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Convert HEIC to JPG free, without uploading
HEIC to JPG works here in Safari 17 or later; desktop and Android Chrome, Edge and Firefox cannot decode HEIC. Expect a bigger file: a 12-megapixel phone photo (4032×3024) measured 3.33 MB as a quality 85 JPG and 2.43 MB at quality 70. Type a KB limit to go lower; nothing is uploaded.
HEIC to JPG
JPG · no file-size limit · original pixel size · white background
No file-size limit is set: PixelFit saves at high quality and changes only the format and any pixel size you set.
Fit, background and padding white background
Saving presets is part of Pro.
The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.
The batch kit (one ZIP for up to 500 photos, several photos merged into one PDF) is part of Pro.
What changes from HEIC to JPG
All 5 points below lose or alter something on the way from HEIC to JPG.
- Lost or changed: HEIC files rarely use transparency, but JPG cannot store transparency, so transparent areas of the HEIC are filled with a background colour (white unless you pick another).
- Lost or changed: Both formats are lossy, so saving the HEIC again as JPG adds a second round of compression loss; keep quality high and convert from the original file.
- Lost or changed: HEIC can hold more than 8 bits per channel (8 or 10 bits per channel in phone photos); a browser canvas works at 8 bits, so 10-, 12- or 16-bit files are reduced to 8 bits per channel.
- Lost or changed: Metadata is not carried over: the HEIC's EXIF, XMP, depth and HDR items are dropped by the canvas, and EXIF orientation is applied to the pixels first so the photo stays upright.
- Lost or changed: Colours are mapped to sRGB: iPhone HEIC photos are usually in the wider Display P3 colour space, and the browser canvas PixelFit draws on works in sRGB, so the most saturated reds and greens are pulled slightly inside the sRGB range.
Measured file size: HEIC vs JPG
sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7, 31 October 2026, long edge 1600 px; JPG saved as quality 85, 4:2:0, white background. The 4032×3024 rows are the landscape at its full 12-megapixel camera resolution.
| Sample | JPG | JPG settings |
|---|---|---|
| portrait photo (1281×1600 px) | 254 KB (259,778 bytes) | quality 85, 4:2:0, white background |
| portrait photo (1281×1600 px) | 160 KB (163,743 bytes) | quality 70, 4:2:0, white background |
| landscape photo (1600×1200 px) | 640 KB (655,531 bytes) | quality 85, 4:2:0, white background |
| landscape photo (1600×1200 px) | 441 KB (451,525 bytes) | quality 70, 4:2:0, white background |
| landscape photo (4032×3024 px) | 3.33 MB (3,486,711 bytes) | quality 85, 4:2:0, white background, full resolution |
| landscape photo (4032×3024 px) | 2.43 MB (2,545,485 bytes) | quality 70, 4:2:0, white background, full resolution |
| scanned typed letter (1273×1600 px) | 331 KB (338,899 bytes) | quality 85, 4:2:0, white background |
| scanned typed letter (1273×1600 px) | 215 KB (220,665 bytes) | quality 70, 4:2:0, white background |
What the numbers mean for HEIC to JPG
We could not measure the HEIC side: sharp's prebuilt libvips has no HEVC encoder, so only the JPG output is shown. The JPG size depends on the pixel size you keep and the quality, not on the HEIC it came from.
The 4032×3024 rows are a real 12-megapixel phone frame at full resolution: as JPG it took 3.33 MB. A study quoted by the Library of Congress measured an average bit-rate saving of 44% for HEVC still images (the coding inside HEIC) over baseline JPEG at equal quality, so the JPG is normally larger than the HEIC it comes from.
How to convert HEIC to JPG
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Add the HEIC file
Drop the .heic, .heif file on the tool at the top of this page, tap to choose it, or paste it. Use Safari 17 or later on a Mac, iPhone or iPad, which can decode HEIC. One HEIC photo per run is free; HEIC batches are part of Pro.
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Keep JPG selected
JPG is pre-selected at quality 85. Type a maximum size in KB or exact pixel dimensions only if the destination sets them; PixelFit then searches the highest quality that fits and shrinks the pixel size only when quality alone is not enough.
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Download the JPG
Save the file ending in .jpg; its size in KB shows before you save.
HEIC and JPG side by side
HEIC (2017) next to JPG (1992); browser figures checked 31 October 2026.
| Property | HEIC | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| File extensions | .heic, .heif | .jpg, .jpeg, .jpe |
| MIME type | image/heic | image/jpeg |
| Compression | lossy | lossy |
| Transparency | yes | no |
| Animation | yes | no |
| Largest size | set by the encoder (large images are stored as tiles) | 65,535 px per side |
| Colour depth | 8 or 10 bits per channel in phone photos | 8 bits per channel (baseline) |
| Metadata | EXIF, XMP, depth and HDR items | EXIF, ICC and XMP data |
| First published | 2017 | 1992 |
| Opens in | Safari 17+ on macOS, iOS and iPadOS; desktop and Android Chrome, Edge and Firefox do not decode it; about 16.93% of browsers in use | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (every current browser) |
| Good for | storing iPhone photos in less space than a JPEG of the same quality | photos for upload forms, e-mail and the web |
| Weak for | Windows PCs without the HEVC extension, Android apps and most upload forms | text, line art and anything that needs a transparent background |
| Specification | HEIF, ISO/IEC 23008-12, HEIC brands (Library of Congress format description) | ITU-T Recommendation T.81 (JPEG) |
When not to change HEIC to JPG
- Do not convert HEIC only to save space: HEIC is already the compact format, and our 12-megapixel test frame took 3.33 MB as JPG. Convert when the destination cannot take HEIC.
- In desktop or Android Chrome, Edge and Firefox the tool cannot open the HEIC, because those browsers have no HEIC decoder; PixelFit says so instead of guessing.
- If the destination already accepts HEIC, upload the original: every change of format re-encodes the pixels.
Browser support for HEIC and JPG (October 2026)
Reading HEIC (.heic, .heif): Safari 17+ on macOS, iOS and iPadOS; desktop and Android Chrome, Edge and Firefox do not decode it. caniuse puts HEIC support at about 16.93% of browsers in use (data updated 29 October 2026).
Writing JPG from that HEIC: Chrome 50+, Edge 79+, Firefox 18+, Safari 11+ (MDN compatibility data for canvas.toBlob, checked 31 October 2026).
Outside Safari there are honest alternatives: on an iPhone set to Most Compatible, AirDrop or e-mail sends a JPEG; on a Mac, open the HEIC in Preview and use File › Export › JPG. Then bring the JPG back here to hit a size or pixel limit.
Very large HEIC files: with no pixel size set, PixelFit keeps up to 16,777,216 pixels (16.7 megapixels, 4096 × 4096 worth) and scales bigger pictures down to that, because Safari on iPhone and iPad will not create a larger canvas. A 12-megapixel 4032 × 3024 photo keeps its full size.
Upload forms that ask for JPG
53 of the 61 application portals we checked accept JPG photos, 16 of them with a limit of 50 KB or less. A few of them, for this HEIC file (verify with the official notice before you upload):
- TGPSC Departmental Tests: JPG photo, up to 50 KB.
- FPSC: JPG photo, up to 30 KB.
- OCI: JPG photo, up to 200 KB, 630 × 810 px.
- NZ visa: JPG photo, 512 KB–3.14 MB.
Where HEIC files come from
HEIC is the default photo format of iPhones and iPads since iOS 11 (2017). It keeps photos small, but Windows, Android apps and most upload forms expect JPG, PNG or PDF instead, so the HEIC has to become a JPG first.
On the iPhone itself, Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible makes new photos JPEG from the start, and sharing to a computer can convert automatically (Settings › Photos › Transfer to Mac or PC › Automatic).
Sources
- HEIF, ISO/IEC 23008-12, HEIC brands (Library of Congress format description), Library of Congress, checked 31 October 2026: loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000526.shtml
- ITU-T Recommendation T.81 (JPEG), ITU, checked 31 October 2026: itu.int/rec/T-REC-T.81
- caniuse.com “HEIF/HEIC image format” support table, data of 29 October 2026 (CC BY 4.0): caniuse.com/heif
- MDN browser-compat-data, HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob (which browsers write JPG), CC0, checked 31 October 2026: github.com/mdn/browser-compat-data/blob/main/api/HTMLCanv…
- Test photo “Hartz Lake at Hartz Mountain.jpg” by JustinH (Wikimedia Commons user), CC0 1.0, measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hartz_Lake_at_Hartz_Mount…
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert HEIC to JPG for free?
Yes, one HEIC photo at a time: the HEIC to JPG change runs free on your device, with no sign-up and no upload. A batch of HEIC photos is part of PixelFit Pro (up to 500 at once, saved as one ZIP), which also runs locally. Reading HEIC needs Safari 17 or later.
How do I convert HEIC to JPG?
Drop the HEIC on the tool above, keep JPG selected, and download the .jpg file. Add a KB limit if the destination has one.
Does converting HEIC to JPG reduce quality?
Both formats are lossy, so saving the HEIC again as JPG adds a second round of compression loss; keep quality high and convert from the original file.
Why is the JPG bigger than my HEIC photo?
HEIC stores the picture with HEVC coding, and a study quoted by the Library of Congress measured an average bit-rate saving of 44% over baseline JPEG at equal quality. So at quality 85 the JPG is normally larger: our 12-megapixel test frame took 3.33 MB as JPG. Type a KB limit, for example 500 KB, and PixelFit lowers the quality, then the pixel size, until it fits.
What does PixelFit do with a HEIC in Chrome or Edge on a PC?
It shows “This browser cannot open HEIC photos. Safari on iPhone, iPad and Mac can” and suggests the iPhone's Most Compatible camera setting or exporting a JPG from the Photos app. Nothing is converted and no file leaves your device.
Related
More HEIC format changes
- HEIC to PNG same HEIC input
- HEIC to PDF same HEIC input
Other files to JPG
- AVIF to JPG also ends as JPG
- GIF to JPG also ends as JPG
- SVG to JPG also ends as JPG
- TIFF to JPG also ends as JPG
- ICO to JPG also ends as JPG