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HEIC email attachments: how to open them in Gmail or Outlook and send JPG from iPhone

Q: How do I make my iPhone always send JPG?

Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then JPG. Photos you already took stay HEIC, so convert those separately if you need to send them as files.

By the heicjpg.online editorial team · Updated September 30, 2026 · 8 min read

Quick answer

If you received a .heic attachment: download it (don't rely on the preview), then open it in a HEIC capable app or drop it into our free HEIC to JPG converter to get a JPG anyone can use. Apple Mail on a Mac or iPhone shows HEIC natively; Outlook on Windows and most webmail usually do not.

If you are sending from an iPhone: attach photos with Photo Library in Mail or from the Share button in Photos, not with Attach File, then check the file name ends in .jpg in your Sent folder. For JPG every time, set Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible.

Why HEIC attachments cause trouble

iPhones save photos as HEIC by default (the setting is called High Efficiency). A HEIC file is roughly half the size of a comparable JPG, which is great for storage, but not every email app, browser or computer can decode it. If you want the background, see what a HEIC file is and why your photos are HEIC instead of JPG.

Email adds its own twist. The HEIC file itself is almost never blocked: .heic is not on Gmail's list of blocked file types, so the message arrives with the attachment intact. The problem is the preview. Webmail and desktop clients show a thumbnail only for formats they can decode, so the recipient sees a gray file icon, a "no previewer installed" message, or a download that nothing on the computer wants to open.

Apple is open about this: its HEIF and HEVC support page says media shared by AirDrop, Messages or email may be converted to a more compatible format. The word "may" matters. Whether a given photo leaves your iPhone as HEIC or JPG depends on how you attach it, which is covered below.

What each email client does with a HEIC attachment

This is the recipient side. Behavior depends on the client, the operating system and, for webmail, the browser, so treat the table as the typical result and use the right column when you hit a wall.

Email client	Previews HEIC?	Downloads as	Fix
Apple Mail (Mac, iPhone, iPad)	Yes, inline	.heic	Nothing needed; export as JPG from Preview or Photos if you must forward it
Gmail on the web	Not reliably; often a file icon	.heic	Download, then convert or open in a HEIC viewer
Gmail app on iPhone	Usually yes (iOS decodes HEIC)	.heic	Tap to view; save to Photos or Files
Gmail app on Android	Depends on the phone and Android version	.heic	Download and open in Google Photos or a gallery app, or convert
Classic Outlook for Windows	No in the reading pane ("no previewer installed")	.heic	Double click to open in Photos after installing HEIF support, or convert
New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web	Typically no thumbnail	.heic	Download, then open in Photos or convert
Outlook for Mac and iPhone	Usually yes (uses Apple's decoder)	.heic	Nothing needed
Yahoo Mail on the web	Typically no	.heic	Download, then convert

How to check your own client

Microsoft, Google and Yahoo do not publish a list of image formats their webmail previews, and it changes with browser updates. The quick test: if you see a real thumbnail, the client can render HEIC; if you see a generic icon or an error, download the file and use one of the fixes below.

How to open a HEIC attachment you received

Pick the route that matches your device. All of them start with saving the attachment, because previews are where HEIC fails most often.

On Windows (Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo in a browser)

Save the attachment: in Outlook, click the arrow next to the file and choose Download (or Save as in classic Outlook). In Gmail, hover the file and click the download icon.
Double click the saved .heic file. If Windows Photos opens it, you are done.
If Photos says an extension is required, install the free HEIF Image Extension from the Microsoft Store. Some PCs also need HEVC Video Extensions, which is free from the device manufacturer on many PCs and about $0.99 otherwise. Our guide to HEIC on Windows 11 and 10 walks through it.
Even with the extensions installed, classic Outlook's reading pane may still refuse to preview HEIC. That is a preview limitation; double clicking opens the file normally.

On a Mac or iPhone

Apple Mail shows HEIC inline. Tap or click the image, then save it to Photos or Files. Nothing to install.

On Android or a Chromebook

Download the file and open it in Google Photos or the gallery app. Recent Android versions decode HEIC, but some older phones and some apps do not. Our guide to opening HEIC files on any device covers the edge cases.

Anywhere, with nothing to install

Open the HEIC viewer to look at the photo in your browser, or drop the file on the HEIC to JPG converter to get a JPG. It handles up to 60 photos per batch and 40 MB per file, and returns one ZIP, which is handy when someone emailed you a whole album.

How to convert a HEIC attachment to JPG so you can use it

Viewing is not always enough. If you need to put the photo in a Word document, upload it to a form that only accepts JPG, or forward it to someone else, convert it.

Save all HEIC attachments from the email to one folder (Gmail and Outlook both offer a download all option when a message has several attachments).
Open heicjpg.online in any modern browser and drop the files in.
Download the ZIP of JPGs. Quality is set to 92, so the result looks the same as the original for normal use.

Location data travels with the file

The converter keeps EXIF metadata, including GPS location if the sender's iPhone recorded it. If you plan to forward or publish the photos, check whether that is acceptable first.

For many files at once, see how to batch convert HEIC to JPG. If the photos are going into a report, HEIC to PDF may be the better target.

Sending from iPhone: when Mail sends JPG and when it sends HEIC

This is the sender side. The key is how the photo gets into the message, not which app you think of as "email".

How you attach	What usually arrives	Notes
Mail: tap the attachment icon above the keyboard, then Photo Library	JPG	The photo comes from the Photos library, which hands out a compatible copy
Photos: Share button, then Mail	JPG	Same mechanism as above
Mail: Take Photo or Video	JPG	Check once in Sent if it matters
Mail: Attach File (browsing in Files or iCloud Drive)	HEIC	Files sends the file as it is stored, extension and all
Forwarding an email that already has a .heic attachment	HEIC	Forwarding never converts
Gmail app or Outlook app on iPhone	Varies by app version and attach method	Microsoft support answers from Outlook users report HEIC arriving; verify with a test email

Apple's own guide to adding email attachments on iPhone lists exactly these three buttons (Attach File, Photo Library, Take Photo or Video) and does not document format conversion, so the table reflects widely reported behavior rather than an Apple promise.

What about Actual Size?

When a message with large photos is ready to send, iPhone Mail can offer to scale the images to Small, Medium, Large or Actual Size. The smaller sizes create resized copies. Actual Size keeps full resolution. The size choice is about pixels and megabytes; it is not a documented format switch, so if the format matters to you, look at the attachment name in your Sent folder after choosing Actual Size.

Messages over the size limit

Gmail accepts up to 25 MB of attachments per message. A handful of full size iPhone photos can pass that. iPhone Mail offers Mail Drop when a message is too big, which sends a download link instead of the files.

The settings that decide HEIC or JPG

If you want the recipient to get JPG no matter which app you send from, change the source instead of fighting each email client.

Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible: new photos are saved as JPG from now on. Existing HEIC photos stay HEIC. The cost is roughly double the storage per photo. Our iPhone HEIC to JPG guide explains the tradeoff and how to convert the photos you already have.
Settings > Apps > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC: Automatic converts to JPG when you import over a USB cable; Keep Originals does not. This affects cable transfers, not email, so changing it will not fix an attachment problem.
Share sheet Options: when you share from Photos, tap Options at the top of the share sheet and turn off Location if your iOS version shows it; otherwise remove the location in the photo's info panel with Adjust Location > No Location before sharing. Useful if you do not want the recipient to see where the photo was taken. Details in our guide to removing location from HEIC photos.

Not sure whether to switch? Read should I convert HEIC to JPG and HEIC vs JPG for the full comparison.

Sending from a Mac: watch Apple Mail and the Finder

A common way HEIC leaks into email is a Mac. If you drag a HEIC file from the Finder into a message, or your photos are stored as files rather than in the Photos app, Mail attaches the file as it is. Users on Apple's forums have reported Mac Mail sending .heic attachments that recipients on Windows could not open.

Two reliable routes: in Photos, select the pictures and choose File > Export > Export Photos with Photo Kind set to JPEG, then attach the exported files; or open the file in Preview and choose File > Export with Format set to JPEG. The Mail image size menu (Small, Medium, Large, Actual Size) changes dimensions, so do not count on it to change the format. More options are in our Mac conversion guide.

Checklist before you hit Send

Attach photos with Photo Library in Mail or from the Share button in Photos, not with Attach File.
If you pick a size, choose Large or Actual Size so the recipient can print or zoom.
If the photos should not reveal where they were taken, turn off Location under Options in the share sheet if your iOS version shows it; otherwise use Adjust Location > No Location in the photo's info panel first.
Keep the total under your provider's limit (25 MB for Gmail) or let Mail Drop handle it.
After sending, open the message in Sent and confirm the attachments end in .jpg or .jpeg.
If anything still shows .heic, convert the files first with the HEIC to JPG converter and attach the JPGs.
Sending to the same people often, from several apps? Switch the camera to Most Compatible.

Got HEIC photos to share?

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Frequently asked questions

Why can't I open a HEIC attachment in Outlook?

Outlook on Windows relies on Windows to decode HEIC, and the reading pane in classic Outlook often shows "no previewer installed" even when the codecs are present. Save the attachment, install the free HEIF Image Extension if Photos asks for it, and double click the file, or convert it with the HEIC to JPG converter.

Does Gmail support HEIC attachments?

Gmail accepts them; .heic is not a blocked file type. What varies is the preview: the Gmail app on iPhone usually shows the image, while Gmail on the web and on some Android phones may show only a file icon. Download the file and open or convert it.

Does the iPhone Mail app convert HEIC to JPG automatically?

Usually, when the photo comes from the Photos library (Photo Library button in Mail, or Share from Photos). It does not convert files attached with Attach File from the Files app, or HEIC attachments you forward. Apple only says shared media may be converted, so check the extension in your Sent folder.

How do I make my iPhone always send JPG?

Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then JPG. Photos you already took stay HEIC, so convert those separately if you need to send them as files.

Is it safe to convert an emailed HEIC photo online?

The converter works in any modern browser with no account, and download links expire after 30 days, when files are deleted. It keeps EXIF data including GPS location, so remember that location stays in the JPG if the original had it.