Convert iPhone Photos to JPG
Works on the iPhone itself in Safari, or on your computer after you have moved the photos across. One photo or hundreds, and nothing is ever uploaded.
Your photos are converted on your own device and never leave it - nothing is uploaded to a server.
Works with files up to ~50 MB each. WebP export isn't available in Safari - the browser itself doesn't support saving it.
Two ways to do it
Which one you want depends on where the photos are right now. Both use the same converter above and both keep the files on your device.
On the iPhone
Open this page in Safari, tap Choose files, pick photos from your library, then tap Save to Photos on each result. No app to install.
On a computer
Move the photos across first - USB cable, iCloud or email - then drop the whole folder in here and take one .zip back. For very large libraries see batch conversion.
Then stop it recurring
On the iPhone: Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPEG from that point on.
Why your iPhone photos arrive as .HEIC
Since iOS 11 the iPhone camera has saved photos as HEIC rather than JPEG, because HEIC stores the same picture in roughly half the space. Apple licenses the HEVC codec that HEIC depends on, so the format is invisible on an iPhone or a Mac - everything just opens. The trouble starts the moment a photo leaves the Apple world, because decoding HEVC costs patent royalties and most other software refuses to pay them. If you want the format itself explained, see what a HEIC file is; if you are deciding which format to keep, HEIC vs JPG covers the trade-off.
The iPhone setting that should fix this - and often doesn't
Your iPhone has a setting specifically for this problem, and it is not the one most guides point you at. Under Settings › Photos, near the bottom, Transfer to Mac or PC offers two options:
- Automatic - convert HEIC to JPEG when the receiving computer can't display HEIC.
- Keep Originals - always send the untouched HEIC file.
Setting it to Automatic is the correct answer in theory. In practice, users on Apple's own support forums have reported across iOS 16, 17 and later that photos still land on Windows as .HEIC with Automatic selected, sometimes for entire libraries of a few thousand images (Apple Support Communities). There is no reliable fix offered in those threads other than converting the files yourself - which is what the tool at the top of this page does, for as many photos as you like, in one go.
Worth knowing too: AirDrop does not convert anything. Between Apple devices it sends the original HEIC, because the receiving device can read it - and AirDrop doesn't reach Windows PCs at all.
| Route | Arrives as | Batch | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB cable, Transfer setting on "Automatic" | JPG, in theory | Yes | Widely reported to send HEIC anyway |
| USB cable, "Keep Originals" | HEIC | Yes | Needs converting afterwards |
| AirDrop | HEIC | Yes | Apple devices only - not Windows |
| iCloud for Windows | Depends on settings | Yes | Requires the app and an account |
| Emailing photos to yourself | Often JPG | A few at a time | Resizes and recompresses your photos |
| Converting in the browser | JPG | Yes | None - runs on your own device |
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert iPhone photos to JPG on the iPhone itself?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on the iPhone, tap "Choose files", pick the photos from your library, and tap "Save to Photos" on each converted image. The conversion happens on the phone - no app to install and nothing is uploaded.
Why do my iPhone photos arrive on Windows as .HEIC?
Because that is the format the iPhone camera has saved in by default since iOS 11, and Windows cannot decode it without a paid Microsoft Store add-on. Your iPhone has a setting meant to convert photos to JPEG during transfer, but many users report it does not reliably do so. The Windows guide covers every workaround.
What does the iPhone "Transfer to Mac or PC" setting actually do?
In Settings › Photos, the "Transfer to Mac or PC" option has two choices. "Automatic" is supposed to convert HEIC photos to JPEG when the receiving computer cannot display HEIC; "Keep Originals" always sends the untouched HEIC file. In practice, users on Apple's own support forums have reported through several iOS versions that Automatic often sends HEIC anyway.
Does AirDrop convert HEIC photos to JPG?
No. AirDrop between Apple devices sends the original HEIC file, because the receiving Mac or iPhone can display it natively. AirDrop is not available to Windows PCs at all, so it does not help with the compatibility problem.
How do I stop my iPhone creating HEIC photos in the first place?
Open Settings › Camera › Formats and choose "Most Compatible". From then on the camera saves JPEG instead of HEIC. It changes nothing about the photos already in your library, which still need converting.
Will converting delete my original iPhone photos?
No. The converter reads your files and writes new JPG copies. The originals stay exactly where they are, whether that is your camera roll or a folder on your computer.
How many iPhone photos can I convert at once?
As many as you can select, with a single .zip download for the batch. Because everything runs on your own device, the practical limit is your device's memory rather than any server quota - a desktop browser handles several hundred photos comfortably, a phone rather fewer at a time.