How to Convert HEIC to JPG
on Windows

What is HEIC and Why Does Your iPhone Use It?

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is Apple's implementation of the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) standard, using the HEVC (H.265) codec to compress image data. Apple adopted HEIC as the default camera format starting with iOS 11 in 2017, replacing the decades-old JPEG format.

The reason is straightforward: HEIC files are roughly 50% smaller than equivalent JPGs with no visible quality loss. On a 128 GB iPhone, that translates to thousands of extra photos. HEIC also supports features that JPG lacks entirely — 16-bit color depth, transparency (alpha channels), image sequences (Live Photos), and HDR data.

The problem arises when you transfer those photos to a Windows PC. Double-click a .heic file and you will likely see an error message, a blank thumbnail, or a prompt to install something from the Microsoft Store. This is not a bug — it is a licensing issue.

Why Windows Cannot Open HEIC Files Natively

The HEVC codec that powers HEIC images is covered by patent licensing fees. Two major patent pools — MPEG-LA and HEVC Advance — control the essential patents, and any software that decodes HEVC must pay royalties. MPEG-LA charges up to $0.20 per device with an annual cap of $25 million. HEVC Advance adds further fees that can reach $2.60 per device depending on region.

Apple absorbed these costs into its hardware pricing. Every iPhone, iPad, and Mac includes an HEVC license as part of the purchase price. Microsoft took a different approach: rather than adding a per-device royalty to every Windows license, they made HEVC support an optional paid extension in the Microsoft Store.

This means that on a clean installation of Windows 10 or Windows 11, you cannot open HEIC files. The operating system does not include the codec. You have two choices: install Microsoft's codec extensions (one free, one paid), or convert your HEIC files to a universally supported format like JPG.

Windows 10 vs Windows 11: What's Different?

Both operating systems lack HEIC support by default, but there is a small difference:

• Windows 11 (22H2+) ships with the HEIF Image Extensions pre-installed. This handles the HEIF container format, but you still need the HEVC Video Extensions ($0.99) to actually decode the image data inside most HEIC files.
• Windows 10 requires you to install both extensions manually from the Microsoft Store — the free HEIF Image Extensions and the paid HEVC Video Extensions.

In practice, neither version of Windows opens HEIC files without additional steps.

Method 1: Convert HEIC to JPG Online (Fastest)

The fastest way to get a usable JPG from a HEIC file is to convert it online. No installation, no codec purchases, no Microsoft Store — just upload and download.

How to Convert Using Convertio

1. Upload your HEIC file using the converter widget above (or scroll down to the one at the bottom of this page). Drag and drop works, or click "Choose HEIC File" to browse.
2. Click "Convert to JPG" and wait a few seconds. The conversion happens on our servers using ImageMagick with quality set to 92 out of 100.
3. Download your JPG — the file is ready immediately. It works everywhere: Windows, email attachments, social media, printing services, and any image editor.

This method is ideal when you have a handful of photos to convert. There is no software to install, it works on any Windows version, and the entire process takes under 30 seconds per file. Your uploaded files are encrypted via HTTPS and automatically deleted from our servers within 2 hours.

Method 2: Install HEIF + HEVC Extensions (Native Support)

If you regularly receive HEIC files and want Windows to open them natively in Photos, File Explorer thumbnails, and other apps, you can install Microsoft's codec extensions.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows PC (search for "Microsoft Store" in the Start menu).
2. Search for "HEIF Image Extensions" and install it. This is free and handles the HEIF container format. On Windows 11 22H2 and later, this may already be installed.
3. Search for "HEVC Video Extensions" and purchase it for $0.99. This is the codec that actually decodes the image data inside HEIC files.
4. Restart your PC (recommended). After restarting, Windows Photos, File Explorer thumbnails, and most image editors will recognize HEIC files.

Important: installing only the free HEIF Image Extensions is not enough. HEIC files use HEVC compression internally, so both extensions are required. Many users install just the free one and wonder why their photos still show as blank thumbnails.

Limitations of This Approach

• Per-device cost — The $0.99 HEVC extension is tied to your Microsoft account but must be installed on each PC separately.
• Not all apps support it — While Windows Photos and File Explorer will work, some older image editors and web applications still cannot read HEIC even with the extensions installed.
• Sharing problem remains — Even if you can view HEIC files on your PC, the people you share them with may not have the extensions. Converting to JPG before sharing ensures universal compatibility.

Method 3: Use Windows Photos App to Save as JPG

Once you have both HEIF and HEVC extensions installed (Method 2), you can use the built-in Windows Photos app to re-save HEIC files as JPG:

1. Open the HEIC file in Windows Photos (right-click → Open with → Photos).
2. Click the three-dot menu (…) in the top toolbar and select "Save as".
3. Change the file type to .jpg in the save dialog and choose your destination folder.

This method works for individual files but becomes tedious for large batches. It also requires the paid HEVC extension, making it both slower and more expensive than online conversion for occasional use.

Method 4: PowerShell + ImageMagick (Power Users)

For technical users who prefer command-line tools, ImageMagick can batch-convert HEIC files directly on your PC. This is the same tool that Convertio uses on its servers.

Installing ImageMagick on Windows

1. Download the Windows installer from imagemagick.org/script/download.php (choose the "Win64 dynamic" version).
2. Run the installer and check "Add application directory to your system path" during setup.
3. Open a new PowerShell window and verify the installation: magick --version

Convert a Single File

Open PowerShell and run:

magick convert photo.heic -quality 92 photo.jpg

Batch Convert All HEIC Files in a Folder

Get-ChildItem *.heic | ForEach-Object { magick convert $_.Name -quality 92 ($_.BaseName + ".jpg") }

This one-liner finds every .heic file in the current directory and converts it to JPG at quality 92. The original HEIC files are not modified or deleted.

What Happens to Image Quality During Conversion?

Both HEIC and JPG are lossy formats — they compress image data by discarding information that is less perceptible to the human eye. When you convert from one lossy format to another, there is technically a second generation of compression. However, the practical impact depends entirely on the JPG quality setting used during conversion.

*File sizes for a typical 12 MP iPhone photo (4032 × 3024 pixels). HEIC original is approximately 2–3 MB.

At quality 92, the converted JPG is essentially a visual clone of the original HEIC. The file will be slightly larger (JPG is less efficient than HEVC compression), but the image content — colors, sharpness, details — remains intact. Metadata (EXIF data) including camera settings, GPS coordinates, and date/time stamps is preserved during conversion.

HEIC vs JPG: Format Comparison

HEIC is technically the superior format — smaller files, richer color, more features. But JPG remains the universal standard that every device, browser, email client, social media platform, and printing service can handle without any special software. Converting HEIC to JPG trades some compression efficiency for guaranteed compatibility.

How to Stop Your iPhone from Saving Photos as HEIC

If you would rather avoid the conversion step entirely, you can configure your iPhone to shoot in JPG format:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap Camera → Formats.
3. Select "Most Compatible" instead of "High Efficiency".

This forces the camera to save photos as JPG and videos as H.264/MOV instead of HEVC. The trade-off is storage: JPG photos are roughly twice the size of their HEIC equivalents, so your iPhone will fill up faster.

Alternatively, you can keep HEIC enabled on your iPhone (for storage efficiency) and simply convert the files when you need to use them on Windows. This gives you the best of both worlds — efficient storage on your phone and universal compatibility when sharing.

Which Method Should You Use?

For most users, the online converter is the simplest solution. It works on any Windows version, requires no installation, costs nothing, and produces high-quality JPG output. If you deal with HEIC files daily and want seamless integration across all Windows apps, investing $0.99 in the HEVC extension is worthwhile. Power users who need to process hundreds of files at once will benefit from the ImageMagick command-line approach.