Convert HEIC to JPG, PNG or WebP

Why convert HEIC?

HEIC is the efficient format iPhones use by default, but most websites, Windows PCs and older apps can't open it. Converting to JPG gives you a photo that works everywhere, at a fraction of a second per image. OptImg decodes HEIC right on your device and re-encodes locally, so your photos are never uploaded — unlike the online HEIC converters that send every image to their servers.

Frequently asked questions

Are my photos uploaded to a server?

No. HEIC decoding and re-encoding both run entirely in your browser: your photo never leaves your device, and there's no size limit beyond your device's memory.

Why can't my browser open HEIC already?

Most browsers (outside Safari) and Windows can't open HEIC by default, largely for licensing reasons. This tool brings its own HEIC support, so it works in any modern browser.

Is the JPG smaller than the HEIC?

Often it's a little larger — HEIC is a very efficient format, so a same-quality JPG can be bigger. The goal here is compatibility, not size; run the result through Compress if you want to shrink it.

Which format should I pick?

JPG for maximum compatibility (photos, sharing, uploads). WebP for a smaller modern file that keeps quality. PNG when you need a lossless copy.

How do I stop my iPhone creating HEIC files in the first place?

In Settings, open Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency. New photos will be saved as JPG from then on. It is worth knowing the trade-off: JPG files are noticeably larger for the same quality, so the setting costs storage. There is also a separate option under Photos called Transfer to Mac or PC — leaving it on Automatic converts HEIC to JPG when you copy photos off the phone, which is often all people actually need.

Does converting lose quality?

A little, in the sense that any lossy re-encode does. The HEIC is decoded to exact pixels and then written out again in the format you chose, so the second encode is where quality is spent. At the default settings the difference is not visible at normal viewing size. If you want a copy with no further loss at all, choose PNG, at the cost of a much larger file.

What happens to Live Photos and burst shots?

A Live Photo is really a still image plus a short video stored alongside it. This tool converts the still frame, which is the part any image format can represent; the motion clip is not carried across, because JPG, PNG and WebP have nowhere to put it. Burst shots are ordinary separate images and convert normally.

Are the date, location and other photo details kept?

Capture time and camera information carry over into the converted file, and orientation is applied to the pixels so the photo appears the right way up everywhere. If you would rather the copy did not carry your location or camera details — for example before posting it publicly — run it through the Remove EXIF tool afterwards, or use Compress with metadata stripping enabled.

Can I convert a folder of HEIC photos at once?

Not yet. The tool currently handles one photo at a time, which is honest to say rather than leave you to discover it. For a large camera roll, converting on the device that took the photos is usually faster: on a Mac, opening the images in Preview and exporting, or changing the transfer setting described above, will handle a batch in one step.