HEIC in Google Drive: preview, upload, download and convert to JPG

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

What Google Drive actually does with HEIC files

Google Drive is storage first. When you upload an iPhone photo, Drive keeps the file exactly as it arrived: an IMG_1234.HEIC stays a HEIC file, with the same size, the same data and the same metadata. Drive has no Convert or Save as JPG command for images, not on the web, not in the phone apps and not in Drive for desktop.

That matters because HEIC is an Apple default, not a universal format. If you are new to it, our guide what a HEIC file is explains why iPhones use it. Everything that happens after the upload (previewing, downloading, sharing, inserting into Docs) depends on whether the next app understands HEIC. Drive itself never changes the file.

Action by action: do you get HEIC or JPG?

This is the table most guides are missing. It covers the common ways people move iPhone photos in and out of Google's services and what file you end up holding.

The pattern is simple: Google moves your HEIC files around faithfully, but it does not convert them for you. If you need JPG, you convert yourself, either before the upload or after the download.

Google Drive HEIC preview on the web

Open a HEIC file at drive.google.com and one of two things happens. Often you get a thumbnail and a normal preview, because Google renders a picture of the file on its servers. Other times you see a gray icon and the message No preview available, or Couldn't preview file. The file is not broken in either case; only the preview failed.

Two details trip people up:

• The preview is not the photo. Google notes that a Drive preview is a scaled down version of the full file. Right clicking it and choosing Save image as saves that smaller rendition, not a proper full resolution JPG of your photo. It is fine for a quick look, not for printing or archiving.
• Shared links behave the same way. The person you share with sees the same preview (or the same missing preview) and downloads the same HEIC file.

If you only need to look at a photo, download it and open it in our free HEIC viewer in the browser. It works on Windows, Chromebooks and Android without installing anything.

Uploading iPhone photos to Google Drive as JPG

The Drive app for iPhone and iPad uploads what iOS hands it. Google's help page describes the flow as tapping Add (the plus button), then Upload, then picking your files. In practice there are two sources:

• Photos and Videos reads from your photo library. Photos taken in the High Efficiency format arrive in Drive as HEIC.
• Browse opens the Files app. Whatever is stored there is uploaded byte for byte, so a HEIC saved to Files stays HEIC.

To check what you uploaded, tap the three dots next to the file, open its details, and look at the file name and type. There is no switch inside the Drive app that forces JPG. You have three reliable options instead:

1. Shoot JPG from now on. On iOS 27, open Settings, Camera, Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG, so later uploads are JPG too. Existing photos do not change. Our article on why your photos are HEIC instead of JPG covers the trade offs.
2. Convert on the phone before uploading. Open heicjpg.online in Safari, pick up to 60 photos, and save the JPG files to Files. Then upload them to Drive with Browse. The full routine is in how to convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone.
3. Upload HEIC now, convert later. Keep the originals in Drive and make JPG copies only when someone needs them (see the bulk section below).

Drive for desktop and sharing a folder with Windows users

Drive for desktop syncs files, it does not transform them. A folder of iPhone photos shows up in File Explorer or Finder as HEIC files. On a Mac they open in Preview and Photos without extra software. On Windows 11 the story depends on codecs: the Photos app and File Explorer thumbnails need the free HEIF Image Extensions plus the paid HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Without them, a Windows user who syncs or downloads your shared folder sees blank icons or an error in Photos.

If you share a Drive folder of HEIC photos with Windows users, you have three choices:

• Share JPG copies. Convert once, put the JPG files in a separate folder such as Photos JPG, and share that. This is the only option that works for everyone, including older PCs, work laptops that block the Store, and apps like email clients and print shops.
• Ask them to install the extensions. Our guide to converting HEIC to JPG on Windows lists what to install and what it costs.
• Let them convert on their side. They download the ZIP and drop the HEIC files into the converter. No install, no account.

One more thing before sharing: the converter keeps EXIF metadata, including GPS location, and has no option to strip it. If you would rather not share where photos were taken, remove it on the iPhone before uploading: tap Options at the top of the share sheet and switch off Location if your iOS version shows it; otherwise use Adjust Location > No Location in the photo's info panel. Our guide to removing location from HEIC photos has every route.

Bulk: convert a Google Drive folder of HEIC to JPG

This is the fastest route when the photos are already in Drive. It works the same on Windows, Mac and ChromeOS.

1. Open the folder at drive.google.com. Select the photos (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A selects everything in the list) or right click the folder itself.
2. Choose Download. Drive prepares a ZIP file. Big folders are split into several ZIP files, so wait until every part has downloaded.
3. Unzip the archive. On Windows right click and choose Extract All; on a Mac double click; on a Chromebook open the ZIP in Files and copy the photos out.
4. Go to heicjpg.online and add up to 60 photos per batch (40 MB per file at most). Repeat for the next 60.
5. Download the result as one ZIP of JPG files, then upload that folder back to Drive if you want JPG copies in the cloud.

Download links from the converter stay valid for 30 days, after which the files are deleted, so save your ZIP right away. For hundreds of photos, our batch conversion guide has tips on splitting folders into batches.

Convert first, then upload?

If the photos are still on your phone or computer, converting before the upload saves a round trip: you upload JPG once instead of uploading HEIC, downloading and uploading again. The catch is storage. HEIC files are usually much smaller than JPG files of the same photo (see HEIC vs JPG), so a JPG archive uses more of your Google storage. Many people keep the HEIC originals in Google Photos and put only the JPG copies they need to share in Drive.

Google Photos vs Google Drive for HEIC

They are separate products and they treat HEIC differently.

• Google Photos understands HEIC. Google lists .heic and .heif among the supported photo types (up to 200 MB and 200 MP per photo), so thumbnails, editing and search all work.
• Google Photos usually gives back what you backed up. Downloading an iPhone original from photos.google.com normally returns the HEIC file, and Google Takeout exports originals too. Behavior has changed over the years, so check the extension of what you download instead of assuming JPG.
• Google Drive only stores the file. It previews HEIC inconsistently and never converts it.

So if your goal is simply to see iPhone photos on another device, Google Photos is the better home. If your goal is to hand files to other people or other apps, JPG in Drive is the safer bet. On an Android phone you can also convert locally; see how to change HEIC to JPG on Android.

HEIC in Google Docs and Slides

Inserting a HEIC photo straight from Drive into a document or presentation usually fails. In Docs or Slides, Insert, Image, Drive may not accept the file, or it shows an error such as an unsupported image type. Google's developer documentation for Slides spells out the rules for images: less than 50 MB, no more than 25 megapixels, and PNG, JPEG or GIF format.

That also explains a second, less obvious failure. A 48 MP photo from a recent iPhone exceeds 25 megapixels, so even after conversion to JPG it can be rejected. The fix:

1. Convert the HEIC to JPG (or to PNG with HEIC to PNG for screenshots and graphics).
2. Upload the JPG to Drive, then use Insert, Image, Drive.
3. If it still refuses a large photo, resize it below 25 megapixels (for example 6000 by 4000 pixels is 24 MP) and try again.

Troubleshooting HEIC in Google Drive

• "No preview available" or "Couldn't preview file". Drive failed to render the HEIC. Download the file and open it in the HEIC viewer, or convert it to JPG and upload the copy.
• "File type not supported" or "unsupported image type" in Docs, Slides or another app. The app does not read HEIC. Convert to JPG or PNG first.
• Thumbnails are blank after Drive for desktop syncs. On Windows, install HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions, or keep a JPG folder alongside the HEIC one.
• The downloaded "JPG" will not open. Renaming .heic to .jpg does not convert anything; the data is still HEIC. Convert it properly.
• The saved image is small or blurry. You saved the Drive preview, which is scaled down. Download the original and convert it instead.
• The folder download never finishes or only part arrives. Large folders come as several ZIP files. Check your downloads for every part, and allow pop ups and multiple downloads for drive.google.com in your browser.
• The converter rejects a file. Check that it is under 40 MB and really a HEIC or HEIF image. Batches are limited to 60 photos.

Still unsure which tool fits? Our overview of how to open HEIC files covers every platform.

Frequently asked questions

Can Google Drive convert HEIC to JPG?

No. Drive stores HEIC files as they are and has no conversion command on the web, in the apps or in Drive for desktop. Download the files, convert them with a tool such as heicjpg.online, and upload the JPG copies if you need them in Drive.

Why does Google Drive say no preview available for my HEIC photo?

HEIC is not on Google's official list of image types Drive can preview, so previews are inconsistent. The file itself is fine. Download it and open it in a HEIC viewer, or convert it to JPG, which Drive always previews.

Does the Google Drive iPhone app upload photos as JPG?

Not by itself. Photos shot in the High Efficiency format are uploaded as HEIC. To get JPG in Drive, switch the camera to Most Compatible under Settings, Camera, Formats for future photos, or convert existing photos before uploading.

How do I download HEIC from Google Drive as JPG?

Drive always downloads the original HEIC (inside a ZIP when you download several files). Unzip it and convert up to 60 photos at a time in the browser. Saving the preview image only gives you a scaled down copy.

Can I insert HEIC images into Google Docs or Slides?

Not reliably. Google documents PNG, JPEG and GIF as the accepted image formats for Slides, with a 50 MB and 25 megapixel limit. Convert HEIC to JPG, and resize very large 48 MP photos, before inserting.

Is Google Photos better than Google Drive for HEIC?

For viewing, yes: Google Photos supports HEIC and shows thumbnails everywhere. For sharing files with Windows users or other apps, JPG copies in Drive are more compatible.

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