Why your iPhone saves HEIC, and how to change it
Since iOS 11, the camera’s default still format has been HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container). Apple did this so a photo takes roughly half the space of a similar JPEG. The picture is still lossy. The container is just better at it.
When that becomes a problem
Windows, older Android apps, and a lot of upload forms still expect JPEG. AirDrop and the Photos app often convert on the way out. A
file you copied from a cable, a backup, or Files may still be .heic. That is the file this site’s
HEIC to JPG page is for.
Shoot JPEG instead
- Open Settings, then Camera.
- Tap Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible. New photos are JPEG. Photos you already took stay HEIC.
High Efficiency is the HEIC setting. Most Compatible uses more storage and avoids the conversion step later.
The photo picker may convert for you
On iPhone Safari, Choose photos can hand a website a JPEG even when the library item is HEIC. The HEIC pages on this site accept that
JPEG, say so, and still let you resize it and strip location data. If you need the original HEIC decoded in Chrome or Firefox,
transfer the .heic file itself.
Location data
Camera photos often include GPS. Converting with the default setting removes it and shows a badge when it was present. That is separate from turning off location for the camera, which is under Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera.