The HEIC Blog

Plain English guides about the HEIC format: what it is, who created it, where it works, how it compares to JPG and PNG, and the fastest ways to convert it.

Quick answers to common questions

What is a HEIC file?
The photo format Apple made standard on iPhone and iPad with iOS 11 in 2017. Inside, the picture is compressed with the HEVC video codec, which is why a HEIC photo is usually about half the size of the same shot saved as JPG. The format explained
Why won't Windows open my HEIC photos?
Windows 10 and 11 ship without a HEIC decoder. Microsoft splits the support into two Store packages, and the HEVC one that does the actual decoding normally costs money. Ways to open them
Does converting to JPG cost me quality?
Every pixel survives. A 12 megapixel HEIC becomes a 12 megapixel JPG, written at quality 92 of 100, which on photographs is very hard to tell apart from the original. When it is worth doing
How do I stop my iPhone from making HEIC files?
Open Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and pick Most Compatible. New shots are saved as JPG. The photos already in your library stay HEIC. Why it was switched on

Convert and open HEIC photos

Step by step guides for the device in front of you, from a single browser tab to Finder, Paint and the command line.

Illustration of a photo file with a map pin being crossed out, showing location data removed Privacy

How to Remove Location From HEIC Photos (iPhone, Mac, PC)

Check and remove GPS location from HEIC photos on iPhone, Mac and Windows, strip whole folders with ExifTool, and see which apps keep your location.

Read the guide →
Illustration of a HEIC file converting to JPG How to

How to Convert HEIC to JPG: iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android

Exact steps to convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone, Mac, Windows 11 and Android with tools you already have, plus a free online option when you cannot install apps.

Learn how →
Illustration of an iPhone converting a HEIC photo to JPG iPhone guide

HEIC to JPG on iPhone: 6 Free Ways (iOS 27, No App)

Convert in Safari with no app, use the four tricks built into iOS, or flip the setting that makes the camera shoot JPG. Exact taps for each.

See the methods →
Changing a HEIC photo to JPG on an Android phone Android guide

How to Change HEIC to JPG on Android and Samsung (2026)

Change HEIC to JPG on Android or Samsung for free: a browser converter with nothing to install, Google Photos, the hidden Samsung Gallery switch or Snapseed.

See the ranking →
Converting a HEIC file to JPG on Windows 10 and Windows 11 How to

Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11 and 10: 7 Free Ways

Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11 or 10 for free: Photos, Paint, a batch method for whole folders, or an online converter that needs no codec at all.

Learn how →
Converting a HEIC photo to JPG on a Mac Mac guide

How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Mac (5 Free Ways, No Apps)

Convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac in two clicks with Finder, set the quality in Preview, export from Photos, or batch thousands of photos with one Terminal command.

Learn how →
Illustration of opening a HEIC file on any device How to

How to Open HEIC Files on Windows 11, 10, Mac and Android

Open HEIC files on Windows 11 and 10, Mac, iPhone and Android: what works out of the box in 2026, the two Microsoft Store fixes and a viewer for any browser.

Learn how →

Compare formats and tools

What you gain and lose next to JPG and PNG, whether the conversion is worth doing at all, and how the popular converters behave once you actually time them.

Understand the format

Where HEIC came from, which devices produce it, and why your phone started saving photos this way in the first place.

How these guides are written

Every guide names the exact menu path and the software version it applies to, so you can see in seconds whether it still matches the screen in front of you. Facts about the format come from the people who define it, meaning the ISO and MPEG specifications and the documentation published by Apple, Microsoft and Google, rather than from other converter pages.

Rankings include tools that beat ours on individual points, because a comparison that never loses is worth nothing. When a platform changes something, the affected guide is rewritten and the date at the top of that article moves with it.

Found a step that no longer matches what you see? Write to contact@heicjpg.online and it gets checked. Published by the heicjpg.online editorial team.

Updated: November 6, 2026

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