Guide
How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 10 & 11 — without installing anything
iPhone photos arrive as HEIC, and on Windows they show up as unopenable files — or worse, the Photos app asks you to buy a codec from the Microsoft Store. Here are the four real options, starting with the one that needs no installs and uploads nothing.
Method 1 — Convert right here, in your browser (recommended)
The converter below decodes HEIC on this page using WebAssembly — no HEIF/HEVC extensions, no desktop app, and zero uploads. Drop one file or a whole batch, pick JPG, hit Convert.
Drop images here, or choose files
HEIC, HEIF, JPG, PNG and WebP · up to 50 MB each · unlimited count
Choose files- Open this page in Chrome or Edge on your Windows PC.
- Drag your HEIC files (or a whole folder selection) onto the drop zone.
- Keep the target on JPG — adjust quality if you want smaller files.
- Press Convert, then Download all.
All four methods compared
| Method | Install | Cost | Privacy | Batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This page (browser, local)Works on Windows 10 and 11 in Chrome or Edge. No Microsoft Store extensions needed. | None | Free | Files never leave your device | Unlimited |
| Photos app + extensionsThe built-in route, but the HEVC codec is not pre-installed on every PC and many admins block Store installs. | HEIF + HEVC extensions from Microsoft Store | Free HEIF; HEVC codec sometimes $0.99 | Local | One file at a time (export individually) |
| Cloud converter websitesFine for one throwaway screenshot; a poor fit for family photos or client work. | None | Freemium — caps kick in fast | Photos uploaded to their servers | Limited (e.g. 10/day on CloudConvert free) |
| Change iPhone camera settingSettings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes iPhone shoot JPG from now on. Photos already taken stay HEIC. | None (done on the phone) | Free | Local | All future photos |
Method 2 — Photos app with the HEIF/HEVC extensions
Windows 10/11 can open HEIC once two Store extensions are installed: HEIF Image Extensions (free) and HEVC Video Extensions (free from some device makers, otherwise $0.99 — a leftover of how Microsoft licenses the codec). After installing, open a photo in Photos and use Save As / Export to get a JPG. It works, but it's one file at a time, and corporate-managed PCs often block Store installs entirely — which is why sysadmins keep writing forum threads about it.
Method 3 — Cloud converter sites
Search results are full of them. They work, but every photo makes a round trip to their servers, free tiers cap quickly (CloudConvert's free plan is 10 conversions per day), and queues appear at busy hours. Reasonable for one disposable image; think twice before uploading a family camera roll.
Method 4 — Stop HEIC at the source (iPhone)
On the iPhone: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG, and Windows contacts stop hitting the problem. Photos already taken stay HEIC — convert those once with the tool above. (Keeping "High Efficiency" halves your iPhone storage use, so it's a trade-off.)
Bulk converting a large batch on Windows
Select all HEIC files in File Explorer (Ctrl+A inside the folder), drag them onto the drop zone above, and convert — the tool processes them in sequence without a per-day or per-file cap. Converted files download with their original names.
Back to the converter