert Image, pick JPEG and a size, and click Convert to JPEG. The JPGs appear next to the originals. This handles many selected photos at once.
  • Preview: open the photo, choose File > Export, set Format to JPEG, and save.
  • Photos: select the pictures in your library, choose File > Export > Export Photos, set Photo Kind to JPEG, and export.
Pros
  • Built into every recent Mac
  • Free, nothing uploaded
  • Convert Image does several photos in one go
Cons
  • Mac only
  • Convert Image works on the photos you select in one Finder window, not on folders inside folders
  • Preview converts one photo at a time

Method 4: Stop HEIC at the source (iPhone settings)

If you'd rather not deal with HEIC at all, change two settings on the iPhone:

  • Shoot JPG: open Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG.
  • Convert when copying: set Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic. Photos copied to a computer with a cable arrive as JPGs.
Pros
  • Free, and nothing to convert later
  • Works for every new photo
Cons
  • Photos you already took stay HEIC
  • JPG photos take more space on the phone
  • No help with HEIC photos other people send you

Method 5: Online converters and free desktop apps

Online HEIC converters let you drop a photo into a web page and download a JPG. That's fine for a few photos you don't mind uploading. Keep in mind that photos often carry the location where they were taken, and every photo you convert goes to someone else's server. Free versions usually limit file size or how many photos you can convert.

Two free options that don't upload anything:

  • iMazing HEIC Converter is a free desktop app for Mac and Windows that converts HEIC photos to JPG or PNG by drag and drop. If HEIC photos are all you ever convert, it's a reasonable free choice.
  • Our free Squeeze tool converts a few HEIC photos to JPEG right in your browser. The photos are processed on your computer and never uploaded.
Pros
  • Nothing to buy
  • Online tools work on any device, including Chromebooks
Cons
  • Online tools upload your photos, location and all
  • Free tiers limit size or numbers
  • The free apps convert HEIC only, not PDFs or WebP

Methods compared at a glance

Method Many photos at once Files stay on your computer Windows Mac Makes Cost
Multi PDF ConverterYes, whole foldersYesYesYesJPG, PNG, WebP, PDFSubscription, free trial
Windows PaintOne at a timeYesYesNoJPG, PNG and moreFree; one add-on may be paid
Mac Finder Convert ImageYes, selected photosYesNoYesJPEG, PNG, HEIFFree
Mac PreviewOne at a timeYesNoYesJPEG, PNG and moreFree
iMazing HEIC ConverterYesYesYesYesJPG, PNGFree
Essex Squeeze (browser)A few at a timeYes, no uploadYesYesJPEG, WebP, AVIF, PNGFree
Online convertersCappedNo, uploadedYesYesVariesFree tier limited

HEIC to PNG, WebP or PDF instead?

JPG is the right answer most of the time, but not always:

In Multi PDF Converter they're all the same few clicks: pick the format at the top of the window, add the photos, and convert.

FAQ: common HEIC to JPG questions

JPG is a lossy format, so a little detail is always traded for a smaller file. Multi PDF Converter writes its JPGs at a high quality setting, so on screen and in print the difference from the original photo is hard to see. If you want no loss at all, choose PNG instead; the files will be much larger.

Windows needs two add-ons from the Microsoft Store to read HEIC photos: HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions. Many PCs don't have both. Multi PDF Converter reads HEIC photos itself, so you can convert them to JPG without installing either one.

Yes. Drop the folder onto Multi PDF Converter and every photo inside it, subfolders included, is added to the list. Choose JPG and click Convert to JPG. The JPGs are written to a Converted Files folder inside the folder you pick.

Yes. A photo file often stores the picture sideways, with a note saying which way to turn it. Multi PDF Converter applies that turn, so each JPG looks the way the photo did on your phone.

With Multi PDF Converter, yes. The JPGs don't carry the photo's hidden details: no location, no capture date, no camera settings and no colour profile. That is handy before you share photos, but photo apps may sort the JPGs by the date the files were made rather than when the photos were taken. If you need to keep those details, use a converter that copies them, such as the Convert Image action in the Mac Finder with Preserve Metadata turned on.

HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is the image format. HEIC is the file extension Apple uses for HEIF photos. Multi PDF Converter opens both .heic and .heif files.

On the iPhone, open Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG; photos you already took stay HEIC. To have the iPhone convert photos when you copy them to a computer with a cable, set Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic.

A Live Photo is a still photo plus a short video, and on a computer the video is a separate .MOV file. Multi PDF Converter converts the still photo to JPG and leaves the video alone. For burst shots and other HEIC files that hold several images, it converts the main image.

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