How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows & Mac (5 Free Methods)

You have likely faced that moment of confusion: you transfer photos from your iPhone to your Windows PC, try to open them, and nothing happens. Instead of a familiar image, you see a white icon and a file extension ending in .HEIC. While Apple adopted this format to save storage space on your device without sacrificing quality, it is still a headache for compatibility with Windows, older macOS versions, and many web browsers.

The good news is you do not need to buy expensive software or upload your private family photos to sketchy websites to fix this. Whether you have one photo or a thousand, here are the most reliable, free, and secure ways to convert HEIC to JPG on any device.

What is a HEIC File and Why Does iPhone Use It?

Before we fix the problem, it helps to understand why it exists. HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple’s version of the HEIF standard. It is actually quite brilliant technology; it captures images that look just as good as JPEGs but takes up about 50% less space on your storage.

However, the rest of the tech world has been slow to catch up. If you need to share these photos with Android users, upload them to a government portal, or edit them on a Windows PC, you will almost certainly need to convert them back to the universal JPG format.

How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows (Free Methods)

Windows 10 and 11 do not natively support HEIC files right out of the box in the same way they support JPEGs. You usually need a codec or a third-party tool. Here are the best ways to handle it without spending money.

The Power User Way: Microsoft PowerToys (Recommended)

If you are looking for a solution that feels native to Windows and handles bulk conversion instantly, Microsoft PowerToys is the best tool available. It is an open-source set of utilities developed by Microsoft for advanced users.

1. Download and install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store or GitHub.
2. Open PowerToys and ensure the Image Resizer module is enabled.
3. Open File Explorer and select all the HEIC files you want to convert.
4. Right-click and select Resize pictures from the menu.
5. Click Settings (the gear icon) in the resize window, creating a preset that keeps the original dimensions but saves as JPEG.
6. Click Resize.

This method is incredibly fast and secure because everything happens offline on your machine. It is also a great entry point into mastering Windows window management shortcuts and other productivity tools included in the suite.

Microsoft Powertoys Image Resizer settings showing jpeg output format selection for bulk heic conversion

The Easy Way: CopyTrans HEIC for Windows

If you want your HEIC files to act like normal photos in Windows Explorer (meaning you can see the thumbnail previews instead of a generic icon), CopyTrans HEIC is the gold standard.

• Download and install CopyTrans HEIC for Windows (it is free for personal use).
• Once installed, navigate to any folder with HEIC images.
• You will notice you can now see the photo thumbnails.
• To convert, simply right-click a file (or a group of files) and select Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans.

This is often preferred by general users because it integrates seamlessly into the right-click menu, similar to how you might run exe from cmd for quick administrative tasks, but with a visual interface.

Using Windows Photos App & Extensions

You can open HEIC files natively in the Windows Photos app, but there is a catch: you need the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store.

Sometimes the store asks for a small fee for the HEVC Video Extensions which are linked to this. If you have the extensions installed:

1. Double-click your HEIC file to open it in Photos.
2. Click the three dots (...) in the top menu bar.
3. Select Save as.
4. Choose .JPG or .JPEG from the "Save as type" dropdown menu.

This method is fine for a single photo, but it is too slow for batch processing.

How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Mac (No App Needed)

Since Apple created this problem, they also provide the best tools to solve it. You do not need to download anything on a Mac.

Automator Quick Action (Batch Conversion)

This is the ultimate productivity hack for Mac users. You can create a permanent button in your right-click menu to convert images instantly.

1. Open the Automator app on your Mac.
2. Choose Quick Action as the document type.
3. In the "Workflow receives current" dropdown, select Image files in Finder.
4. In the left sidebar, search for Change Type of Images and drag it to the main workflow area.
5. It will ask if you want to add a "Copy Finder Items" action. Click Add (this keeps your originals safe).
6. Set the "Change Type of Images" dropdown to JPEG.
7. Save the Quick Action as Convert to JPG.

Now, whenever you select images in Finder, just right-click, go to Quick Actions, and select Convert to JPG. It works just as easily as learning how to open rar files on mac without paid software.

Using Preview for Single Files

For a quick one-off conversion:

1. Double-click the HEIC file to open it in Preview.
2. Go to File > Export.
3. Change the format to JPEG and adjust the quality slider if needed.
4. Click Save.

How to Convert on iPhone & Android (Without PC)

Sometimes you need the JPG file right on your phone before you even share it.

The Files App Trick

This is a little-known iOS workaround that converts images instantly.

1. Open your Photos app and select the images.
2. Tap Share and select Copy Photo.
3. Open the Files app on your iPhone.
4. Long press on any blank space and tap Paste.

iOS automatically converts the pasted image into a JPEG file because the Files app file system prioritizes compatibility.

Prevent Future HEIC Files

If you are tired of converting files and just want your camera to shoot in JPEG like the old days:

1. Go to Settings > Camera.
2. Tap Formats.
3. Change the selection from High Efficiency to Most Compatible.

Note that Most Compatible will use slightly more storage space on your device, but it saves you time on conversion later.

Advanced: Bulk Conversion with Command Line (CLI)

For developers, system administrators, or anyone comfortable with a terminal, GUI tools can feel slow. ImageMagick is the industry standard for CLI image manipulation.

First, you will need to install it. On Windows, if you use a package manager, you can type winget install ImageMagick. On Mac, use Homebrew: brew install imagemagick.

Once installed, open your terminal or command prompt. To convert a single file: magick convert image.heic image.jpg

To convert an entire folder of HEIC files to JPG at once: magick mogrify -format jpg *.heic

This is incredibly powerful for batch processing and can be integrated into scripts, similar to how developers install ffmpeg on replit for media handling in the cloud.

Online Converters (Privacy Warning)

If you are on a public computer and cannot install software, online converters like CloudConvert or heic.online work well.

However, a critical warning: Do not use these services for sensitive documents, photos of IDs, or private family moments. When you use an online converter, you are uploading your file to a remote server. While reputable sites claim to delete data after processing, it is always safer to process personal data locally on your own machine using the methods above.