Questions and answers
Everything people usually want to know before converting a folder of iPhone photos.
What is actually different between HEIC and JPG?
HEIC and JPG store the same kind of photo, but HEIC compresses it using HEVC, the same technology behind 4K video, which packs it into roughly half the size of an equivalent JPG. The tradeoff is compatibility: JPG opens everywhere without exception, while HEIC needs a decoder that many apps, printers, and older devices do not have.
Why will my iPhone photos not open on Windows?
iPhones save photos as HEIC, a newer format that stores the same picture in about half the space. Windows does not include the decoder needed to read it by default, so the file looks broken even though the photo is fine. Converting to a format like JPG produces a copy that every device can open.
Are my photos uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs inside your browser using WebAssembly, so the photo data never leaves your device. You can confirm this yourself: open your browser developer tools, switch to the network tab, and convert a file. You will see no upload.
Does converting to JPG reduce the quality?
JPG uses lossy compression, so a converted file is not byte for byte identical to the original. At the Best quality setting the difference is not visible in normal viewing or printing. Choose Smaller file only when you care more about file size than fine detail.
Is the photo information kept?
Yes for the details most people want: the date the photo was taken, the camera make and model, the exposure settings, and the location if your camera recorded one. Colour profiles and Apple specific fields are not carried across, because the browser cannot write them into a JPG.
Will my photos come out sideways?
No. Rotation is read from the original file and applied to the image itself, then the rotation flag is cleared so viewers do not turn it a second time. This is the most common fault in converters, so it is handled deliberately here.
How many photos can I convert at once?
You can select as many as you like and they are converted one after another. Because the work happens in your browser, very large batches of high resolution photos can exhaust the memory a tab is allowed to use, particularly on phones. If a file fails, convert in smaller groups.
Do I need to install anything or create an account?
No. There is nothing to install, no account to create, and no watermark on the result. The page works in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.
Can I convert HEIC to JPG without using a converter like this one?
On a Mac, the built in Preview app can export one HEIC file as a JPG at a time, free, with nothing to install. On Windows 11, the Photos app can do the same, but only after buying the HEVC codec from the Microsoft Store. Neither converts a whole folder in one action, which is the gap this page fills.
How do I stop my iPhone saving photos as HEIC?
Open Settings, tap Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. Your iPhone will save new photos as JPG instead. Photos already taken stay in HEIC, so you will still need to convert those.
What happens with Live Photos?
A Live Photo stores a short video alongside the still image. Only the still image is converted, which is the frame you see in your photo library. The motion is not included, because none of these formats can store it.
Still stuck? Try the converter and see how it handles your files.