# 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.

Source: https://jpg-heic.com/how-to/convert-heic-to-jpg-on-iphone | Section: How-to guide | Updated: 2026-08-31

## 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 |
|---|---|
| Mail | 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](https://jpg-heic.com/) 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.

## Frequently asked 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.