how to convert heic to jpg (and why your iphone uses heic)

what is heic?

heic stands for high efficiency image container. it's the file format apple uses to store photos on iphones and ipads, introduced with ios 11 in 2017. you might also see the extension heif (high efficiency image file format), which is the underlying standard that heic is based on.

heic was designed to address a simple problem: smartphones were taking increasingly high-resolution photos, and the old jpg format wasn't efficient enough to store them without either sacrificing quality or using too much storage.

a heic file stores the same visual quality as a jpg but in roughly half the file size. for an iphone with 128gb of storage, that's a meaningful difference, potentially doubling the number of photos you can store.

why heic is more advanced than jpg

heic isn't just a different container format. it uses genuinely better compression technology based on the hevc (h.265) video codec. this allows it to store more image information in fewer bytes.

beyond compression, heic supports several features that jpg doesn't:

so why is heic such a problem?

the problem is compatibility. heic is relatively new and was developed by the moving picture experts group (mpeg). while apple has fully adopted it, the rest of the tech world has been slower to catch up.

common situations where heic causes issues:

method 1: convert on your iphone before transferring

the easiest solution is to prevent the problem from happening in the first place. you can set your iphone to automatically convert photos to jpg when you transfer them to a computer.

go to settings → photos, scroll down to the "transfer to mac or pc" section, and select "automatic" instead of "keep originals."

with this setting, your iphone will still store photos internally as heic (saving storage space), but will automatically convert them to jpg when you connect to a computer via usb or airdrop them to a mac running high sierra or later.

method 2: change your camera format to jpg

if you'd rather not deal with heic at all, you can switch your iphone camera to shoot in jpg from the start.

go to settings → camera → formats and select "most compatible" instead of "high efficiency."

the tradeoff is that jpg photos are about twice the file size of heic at equivalent quality, so you'll use more storage. but if you frequently share photos with non-apple users or upload to services that don't support heic, the convenience might be worth it.

method 3: convert existing heic files in your browser

if you already have heic files that need converting, you can convert them directly in your browser without installing any software. cozyconvert supports heic to jpg (and heic to webp and png) conversion that runs entirely on your device.

just drag your heic files onto the converter, select your target format, and download the converted files. nothing is uploaded to any server, which matters if your photos are personal or sensitive.

this is the quickest option for batch converting a set of heic files you already have.

method 4: convert on mac using preview

if you're on a mac, the built-in preview app can open heic files and export them as jpg.

open your heic file in preview, then go to file → export, choose jpg from the format dropdown, set your quality level, and save. for batch converting multiple files, open them all in preview at once, select all (cmd+a), then export selected images from the file menu.

this is a good option if you only need to convert a few files occasionally and don't want to use a web tool.

heic vs jpg vs webp: which should you convert to?

when you're converting heic files, you have a choice of what format to convert to. here's the quick guide:

will converting heic to jpg lose quality?

yes, technically. converting heic to jpg involves applying lossy compression that wasn't present in the heic file. however, at a quality setting of 85% or above, the difference is invisible to the human eye under normal viewing conditions.

the practical answer is: convert at 85% or higher quality, and the result will look identical to the original on any screen. you're not going to be able to tell the difference between the heic original and an 85% jpg unless you zoom in on a specific area and specifically look for artifacts.