What is HEIC?
HEIC is a modern image format that can store a photo in roughly half the space of a JPG at similar quality. Phones use it by default on many models to save storage. It can also hold extra information, such as depth data or several images in one file, which is why a single iPhone photo sometimes behaves differently from an ordinary picture.
JPG, by contrast, is older and simpler. It is less efficient, but almost every device, program and website can read it.
Why it causes problems
Not every operating system, photo editor, printing service or website upload form accepts HEIC. When that happens you see an error, a blank preview or the file simply will not open. Support also depends on the version of the software, so a file may open on one computer and fail on another.
Some Windows and Android setups need an extra add-on to show HEIC pictures, while Apple devices open them natively. Forms for job applications, school portals and online shops are common places where HEIC is rejected, often with a message that only JPG or PNG is allowed.
A worked example
Suppose you photograph a signed document with your iPhone and try to attach it to an online application form. The form says the file type is not supported, because the photo is IMG_1234.HEIC. After converting it to JPG, the same picture uploads without an error.
You might also find that a 3 MB HEIC becomes a noticeably larger JPG. The exact numbers vary from photo to photo, so this is only an illustration of the usual direction: JPG files tend to be bigger.
Converting HEIC to JPG
Converting to JPG makes the photo work almost everywhere. The file becomes larger and the format is lossy, so choose a high quality setting such as 90% if you want to keep detail. A lower setting gives a smaller file but can show blocky areas in smooth skies or skin.
JPG is lossy, which means each save discards a little information. At a high quality setting the difference is usually hard to see, but it is not zero. Convert a copy and keep the HEIC original. You can always make another JPG later, but you cannot recover detail from a heavily compressed one.
Step-by-step workflow
- Copy the HEIC photos you need into a folder.
- Convert them to JPG at a high quality setting.
- Open one result to check it looks right and is the correct way up.
- If the files are too large for a form, compress or resize the JPG afterwards.
- Upload or send the JPG files and keep the originals.
Common mistakes
- Renaming a file from .heic to .jpg. This does not change the format, so the file usually still will not open.
- Converting repeatedly. Each lossy save can lower quality, so convert once from the original.
- Choosing a very low quality to save space and then noticing artefacts.
- Forgetting that a converted file is larger, then hitting an upload limit.
- Converting a whole library when you only need a few pictures, which uses extra storage for little benefit.
Avoid conversion at the source
On an iPhone you can choose the Most Compatible camera format in the settings so that new photos are saved as JPG. Existing HEIC photos still need conversion. The trade-off is that new photos take more storage, and you may prefer to leave HEIC on and convert only the few photos you need to share. Either approach is fine; it depends on how often you send pictures to people or sites that cannot open HEIC.
Quick checklist
- Does the website or program accept HEIC?
- Have I kept the original?
- Is the quality set high enough?
- Does the result need to meet a size limit?
- Is the picture the right way up after conversion?
Converting privately with DoneImg
Open the HEIC to JPG tool in your browser, add your photos and download the JPG files. The conversion happens on your device, so your photos stay private and nothing is sent to a server. This matters for personal pictures and for documents such as IDs or forms.
Afterwards you can use the compress or resize tools if you need a smaller file, and the remove EXIF tool if you want to strip location data before sharing. Photos from a phone often carry GPS data, so this is a sensible last step for anything you post publicly.
The tool converts HEIC to JPG only; it does not edit the picture, so the content stays the same.