How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 10 and 11: 7 Free Ways That Work in 2026

By the heicjpg.online editorial team · Updated September 25, 2026 · 13 min read

Someone sends you photos from an iPhone, you double click them on your Windows PC, and you get a blank thumbnail, an error message, or a Microsoft Store page asking for $0.99. That is the moment most people search for how to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows. The good news: it is free, it takes under a minute, and you can do it with tools that are already on your PC or with nothing installed at all.

This guide walks through seven ways that work on Windows 10 and Windows 11 in 2026, from the quickest option for a couple of photos to the right tool for a folder of five hundred. Every method comes with the exact clicks, what it is good for, and where it falls short, so you can pick one and get on with your day.

Why Windows struggles with HEIC in the first place

HEIC is the photo format iPhones have used by default since 2017. Inside the file, the picture is compressed with HEVC, a video codec covered by patents. Microsoft therefore ships the support as two separate pieces instead of building it into every copy of Windows:

• HEIF Image Extensions in the Microsoft Store, which is free and teaches Windows the container format, and
• HEVC Video Extensions, the part that actually decodes the picture data. There is a free "from Device Manufacturer" version on many PCs, and a paid version for about $0.99 for everyone else.

On Windows 11 the HEIF extension usually comes preinstalled, so most newer PCs open HEIC files with no extra steps, although a clean install can lack it. On Windows 10 you often need the Store extensions. Either way, once Windows can read a HEIC file, the built in methods below can turn it into a JPG. If it cannot, the online method works regardless, because the decoding happens on the server rather than on your PC.

Here is what each Windows version can do with a HEIC file on its own, before you install anything:

Method 1: Convert HEIC to JPG online with heicjpg.onlineRecommended

This is the route we recommend to most people, because it removes every variable: it does not matter which Windows you run, whether the Store is blocked at work, or whether the HEVC codec is missing. Your browser uploads the photo, the server decodes it, and a full resolution JPG comes back. On heicjpg.online the whole thing is built to be as short as possible:

1. Open heicjpg.online in any browser: Edge, Chrome and Firefox all work the same.
2. Drag your .heic photos onto the page, or click to select them. There is no convert button to hunt for: each photo starts converting the moment its upload finishes.
3. Click Download next to a single photo, or Download all (ZIP) to get every JPG in one ZIP. The originals on your PC stay untouched.

A typical iPhone photo is ready in about a second. The JPG keeps the full resolution and the EXIF data (capture date, camera model, orientation, location if the phone stored it), so your photo library, insurance claim or listing upload sees the same information it would from a camera JPG. There is no account, no watermark, no ads, and uploaded files are deleted automatically after 30 days.

Method 2: The Windows Photos app (built in, Windows 10 and 11)

Photos is the default viewer on both Windows versions, and it can save any photo it can open as a JPG. The trick is that the option hides inside the editor, not in a Save menu.

On Windows 11:

1. Double click the HEIC file so it opens in Photos. If you see an error instead, jump to the troubleshooting section or use method 1.
2. Click Edit image (the pencil icon) or press Ctrl + E.
3. Click Save options in the top right corner, then Save as copy.
4. In the Save as type list choose JPG, pick a folder and click Save.

On Windows 10: open the photo, click Edit & Create, then Edit, then Save a copy, and change the file type to JPG in the save dialog.

You do not have to change anything in the editor. Saving a copy without edits simply writes a fresh JPG next to the original. Photos keeps the EXIF data and the orientation, which is why we prefer it over Paint when the capture date matters.

Method 3: Paint, the two click classic

Paint has shipped with Windows since 1985 and it is still the fastest way to change one photo. No download, no settings, and it works the same on Windows 10 and 11.

1. Right click your .heic photo, choose Open with, then Paint.
2. Click File, then Save as, then JPEG picture.
3. Choose a folder, keep the name, click Save. You now have a JPG next to your original.

One thing to know: Paint writes a clean file without EXIF metadata, so the capture date, camera model and location do not travel into the JPG. For a photo you are pasting into a document, that does not matter. For an archive it does, so use Photos, PowerToys or the online converter when you want the metadata kept.

If Paint opens an empty window or says the format is not supported, your PC is missing the HEIF support described above. Install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store and try again, or use method 1, which needs nothing installed.

Method 4: PowerToys Image Resizer, the best free batch option

PowerToys is Microsoft's own free toolbox for Windows 10 and 11. Its Image Resizer module processes an entire selection from the right click menu, and here is the clever part: because Windows has no HEIC encoder, Image Resizer cannot save your photo back as HEIC, so it falls back to whatever format you choose. Set that fallback to JPEG and you have a batch converter that handles hundreds of files.

1. Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store (or with winget install Microsoft.PowerToys), open it and enable Image Resizer.
2. In the Image Resizer settings, set Fallback encoder to JPEG. Set JPEG quality level to 90 or higher.
3. Add a size preset measured in percent and set it to 100. Your photos keep their full resolution and are only encoded again.
4. Select all your HEIC files in File Explorer, right click, choose Resize with Image Resizer, pick the 100 percent preset and click Resize.

Every photo lands in the same folder as a JPG with the originals untouched. Microsoft's documentation notes that Image Resizer is not designed as a format converter, which is worth knowing: it works reliably here, but the format change is a side effect of the fallback encoder rather than a headline feature, so check one or two results before you delete anything.

Method 5: Add "Convert to JPEG" to the right click menu with CopyTrans HEIC

If you deal with HEIC files every week, a small free tool that lives in the right click menu pays for itself in saved clicks. CopyTrans HEIC for Windows is free for personal use and does two things: it installs a codec so File Explorer shows HEIC thumbnails and the classic Windows Photo Viewer opens them, and it adds a Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans entry to the context menu.

1. Download CopyTrans HEIC from the developer's site and run the installer once.
2. Select one or many HEIC files in File Explorer and right click.
3. Choose Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans. The JPGs appear next to the originals.

It works on Windows 7 through 11 and does not need the Store extensions, which makes it a good fit for older PCs. Two caveats: it is a third party installer, so download it only from the developer, and the free license covers personal use only.

Method 6: Command line with ImageMagick (for folders and automation)

If you are comfortable with a terminal, ImageMagick converts a whole folder in one line and can run on a schedule. The Windows builds include HEIC support, so nothing else is needed. Open PowerShell and install it with winget:

winget install ImageMagick.ImageMagick

Close and reopen PowerShell, move to the folder with your photos, then convert one file or every file in the folder:

magick IMG_4821.heic IMG_4821.jpg
magick mogrify -format jpg -quality 90 *.heic

The second command writes a JPG for every HEIC in the folder and leaves the originals in place. To include subfolders, let PowerShell walk the tree:

Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter *.heic | ForEach-Object {
  magick $_.FullName ($_.FullName -replace '\.heic$', '.jpg')
}

ImageMagick keeps EXIF data by default and applies the orientation stored in the file, so the JPGs come out the right way up. Quality 90 gives files that look identical to the original at normal viewing sizes; use 95 if you plan to print.

Method 7: Fix it on the iPhone so there is nothing to convert

If the photos keep coming from the same iPhone, spend thirty seconds on that phone and the problem disappears for good. Two settings do it, and you can use either or both:

• Convert only when transferring: on the iPhone open Settings, Photos (on iOS 18 and later: Settings, Apps, Photos), scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic. Copy photos over a USB cable and they arrive on your PC as JPG. The phone keeps its space saving HEIC originals.
• Shoot JPG from now on: open Settings, Camera, Formats and pick Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG. Existing HEIC photos stay HEIC, and JPG takes roughly twice the storage.

Sharing through WhatsApp, Messenger or email usually converts to JPG automatically as well, which is why the same photo can arrive as a JPG in one app and a HEIC in another. AirDrop, iCloud Drive and a plain USB copy with the transfer setting on "Keep Originals" hand over the HEIC as is. If you want the full background, read Why Are My Photos HEIC Instead of JPG?

Which method should you use?

Still undecided? Here is how the routes compare at a glance, followed by the full table:

How to convert many HEIC files to JPG at once on Windows

The short version: for up to 60 photos, drop them all on heicjpg.online and download one ZIP. For a folder of hundreds, use PowerToys Image Resizer (method 4) with the fallback encoder set to JPEG and a 100 percent preset, or the ImageMagick one liner (method 6). Both leave the originals in place and keep the EXIF data, so you can check the results before you clean up.

Avoid doing large batches through Photos or Paint. They work, but one file at a time through a save dialog turns fifty photos into a lost afternoon.

Troubleshooting: when the conversion fails

"This file format isn't supported" or a blank preview

Windows is missing the decoder. Open the Microsoft Store, install HEIF Image Extensions (free), then search for HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer. If the free manufacturer version is not offered for your PC, the paid one costs about $0.99. Or skip all of that and use method 1, which does not touch the decoder on your PC at all.

The Store is blocked or you have no admin rights

Typical on work laptops. The online converter (method 1) is the only route that needs no installation and no permissions. All you need is the browser you already have.

The converted JPG is rotated the wrong way

The HEIC stored an orientation tag and the tool ignored it. Photos, PowerToys, ImageMagick and heicjpg.online all apply the orientation correctly. If a file still comes out sideways, open it in Photos, rotate, and save a copy.

The JPG is bigger than the HEIC

That is normal and not a sign of a bad conversion. HEIC compresses about twice as efficiently as JPG at the same visual quality, so a 2 MB HEIC often becomes a 3 to 4 MB JPG. Our HEIC vs JPG comparison goes into the numbers.

The photo is a Live Photo or a burst

A Live Photo is a HEIC plus a short MOV clip. Every method here converts the still frame; the clip stays behind as a separate file. Bursts are simply many HEIC files and convert like any other batch.

Photos still arrive as HEIC with Automatic selected

Apple describes the Automatic transfer setting as sending photos in a compatible format after checking what the computer can handle, so the iPhone decides for each connection. On a PC that already has the HEIF extensions installed, it may simply hand over the HEIC originals. If you need JPG files, convert the copied photos in one go with method 1 or method 4.

Three mistakes to avoid

Renaming the file does nothing. Changing IMG_4821.heic to IMG_4821.jpg only changes the label. The data inside is still HEVC, so the file opens as a broken image or gets rejected by the website you are uploading to. A real conversion decodes the photo and writes a new JPG.

Not every "HEIC converter" download is safe. Search results are full of installers bundled with extras you did not ask for. You have a free tool from Microsoft already on your PC, another free tool from Microsoft in the Store, and conversion that runs in the browser. There is no reason to run an unknown setup file for this.

Do not delete the originals right away. Convert, open a few JPGs, check that they look right and carry the date you expect, and only then decide what to keep.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just rename a .heic file to .jpg on Windows?

No. The extension is only a label. The picture data inside is still compressed with HEVC, so a renamed file either opens as a broken image or gets rejected by the website you upload it to. The photo has to be decoded and saved again as a real JPG.

Does Windows 11 convert HEIC to JPG automatically?

No. Windows 11 can open HEIC files (on most PCs the HEIF support comes preinstalled), but it never converts them on its own. To get a JPG you open the photo in Photos or Paint and use Save as, run a batch through PowerToys Image Resizer, or use an online converter.

Do I have to pay for the HEVC Video Extensions?

Not necessarily. Many PCs already have the free manufacturer version of the codec, and most Windows 11 PCs come with HEIF support preinstalled. The built in Windows methods only work once the codec is present; if your PC still refuses to open HEIC, an online converter decodes the file on the server, so you need no extension at all.

Does converting HEIC to JPG on Windows lose quality?

There is one round of JPG compression, which at a high quality setting is not visible in a normal photo. Resolution stays exactly the same. Keep the HEIC original if you want an untouched archive copy.

How do I convert many HEIC files at once on Windows?

Install Microsoft PowerToys, set Image Resizer to fall back to JPEG, add a 100 percent preset, then select all the HEIC files, right click and choose Resize with Image Resizer. For a few dozen photos an online converter is faster because there is nothing to install.

Is it safe to convert HEIC to JPG with an online converter?

For everyday photos, yes. On heicjpg.online the upload runs over HTTPS, no account is needed, there are no watermarks, and uploaded files are deleted automatically after 30 days. For confidential material use an offline method such as Photos, Paint or PowerToys.

What is the fastest way to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows?

For one or two photos, Paint or an online converter takes about ten seconds. For a whole folder, PowerToys Image Resizer or a command line loop with ImageMagick is fastest because it processes every file in one go.

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