How to convert HEIF to JPG
- Select the HEIF file. Drop a .heif or .heic photo into the box above, or click "Choose Files". You can select several at once.
- Let the browser convert it. The image is decoded and saved as JPG on your device with WebAssembly; the photo is not uploaded.
- Save the JPG. Click "Download JPG", or download the completed files of a batch as one ZIP.
HEIF and HEIC: how they relate
HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a container standard published by MPEG as ISO/IEC 23008-12. A HEIF file can hold one or more images, and the standard allows different compression methods inside the container.
HEIC is the HEIF variant whose images are compressed with HEVC (H.265). On iPhone and iPad, the High Efficiency camera setting saves photos this way, with the .HEIC extension. Every HEIC file is a HEIF file, but not every HEIF file is HEIC.
| Format | What it is |
|---|---|
| HEIF | The container standard. Media type image/heif, usual extension .heif. The images inside may use any compression method. |
| HEIC | HEIF with HEVC-compressed images. Media type image/heic, usual extension .heic. The default on Apple devices set to High Efficiency. |
Sources: the IANA registrations for image/heif and image/heic, and Apple's WWDC 2017 session on HEIF.
Which devices save HEIF photos
- iPhone and iPad: with the camera format set to High Efficiency, photos are saved as HEIF with HEVC compression, using the .HEIC extension (Apple Support).
- Samsung Galaxy phones: the camera settings let you choose to save pictures in HEIF (Samsung Support).
- Android 9 and later: the system can encode HEIF images, so camera and gallery apps may save photos in this format (Android Developers).
The extension depends on the device and app that created the file. Some save .heif, others .heic for the same kind of HEVC-compressed photo.
Why Windows and some apps cannot open HEIF
Windows reads the HEIF container through the HEIF Image Extension. According to its Microsoft Store listing, viewing images in .heic or .heif files also requires the HEVC Video Extensions package. If either one is missing, the Photos app may show an error or a blank preview.
Many upload forms, older photo editors, and messaging services accept only JPG or PNG, so they reject a HEIF file even when your computer can display it. Converting to JPG here needs no codec or extension: the browser page does the decoding.
How to tell whether a file is HEIF or HEIC
Start with the extension: .heic usually means HEVC-compressed HEIF, while .heif can be any HEIF file. An extension is only a name, though, and it can be changed without changing the contents.
The file itself declares its type near the start: after the letters "ftyp" comes a four-letter brand. You can see it by opening the file in a hex viewer.
| Brand | Meaning |
|---|---|
| heic, heix | HEIC: HEIF with HEVC-compressed images. |
| mif1, msf1 | General HEIF image or image sequence. The images inside are often HEVC, but other compression methods are allowed. |
For converting, you do not need to check: choose the file and this page reads its contents, not its name.
What the JPG keeps and what it drops
The JPG contains the image pixels only. EXIF and other metadata, such as capture date, camera model, and GPS location, are not copied. The rotation stored in the HEIF file is applied to the pixels, so the photo appears upright without an orientation tag.
If you need the original date or location, keep the HEIF file. If you are sharing the photo and prefer not to include location data, the JPG copy does not carry it.
HEIF questions
What is the difference between HEIF and HEIC?
HEIF is the container standard (ISO/IEC 23008-12). HEIC is a HEIF file whose images are compressed with HEVC, which is what iPhones save by default. This page converts both to JPG.
Can I just rename a .heif file to .jpg?
No. Renaming changes only the name; the contents are still HEIF, so apps that expect a JPG will fail to open it. Renaming .heif to .heic does not convert the file either. Use the converter to create a real JPG.
Does the JPG keep the EXIF data from my HEIF photo?
No. Capture date, camera details, GPS location, and other metadata are not copied into the JPG. Orientation is applied to the pixels so the image still appears upright. Keep the original if you need the metadata.
Why does my HEIF file show "This doesn't look like a valid HEIC/HEIF file"?
A small number of HEIF files use a newer low-overhead structure (for example, the mif3 format exported by some cameras or software), and this converter cannot open them yet. HEIF files whose images use compression other than HEVC can also fail to convert. Check that the file is complete, or export it from the original app as JPG.
Will the JPG be larger than the HEIF file?
Often, yes. HEIF was designed to compress better than JPEG, so a JPG of similar quality usually takes more space. For a single photo, you can lower the quality setting to get a smaller file.
Can I convert .heic files on this page too?
Yes. This page and the HEIC to JPG converter use the same converter. Drop .heif and .heic files together if you have both.
HEIF files this page cannot convert yet
- HEIF files with the newer low-overhead structure, such as the mif3 format exported by some cameras or software.
- HEIF files whose images are stored with compression other than HEVC, for example JPEG or uncompressed images inside the HEIF container.
If a file fails, the other files in the batch are not affected. Keep the original, and try exporting it as JPG from the app or device that created it.