If you have copied photos off an iPhone and landed on files ending in .heic that half your software refuses to open, you are not doing anything wrong. Since 2017, iPhones save photos in HEIC instead of JPG, and plenty of programs, websites, and older devices still cannot read it. The fix is to convert them to JPG. Here is how, and what to watch out for.
The three ways people do it
There are really only three routes, and they trade off convenience against privacy and quality.
- On a Mac. Open the photo in Preview, choose File then Export, and pick JPEG. Fine for one or two photos, slow for hundreds.
- On Windows. Install the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store so Windows can open HEIC at all, then re-save through Paint or Photos. Clunky, and it loses the photo's hidden information.
- An online converter. Fast and works on any device, but most of them upload your photos to a stranger's server to do the conversion. That is the part worth pausing on.
The problem with most online converters
When a website converts your HEIC files, the usual design is to upload the originals, convert them on the server, and send back the JPGs. Your photos, often personal ones, sit on someone else's computer for as long as that service chooses to keep them. The privacy policy may say they delete them, but you have no way to check.
A converter that uploads your photos is asking you to trust a stranger with your family album to do a job your own browser can do.
Modern browsers can convert images locally, with no upload at all. That is the approach worth looking for: the conversion happens on your machine, and nothing leaves it.
Do not lose the dates
Every photo carries a hidden block of information called EXIF, which records when the shutter fired and often where you were. A lot of converters quietly strip it, so your converted JPGs all end up dated the day you converted them rather than the day you took them. If the dates matter to you, use a converter that says it keeps EXIF, and spot-check one photo afterwards. We cover this in detail in the guide on getting photos off an iPhone without losing the dates.
The quick version
- Decide whether you actually need JPGs. If everything you use opens HEIC fine, you can leave them alone.
- If you do need JPGs, prefer a tool that converts in your browser rather than uploading.
- Convert, then open one JPG and check the date taken is still correct.
Quick check after converting: on Windows, right-click a JPG, open Properties, then Details. On a Mac, open it in Preview and press the info button. If "date taken" is still right, the EXIF survived.
Where Holdfast fits
The HEIC to JPG tool converts entirely in your browser, so your photos never touch a server, and it carries the dates, locations, and the rest of the EXIF across to the JPG. Drop in a whole folder, convert once, done. One payment, five conversions, no subscription and no account.
Common questions
Is converting HEIC to JPG free?
Converting on a Mac with Preview or on Windows with the free HEIF extension costs nothing. Many online converters are free but upload your photos. The Holdfast tool is a one-time $9 payment and converts in your browser without uploading.
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
Converting from HEIC to JPG involves a re-compression, so there is a tiny theoretical quality change, but at normal quality settings it is invisible. The bigger risk most people hit is losing the photo's date information, not visible quality.
Will I lose the date and location on my photos?
You can, if the converter strips the EXIF block. Use a converter that states it preserves EXIF, and check one photo's date taken after converting.
Can I convert HEIC to JPG without uploading my photos?
Yes. Modern browsers can convert images locally. The Holdfast HEIC to JPG tool does the whole conversion on your own device, so nothing is uploaded.