The short answer
Windows can't open iPhone photos (.heic) until it has Microsoft's HEIF and HEVC extensions. If you only need a few photos, the fastest fix is to convert them to JPG in your browser. If you deal with iPhone photos all the time, install the extensions — or change one iPhone setting so your photos arrive as JPG to begin with.
You copy photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC, double-click one, and get an error — or a blank thumbnail, or an app asking you to buy something. Nothing is wrong with the photos. Since iOS 11, iPhones save pictures as HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container), a format that takes about half the space of a JPG at similar quality. Windows simply doesn't include the decoder for it on every PC.
There are four ways around it. Which one is right depends on whether this is a one-off or something you'll hit every week.
On this page
Which fix should you use?
| Situation | Best fix | Time |
|---|---|---|
| A few photos, need them now (an upload form, an email) | Convert them to JPG | 1 minute |
| You open iPhone photos on this PC regularly | Install the Windows extensions | 5 minutes, once |
| You transfer photos from your iPhone with a cable | Turn on automatic transfer conversion | 30 seconds, once |
| You never need HEIC's smaller files | Make the iPhone shoot JPG | 30 seconds, once |
The last two options fix the problem at the source, so you won't have to think about it again. The first two help with the photos you already have.
Fix 1: Convert HEIC photos to JPG
This is the quickest route when a website, job portal or older program refuses HEIC. You end up with ordinary JPG files that open everywhere.
- 1Open the HEIC to JPG converter.
- 2Drag in your .heic files — you can drop a whole batch at once.
- 3Leave the quality around 90% (it looks identical to the original for photos) and press convert.
- 4One photo downloads as a JPG; several download together in a ZIP file.
The conversion runs inside your browser, so your photos aren't uploaded anywhere — worth caring about when the pictures are of your family, your ID or your home. Expect a few seconds per photo, because HEIC takes real work to decode.
Need the JPG to be small as well?
Upload forms often cap files at 100 KB or 200 KB, and a converted iPhone photo is usually 1–4 MB. Run the JPG through the image compressor and choose “To a file size”. Our guide on getting a photo under 100 KB explains the details.Fix 2: Teach Windows to open HEIC
If you'll keep receiving iPhone photos, it's worth letting Windows read them directly. Two pieces from the Microsoft Store are involved:
- HEIF Image Extensions — free, and already installed on many Windows 11 PCs.
- HEVC Video Extensions — the part that actually decodes iPhone photos, because HEIC images are compressed with the HEVC codec. Some PCs have it from the manufacturer; on others Microsoft charges a small fee for it.
Once both are installed (and the Photos app restarted), HEIC files open in Photos, show thumbnails in File Explorer and can be opened in Paint and saved as JPG.
Fix 3: Let the iPhone convert photos when you copy them
iPhones can convert photos to JPG on the fly while they're being copied to a computer with a cable. It's usually on by default, but worth checking if you're getting .heic files:
- 1On the iPhone, open Settings → Photos.
- 2Scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic.
“Keep Originals” copies the HEIC files exactly as they are; “Automatic” hands Windows a compatible JPG instead. Your photos stay as HEIC on the phone, so you keep the space savings there.
This setting only applies to cable transfers. Photos that reach your PC through iCloud, some cloud-storage apps or chat apps may still arrive as HEIC.
Fix 4: Make the iPhone save photos as JPG
If you'd rather never see HEIC again, switch the camera format:
- 1Open Settings → Camera → Formats.
- 2Choose Most Compatible.
New photos are saved as JPG from then on. The trade-off is space: each picture takes roughly twice as much storage, which adds up quickly if your iCloud or phone storage is nearly full. Photos you took earlier stay as HEIC — convert those with Fix 1.
Some camera features need HEIC
Some options on recent iPhones — such as 48-megapixel “HEIF Max” photos and some high-frame-rate video modes — only work with “High Efficiency”. If a camera option disappears after switching, that's why.What changes when HEIC becomes JPG?
- File size goes up. A JPG at the same visual quality is usually larger — often around double.
- Live Photos become stills. The motion part of a Live Photo is a separate video; converting gives you the still frame.
- Picture quality is effectively the same at 85–95% JPG quality. You'd need to zoom far in to spot a difference.
- HDR and wide color may look slightly flatter as JPG on very good screens; on most monitors you won't notice.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my iPhone save photos as HEIC?
Because HEIC files are roughly half the size of JPG at similar quality, so your phone and iCloud storage go further. Apple made it the default in iOS 11.
Can Windows 11 open HEIC files?
Yes, once the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions are installed from the Microsoft Store. Many PCs have the first one already; the HEVC part is often the one that's missing.
Is it safe to convert HEIC to JPG online?
It depends on the site. Many converters upload your photos to their servers. A converter that runs in your browser, like ours, never sends the files anywhere — check for that before converting personal photos.
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
Slightly in theory, since JPG is also a lossy format, but at 85–95% quality the difference isn't visible in normal viewing.
How do I convert many HEIC photos at once?
Drop them all into the HEIC to JPG converter together. They're converted one after another and download as a single ZIP file.
OnlineToolPro Editorial Team
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