How to open and convert iPhone HEIC photos on Windows

Why your photos are HEIC

Since iOS 11 in 2017, iPhones save photos in the HEIC format by default. HEIC files are often about half the size of JPG files at a similar quality, so your phone can hold more pictures.

The catch is that Windows does not always open HEIC out of the box. Depending on your version and settings, you may see an error, a blank thumbnail, or a message asking you to install something from the Microsoft Store. Many websites and older programs also refuse HEIC files.

1. Convert HEIC to JPG in your browser

The quickest fix is to turn the photos into JPG, the format every app understands.

1. Open the HEIC to JPG converter in any modern browser.
2. Drag your HEIC photos into the box, or click Choose files. You can add up to 50 at once.
3. Keep the quality at 90% for photos that look the same as the originals.
4. Click Convert to JPG, then download the photos one by one or as a ZIP file.

Because the converter runs inside your browser, your photos are not uploaded anywhere. That is a good thing for family pictures, screenshots of documents, or anything you would not post publicly. The JPGs are also saved without location data, which is useful if you plan to share the photos online.

2. Add HEIC support to Windows

If you only want to view HEIC photos on your PC, you can add support to Windows itself. Microsoft offers HEIF and HEVC image extensions in the Microsoft Store. Once they are installed, the Photos app can open HEIC files and File Explorer can show thumbnails.

Two things to know: the exact steps depend on your Windows version, and one of the extensions may cost a small fee. Viewing also does not solve the problem when a website or another app needs JPG; for that, you still need to convert.

3. Make your iPhone send JPG

You can change how your iPhone saves or shares photos, so future pictures arrive as JPG:

• Save new photos as JPG: on your iPhone, go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG, but they take up more space.
• Convert when copying to a PC: go to Settings > Photos and, under Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic. Photos copied to your computer with a cable are converted for you.

These settings only affect new photos or transfers. Photos that are already HEIC on your PC stay HEIC, so convert those with option 1.

Which option is best?

Many people combine them: change the iPhone transfer setting for the future, and convert the photos they already have.