How to convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac

A Mac reads HEIC files natively, so you may never see a problem until you try to send a photo to someone on Windows, upload it to a site that rejects it, or open it in older software. At that point you need a JPG copy.

macOS can produce one without downloading anything. There are three built in ways, and which is best depends on how many photos you have.

The fastest way for a folder of photos

Finder can convert a whole selection at once, and most people do not know it is there.

1. Select the HEIC files in Finder. Any number is fine.
2. Right click, or Control click, on the selection.
3. Choose Quick Actions, then Convert Image.
4. Set Format to JPEG, choose an image size, and click Convert to JPEG.

The converted copies appear alongside the originals, which are left untouched. This is the right answer for a holiday folder.

One catch worth knowing: Convert Image strips location data from the copies. If you want the GPS coordinates preserved, use Preview or a converter that keeps them.

Want to keep the location and camera details?This converter carries the capture date, camera model and GPS into the JPG, and runs in your browser without uploading anything.

Preview, for one photo at a time

1. Open the HEIC in Preview.
2. Choose File, then Export.
3. Set Format to JPEG.
4. Drag the Quality slider, then click Save.

Preview shows you the resulting file size as you move the slider, which is genuinely useful when you are trying to get under an upload limit. It also keeps more of the photo metadata than the Finder Quick Action.

Preview can convert several images at once if you open them all and use Edit, then Select All, in the sidebar before exporting, though the Finder method is less fiddly.

Photos, if that is where your pictures live

If the photos are in the Photos library rather than loose in Finder, select them and drag them to a folder on the Desktop. macOS converts them to JPG on the way out, provided Downloads settings are set to Automatic under Settings, then General, then Photos.

To be certain of the format, use File, then Export, then Export Photos, and choose JPEG explicitly. That dialog also lets you decide whether to include location data.

Stopping new photos being HEIC

If your iPhone is the source, you can change what it produces. Open Settings, tap Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG.

The cost is space: JPG files are around twice the size for the same image, which is the reason Apple moved to HEIC in the first place. Photos already taken stay in HEIC.

Which to choose

Use the Finder Quick Action for bulk conversion when you do not need location data. Use Preview when you want control over quality or want the metadata preserved. Use a browser based converter when you want both bulk and metadata, or when you are not on your own Mac.