HEIC vs. JPG: What's the Difference and When Should You Convert?
By the Kindly Useful team, updated 2026-11-05
Convert HEIC to JPG in your browser
If you've tried to upload an iPhone photo to a website and got "unsupported file type", the culprit is almost always HEIC. Here's what it is and how to deal with it.
What is HEIC?
HEIC is Apple's name for images stored in the HEIF format (High Efficiency Image File Format) using HEVC compression. iPhones have saved photos this way by default since iOS 11 in 2017.
Compared to JPG, HEIC:
- produces files about half the size at similar visual quality
- supports 16-bit color (JPG is 8-bit), so gradients and HDR look smoother
- can hold several images in one file (bursts, Live Photos) and depth data
- supports transparency
So it's a better format. The problem is compatibility.
Where HEIC causes trouble
- Many websites and online forms only accept JPG or PNG.
- Windows can't open HEIC out of the box on many PCs without extra codecs.
- Older Android phones, photo printers, smart TVs and photo frames may not support it.
- Some print shops and photo labs require JPG.
When to convert (and when not to)
Convert to JPG when you need to upload, share or print somewhere that doesn't accept HEIC. Keep the originals in HEIC in your library: they're smaller and higher quality, and you can always convert again.
Ways to convert
On the iPhone itself. Go to Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible, and the camera saves new photos as JPG (existing photos stay HEIC). Sharing by e-mail or to some apps also converts automatically.
In your browser. Our HEIC to JPG converter runs entirely on your device. Photos are not uploaded anywhere, which matters for personal pictures. You can convert many files at once and download them as a ZIP.
On a Mac. Open the photo in Preview, then choose File > Export > JPEG.
Quality settings
JPG is lossy, so you choose a quality level:
- 90%: visually identical to the original for almost everyone, the best default
- 80%: noticeably smaller files and still very good, fine for websites
- Below 70%: artifacts appear around edges and in skies
Don't forget the location data
Photos often contain EXIF metadata, including the GPS location where they were taken. Before posting photos publicly, strip it. Re-encoding with our converter removes metadata by default, and the remove EXIF tool does only that.