The quickest way to change HEIC to JPG on your iPhone

Your iPhone saves photos in HEIC format by default — a newer format that takes up less storage space. But HEIC files don't open on older computers, Android phones, or many websites. The fastest fix is to change your iPhone's camera settings so it saves new photos as JPG instead. This takes 30 seconds and solves the problem going forward.

If you already have HEIC photos you need to convert, you have three options: use the built-in Photos app, use a free online converter, or use a third-party app. The Photos app method works on any iPhone and doesn't require downloading anything new.

Key Takeaways

  • Change your camera settings to save photos as JPG by going to Settings > Camera > Formats and selecting Most Compatible.
  • To convert photos you already have, open them in the Photos app, tap Edit, tap the three dots, and choose Export as JPG.
  • Online converters like CloudConvert or Zamzar let you upload HEIC files and download them as JPG without installing an app.
  • Converting one photo at a time in the Photos app works for a handful of images, but batch converters are faster if you have dozens.
  • JPG files are larger than HEIC but open on any device, while HEIC saves space but only works on newer Apple products and some Android phones.

Change your camera to save photos as JPG going forward

This is the permanent solution. Once you change this setting, every new photo your iPhone takes will be JPG instead of HEIC.

Open Settings on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Camera. Tap Formats. You'll see two options: "High Efficiency" (which is HEIC) and "Most Compatible" (which is JPG). Tap Most Compatible. That's it — your camera now saves as JPG.

The trade-off is that JPG files take up more storage space than HEIC. If you have limited storage on your iPhone, you may want to keep HEIC and only convert the photos you actually need to share.

Convert photos you already have using the Photos app

This method works for any photo on your iPhone, whether it's HEIC or any other format. You don't need to download anything.

Open the Photos app and find the photo you want to convert. Tap it to open it full-screen. Tap Edit in the top right corner. Now tap the three dots (the menu icon) in the top right. Scroll down and tap Export. A menu will pop up asking what format you want. Tap JPG. The converted photo will save to your Photos library as a new file — your original HEIC stays unchanged.

This method works one photo at a time, so it's practical if you have a handful of photos to convert. If you have 50 or 100 photos, this gets tedious quickly.

Use an online converter for multiple photos at once

If you have many HEIC photos to convert, an online converter is faster than doing them one at a time in the Photos app. You upload your files, and the website converts them and lets you download the JPG versions.

CloudConvert (cloudconvert.com) and Zamzar (zamzar.com) both handle HEIC files. Open the website on your iPhone, tap the upload button, select the photos from your Photos library, choose JPG as the output format, and tap Convert. You'll get a download link for each converted file. Download them to your iPhone or email them to yourself.

The main limitation is that you're uploading your photos to someone else's server. If privacy is a concern, stick with the Photos app method instead. Also, some online converters have file size limits or limit how many files you can convert at once, so check the website's rules before you start.

Use a third-party app if you convert photos regularly

If you convert photos to JPG often, a dedicated app might be worth the download. Apps like Image Converter or Convertible let you batch-convert multiple photos at once without uploading them to the internet.

Search the App Store for "HEIC converter" or "image converter" and read the reviews before downloading. Most free versions let you convert a few photos, and paid versions unlock batch conversion. Since the Photos app method is free and works fine for occasional conversions, only download an app if you're doing this regularly.

Why your iPhone uses HEIC in the first place

Apple switched to HEIC because it compresses photos more efficiently than JPG. A HEIC photo takes up roughly 50 percent less storage space than the same photo saved as JPG, which matters when you're storing thousands of photos on a phone with limited space.

The problem is that HEIC is newer and not universally supported. Older Windows computers, many Android phones, and older websites can't open HEIC files. That's why you need to convert to JPG when you want to share photos with people who might not be able to open them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will converting HEIC to JPG make my photos look worse?

No. JPG is a lossy format, meaning it compresses photos by removing some data, but the loss is usually invisible to the human eye. You won't see a quality difference between a HEIC photo and its JPG version unless you zoom in very close or compare them side by side on a large screen.

Can I convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac instead of my iPhone?

Yes. On a Mac, right-click the HEIC file, select Open With, choose Preview, then go to File > Export and select JPG as the format. You can also drag HEIC files into the Photos app on your Mac and export them as JPG from there.

What if I have a mix of HEIC and JPG photos and want them all to be the same format?

Change your camera setting to Most Compatible so new photos are JPG, then convert your existing HEIC photos using the Photos app or an online converter. Going forward, everything will be JPG.

Does changing to JPG affect photos I already took?

No. Changing the camera format only affects new photos. Photos you already took stay in their original format until you convert them manually.

Is there a way to convert all my photos to JPG at once on my iPhone?

Not built into the Photos app — you have to convert them one at a time or use an online batch converter. If you have a Mac, you can use the Photos app there to select multiple HEIC files and export them all as JPG at once, which is faster.