# How to convert HEIC to JPG on Linux

> Most distributions leave HEVC support out of the default install for licensing reasons. Adding it takes one command, and then everything works properly.

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

## Why HEIC support is not there by default

HEVC is patent-encumbered, and distributions that ship binaries in some jurisdictions avoid including
 patented codecs in their default repositories. Fedora is the strictest about this, which is why RPM
 Fusion exists. Ubuntu and Debian are more relaxed but still leave the tools out of a minimal install.

Nothing about this is technically difficult — it is entirely a licensing decision, and installing the
 packages yourself resolves it.

- **Install libheif and its tools**On Debian or Ubuntu: `sudo apt install libheif-examples libheif1`On Fedora: `sudo dnf install libheif libheif-tools`On Arch: `sudo pacman -S libheif`Fedora users may need RPM Fusion enabled first for the HEVC decoder.

- **Convert single files**`heif-convert photo.heic photo.jpg` — that is the whole command. Add `-q 92` to set JPEG quality. The extension of the output filename determines the format, so `photo.png` writes PNG instead.

- **Convert a whole directory**`for f in *.heic; do heif-convert -q 92 "$f" "${f%.heic}.jpg"; done`

Or with ImageMagick, once its HEIC delegate is present: `mogrify -format jpg -quality 92 *.heic`

- **Get thumbnails in your file manager**Install `heif-thumbnailer` (part of libheif-examples on Debian) and `heif-gdk-pixbuf`, which is what GNOME Files, Nautilus, Dolphin and Thunar all call to build previews. Any blank icons generated beforehand are cached and need clearing afterwards, which this page covers for every desktop.

## Opening HEIC in GIMP

GIMP 2.10 and later reads HEIC when libheif is present, and GIMP 3 handles it more smoothly still.
 If **File → Open** refuses your file, the libheif packages are missing rather than GIMP being
 at fault. Once installed, GIMP opens HEIC directly and exports to any format through
 **File → Export As**.

For scripted conversion, GIMP's batch mode works but is heavy. `heif-convert` and
 ImageMagick are both far quicker for pure format changes.

## Preserving quality and metadata

| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| High-quality JPG | heif-convert -q 95 in.heic out.jpg |
| Lossless PNG | heif-convert in.heic out.png |
| Resize while converting | magick in.heic -resize 2000x2000 -quality 92 out.jpg |
| Copy EXIF across | exiftool -TagsFromFile in.heic out.jpg |
| Strip all metadata | exiftool -all= out.jpg |

That fourth command is worth knowing. Most converters drop EXIF, and running exiftool afterwards
 restores the capture date, camera model and settings from the original file.

 **On a locked-down machine.** If you cannot install packages — a managed workstation, a live
 USB, a shared system — the [browser converter](https://jpg-heic.com/) works with nothing installed and no
 upload, since it carries its own WebAssembly decoder.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I install HEIC support on Ubuntu?**

Run sudo apt install libheif-examples libheif1. That provides the heif-convert command line tool and the library that other applications, including GIMP and ImageMagick, use to read the format.

**What is the command to convert HEIC to JPG on Linux?**

heif-convert photo.heic photo.jpg, with an optional -q flag to set quality. ImageMagick's mogrify with the format option handles whole directories in one command.

**Why does GIMP refuse to open my HEIC file?**

GIMP relies on libheif rather than implementing HEIF itself. If the library is not installed, the file type simply is not recognised. Installing libheif resolves it without reconfiguring GIMP.

**How do I get HEIC thumbnails in my file manager?**

Install heif-thumbnailer and heif-gdk-pixbuf, clear the thumbnail cache in ~/.cache/thumbnails, and restart the file manager. Previews are then generated the same way as for any other image format.