· 2 min read

How to Convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone (Free, On-Device)

HEIC saves space but won’t open everywhere. Here’s how to convert iPhone photos to JPG, PNG, or PDF - including a fast, on-device way to batch-convert without uploading anything.

Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container). It’s a great format - roughly half the file size of JPEG at the same quality - but it has one annoying problem: plenty of websites, Windows PCs, and older apps still can’t open it. If you’ve ever emailed a photo and had someone reply “I can’t see this,” HEIC is usually why.

Here are the practical ways to convert HEIC to JPG (or PNG, or PDF), from quickest to most flexible.

1. Make your iPhone shoot JPG going forward

If you want to avoid HEIC entirely for future photos, open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. From then on the camera captures JPEG instead of HEIC. Note this does not convert the photos already in your library - it only changes new shots, and you lose the storage savings HEIC gives you.

2. Convert a few photos with the Files app or Shortcuts

For a one-off, the built-in Shortcuts app has a “Convert Image” action you can chain after “Select Photos” and “Save to Files.” It works, but building and running it for every batch gets tedious, and you don’t get fine control over quality or output folder.

3. Convert on a Mac

On a Mac, open the HEIC in Preview, then File → Export and pick JPEG or PNG. Fine for a handful of images, but it means moving files off your phone first.

4. Batch-convert on your iPhone, on-device

If you regularly need to convert many photos - for a marketplace listing, a work upload, or a website - a dedicated converter is far less friction. This is exactly what we built HEIC Snap for: select up to 100 photos, choose JPG, PNG, WebP, or PDF, and tap convert. Everything happens on your device, so nothing is uploaded and your originals are never touched.

Things to watch for when converting

  • Quality: JPEG is lossy, so a tiny amount of detail is discarded on conversion. A quality slider (HEIC Snap has one) lets you balance file size against sharpness.
  • Metadata: Converting can carry over EXIF data - including GPS location. If you’re sharing publicly, consider stripping it (see our guide on removing photo metadata).
  • Privacy: Many “free online HEIC converters” upload your photos to their servers. For anything personal, prefer a converter that runs entirely on your device.

The short version

For future photos, switch the camera to “Most Compatible.” For a couple of existing images, Shortcuts or a Mac works. For converting a lot of photos quickly and privately, a batch on-device converter is the least painful path.

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