What to check when HEIC photos
won’t open on a PC

What are HEIC and HEIF?

HEIF is an image format family, and HEIC is a common file extension for HEIF images. Photos captured with an iPhone’s High Efficiency setting are often saved as HEIC to use storage efficiently. Some older Windows programs and websites cannot open HEIC files directly.

Check whether the filename ends in .heic or .heif. If extensions are hidden, enable filename extensions in File Explorer’s View settings. Do not delete the original or simply rename it to .jpg: changing the extension does not change the image data.

Should you choose JPG or PNG?

JPG for sharing and everyday photos

JPG works across most computers, phones, documents, and websites. It is convenient for sharing photos, and lowering the quality setting can reduce the file size. Repeatedly saving a JPG may reduce image quality, so keep the original.

PNG when you need lossless encoding

PNG avoids the lossy compression used by JPG and is useful for screenshots and graphics. Photo files may be larger than JPG. This converter does not create a transparent background. For ordinary photos that need to open easily on a PC, JPG is usually a practical choice.

The converter accepts HEIC, HEIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, and WebP photos. It saves converted photos as JPG or PNG.

The converter creates a separate file and does not overwrite the original. EXIF details such as capture date and location may not be preserved. Keep the source file if those details matter.

Use more compatible formats for future iPhone photos

1. On iPhone, open Settings → Camera → Formats.
2. Select Most Compatible. New photos and videos may then use formats such as JPG and MOV that work with more devices.
3. This setting generally affects new captures. It does not automatically convert HEIC photos you already took; convert those separately or open them with a compatible app.

Menu labels can vary by iOS version. See Apple’s HEIF photo guidance for more information.

Convert HEIC to JPG

1. Move the iPhone photo to your computer using a cable, iCloud, or your preferred transfer method. If downloading from iCloud, make sure the original file has finished downloading.
2. Open the photo converter and choose HEIC or HEIF files. You can select up to five photos at a time.
3. Choose JPG for everyday photos. Adjust quality or the longest image side if needed.
4. Start conversion, then select Save for each result to download photos individually.

Photos and videos are processed in your browser and are not sent to the site’s server for conversion. Keep the browser tab open until selection and conversion finish.

When conversion or saving does not work