How to Convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone

iPhone cameras save HEIC by default. That is the right choice for storage on the device and in iCloud. It is the wrong choice the moment a website, a Windows PC, or a school form asks for JPG. You can convert on the phone in a few different ways depending on whether you need one file or a folder of them.

Let the Share sheet do it

Apple already converts on the way out of Photos for a lot of destinations. Open the image, tap the Share button, and send it through Mail or save it to an app that only accepts JPEG. iOS checks what the destination can handle. If the other side does not speak HEIC, Photos encodes a JPEG for that share. You do not pick a quality slider; Apple picks the encode. For a single photo to a person on Windows, this is the least work.

Apple documents the camera format setting in iPhone User Guide — Camera and related format notes. The setting lives in Settings → Camera → Formats. High Efficiency is HEIC/HEVC. Most Compatible writes JPEG for new shots. Switching to Most Compatible does not convert the library you already have; it only changes photos you take after the switch. Use it if you know every future shot must be JPEG. Leave High Efficiency on if you want smaller originals and convert only when you export.

Save a JPEG into Files

If you need a real .jpg sitting in iCloud Drive or On My iPhone:

1. Open the photo in Photos.
2. Share → Save to Files. Some iOS versions still save HEIC here.
3. If the file in Files still ends in .heic, you do not have a JPEG yet. Open this site in Safari, drop the file on the converter, and download the .jpg.

Safari on iPhone can decode HEIC natively, so the converter on this page often never needs the WASM fallback. Files stay on the phone. Batch works: select multiple in Files, share into Safari, or tap the dropzone and pick several from the photo picker. Limits still apply (50 files, 25 MB each, 40 megapixels).

Shortcuts, if you convert often

The Shortcuts app can take images as input and write JPEG to a folder. A typical shortcut is: receive photos → convert image to JPEG → save to Files. That is useful for a weekly dump to a PC. It is more setup than this page for a one-off, and it still runs on-device. Do not send the photos through a random “convert HEIC” shortcut that uploads to an unknown API; read the shortcut’s actions first.

Live Photos

A Live Photo is a still plus a short movie. Sharing as JPEG gives you the still. The motion is dropped, which is what most forms want. This site does the same: still frame only. If you need the clip, export the Live Photo as video from Photos (Share → Save Video) as a separate file.

When the iPhone is the wrong place

Converting hundreds of full-resolution shots on a warm phone is slow and burns battery. Copy the HEICs to a computer and use Windows or Mac, or open this same converter in a desktop browser where the worker pool can use more RAM. Keep the HEIC originals in Photos; treat JPEG as the copy you hand to other software.

Mail, AirDrop, and iCloud

Mail on iPhone often converts a HEIC to JPEG when the recipient is not an Apple device. That is convenient and easy to miss: you sent a JPG without meaning to. AirDrop to a Mac usually keeps HEIC. AirDrop to a PC is not a thing; you will use a cable, iCloud, or email instead. iCloud.com in a Windows browser may show the photo and let you download a JPEG from the web UI. That download is Apple doing the convert on their side. This site never does that — the still stays on the phone.

If you use iCloud Photos Optimized Storage, the full HEIC might not be on the device. Photos will badge “Downloading” when you open it. Wait until the original is local before you convert, or you will encode a smaller proxy. For a reliable batch, plug into a computer or wait on Wi‑Fi until the album is downloaded.

Last reviewed 2026-09-13.