How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 10 and 11 (one photo or a whole folder)

iPhones save photos as HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) by default. The files are about half the size of a JPG at the same quality, which is great on the phone and annoying everywhere else: copy them to a Windows PC and plenty of programs, upload forms, print kiosks and older editors won't open them. This guide covers every way to turn HEIC into JPG on Windows 10 and Windows 11, from a single photo to a whole folder, and how to stop the problem at the source.

Why Windows can't open HEIC photos

HEIC stores the picture with the same HEVC (H.265) compression used for 4K video. Windows doesn't ship that decoder for free. To view HEIC in the Photos app you need two Microsoft Store add-ons: HEIF Image Extensions (free) and HEVC Video Extensions (a small paid extension, unless it came pre-installed on your PC). Even with both installed, most other programs still can't read the files, so converting to JPG is usually the real fix.

Method 1: one photo at a time with the Photos app

1. Install HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, if Photos can't open the file.
2. Open the HEIC photo in Photos.
3. Choose … (See more) → Save as, pick .jpg as the type and save.

That works, but it's one photo per round of clicks, and it depends on the paid codec. Fine for three photos; painful for three hundred.

Method 2: batch convert a whole folder (offline)

For a camera roll's worth of photos you want a batch converter that runs on the PC. Three things matter: it should decode HEIC itself (no codec purchase), keep your originals and folder structure, and let you remove the GPS location that iPhones embed in every photo before you share them.

That's exactly why we built PixFerry, a Windows app with HEIC and HEIF decoders built in. Drop in files or whole folders (subfolders included), pick JPG, PNG or WebP, and press Convert:

• Converts HEIC, HEIF, WebP, AVIF, PNG, BMP and TIFF to JPG, PNG or WebP;
• quality slider, and batch resize by maximum pixels or percent;
• removes EXIF and GPS location by default (switch it off to keep the date taken);
• keeps the folder structure and never overwrites an original;
• lists any file that failed, and why;
• works offline with no account, ads or analytics: your photos never leave the PC.

Method 3: online converters (and their catch)

Plenty of websites convert HEIC to JPG in the browser. Read the small print first: many upload each photo to their server, so your pictures (and the GPS location inside them) leave your computer, and most cap the number or size of files. For a couple of non-personal images they're fine; for family photos, an offline tool is the safer choice. Our own webpconverttojpg.com converters run inside your browser instead of uploading.

Stop new iPhone photos saving as HEIC

Two settings on the iPhone avoid the problem for future photos:

• Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. The camera saves JPG instead of HEIC (the files are bigger).
• Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic. When you copy photos to Windows over USB, the iPhone converts them to JPG on the way.

Neither setting touches photos you already have, so for an existing library you still need a converter.

Which method should you use?

• One or two photos: the Photos app's Save as, if the codecs are installed.
• A folder or a whole year of photos: a batch converter such as PixFerry.
• A quick non-personal image on someone else's PC: a browser-based converter that doesn't upload.
• From now on: switch the iPhone to Most Compatible or Automatic transfer.

More Windows tools from the studio are on our Windows apps page, and if your trouble is WebP images saved from websites, see how to save any web image as JPG in Chrome.