Convert iPhone Photos to JPG

Since iOS 11, every iPhone has saved camera photos as HEIC instead of JPEG. The files are smaller and hold more color data, but they also confuse Windows PCs, older Android phones, and many websites that still only accept JPEG.

If you need to upload an iPhone photo to a job application, email it to someone on Windows, or print it at a shop that only accepts JPEG, you need a converter. This one runs entirely in your browser.

Why your iPhone photos are not JPG to begin with

Apple switched from JPEG to HEIC in 2017 because the new format produces files that are roughly 40 to 50 percent smaller at the same visual quality. On a 128 GB iPhone, that is the difference between running out of storage in year two and making it to year four. The trade-off is compatibility. JPEG works everywhere. HEIC does not.

If you want the full technical story on why Apple made the switch, we wrote about it here.

When you actually need to convert

You do not need to convert every iPhone photo. Your phone, your Mac, and most modern iPads open HEIC natively. But you will need JPEG versions in these situations:

• Uploading to a website, job portal, or form that rejects HEIC uploads
• Sharing with someone on Windows who has not installed the Microsoft HEIF extensions
• Sending photos to a print shop or photo book service
• Importing into older desktop software that predates HEIF support
• Archiving images for maximum long-term compatibility

For photos you only view on Apple devices, leave them as HEIC. For everything else, a quick JPEG export is the safest path.

How this converter works

Most online converters upload your photo to a remote server, queue it, and send back a download link. That means your images sit on someone else's computer, in their logs, and possibly their CDN cache.

This converter does none of that. It compiles the same libheif decoder used by desktop apps into WebAssembly, runs it locally in your browser tab, and converts the file on your own device. The photo never leaves your computer. Not even a thumbnail is sent to a server.

You can convert one file or drop in a whole folder. Each photo is processed in sequence. When you are done, download them individually or grab everything as a ZIP.

Frequently asked

Can I convert multiple iPhone photos at once?

Yes. Drop or select multiple HEIC files and they will convert one by one. After the last file finishes, you can download a ZIP containing all the JPEGs.

Does this work on my iPhone?

Yes. Open this page in Safari (or any browser) on your iPhone, tap the upload area, and select photos from your library. The conversion runs on the phone itself.

Will the JPG look different from the HEIC?

Not in any way you will notice. The converter defaults to 92 percent JPEG quality, which is visually indistinguishable from the original HEIC for normal photos. You can adjust the quality slider if you need smaller files for email or higher quality for printing.

What about Live Photos?

Live Photos contain both a still image and a short video clip. This converter processes the still image part only. If you need the motion part, export the video separately from the Photos app.

Can I just change my iPhone camera settings instead?

Yes. In Settings > Camera > Formats, you can switch from High Efficiency to Most Compatible. This saves new photos as JPEG instead of HEIC. The downside is larger files - about twice the storage per photo. Most people leave High Efficiency on and convert only the photos they need to share.