How to Open HEIC Files on Windows (and Convert Them to JPG)
You copy photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC and they show up as IMG_4021.HEIC. Some apps won't open them, and upload forms reject them. Here's what's going on and the fastest fixes.
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is the High Efficiency Image format. iPhones and iPads have used it by default since iOS 11 because it stores photos at roughly half the size of a JPG with the same visual quality. The catch is compatibility: plenty of software, websites and older devices still only understand JPG and PNG.
Option 1: Convert to JPG in your browser (fastest)
- Open the HEIC to JPG converter.
- Drop one or many .heic files.
- Download each JPG, or all of them as a ZIP.
The conversion runs on your computer, so your photos aren't uploaded anywhere. As a side benefit, the converted copies don't carry the original location data, which is handy before sharing.
Option 2: Make Windows open HEIC
Windows can display HEIC photos once the right codecs are installed from the Microsoft Store: the HEIF Image Extensions and the HEVC Video Extensions (the latter may carry a small fee depending on your region). After that, the Photos app opens them — but websites and other apps may still refuse the files, so converting is often the more practical route.
Option 3: Stop the iPhone from creating HEIC
- Shoot in JPG from now on: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible.
- Keep HEIC on the phone but export JPG: Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic. Photos are converted when you copy them over a cable.
What to do next with the photos
Need them smaller for email? Run the JPGs through the image compressor. Need to send scanned pages as one document? Turn them into a single file with Images to PDF.