How to convert HEIC to JPG on an iPhone
iOS will not let you 'save as JPG' from the Photos app, but there are three reliable ways round it, and one setting that stops the problem recurring.
If you only need one photo
If you need one photo right now, use the share sheet: Share → Save to Files, then in Files use Quick Actions → Convert Image → JPEG. If you will need this regularly, spend two minutes building the Shortcut in step 2 — it turns the whole job into a single tap from the share sheet.
- Use the Files app to duplicate and convert
Open Photos, select the images, tap Share and choose Save to Files. Open the Files app, long-press the saved image and choose Duplicate. On iOS 16 and later the duplicate is written as JPG when you then choose Quick Actions → Convert Image. Pick JPEG and a size, and the JPG lands beside the original.
- Or build a one-tap Shortcut
Open Shortcuts, tap +, and add three actions: Select Photos (turn on Select Multiple), Convert Image (set Format to JPEG), and Save to Photo Album. Name it 'To JPG'. It now appears in your share sheet and handles a hundred photos as easily as one.
- Or email them to yourself
The crudest method and the one most people already use by accident. Attaching photos to Mail converts them to JPG in transit for compatibility. It is slow and it re-compresses, but it needs no setup at all.
- Then stop it happening again
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. Every new photo is captured as JPG. You lose roughly half your storage efficiency, which is the trade. The full details are here.
The AirDrop trick nobody mentions
AirDropping a HEIC photo to a Mac gives you a HEIC file. But AirDropping to a Windows PC is not possible, and that constraint is why Apple built automatic conversion into other transfer paths. When you connect an iPhone to a Windows PC by cable and copy photos through File Explorer, iOS converts them to JPG on the fly — provided Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC is set to Automatic. Set it to Keep Originals and you get raw HEIC instead.
This one setting explains a great deal of confusion. Two people copy photos from identical iPhones; one gets JPGs and the other gets unopenable HEIC files. The difference is that toggle.
What other apps do automatically
| Sharing via | What the recipient gets |
|---|---|
| JPG, converted and usually resized | |
| WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram | JPG, heavily compressed |
| iMessage to another iPhone | HEIC, full quality |
| AirDrop to a Mac | HEIC |
| USB cable to a PC (Automatic) | JPG |
| iCloud Photos download on Windows | Depends on your download setting |
So if a HEIC file reached someone who cannot open it, the route it travelled is worth checking, often switching the sharing method solves the problem faster than converting.
Converting in Safari on the phone itself
You can also use the converter on this site directly in Safari. One quirk worth knowing: when you pick images through the Photo Library option, iOS often hands the browser an already-converted JPG, so there is nothing left to do. To get the genuine HEIC file into the converter, choose Browse and pick it from the Files app instead.
Common questions
- Can I convert HEIC to JPG on an iPhone without an app?
- Yes. The Files app has a built-in Convert Image action under Quick Actions, and the Shortcuts app can batch-convert straight back into your photo library. Neither requires a download.
- Why do my photos arrive as JPG on some devices and HEIC on others?
- Because iOS converts on the fly for some transfer routes and not others. Mail and most messaging apps convert; AirDrop to a Mac and iMessage between iPhones do not. The USB transfer setting under Settings, Photos controls the cable route.
- Does converting on the iPhone use up more storage?
- Yes, temporarily and often permanently. The JPG sits alongside the HEIC rather than replacing it, and JPG files are around twice the size. Delete the duplicates once you have sent them.
- Will I lose photo quality?
- A little. Both formats are lossy, so re-encoding discards a small amount of detail. Using the highest quality option in the Convert Image action keeps the difference invisible.