What is HEIC, and how do you open iPhone photos?
You copy photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC or try to upload them to a website, and they arrive as .HEIC files that will not open. This is normal — here is what HEIC is and how to deal with it.
What HEIC is
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the photo format iPhones have used by default since iOS 11 in 2017. It stores photos at roughly half the size of a JPG with similar quality, which saves a lot of storage on your phone.
The catch is compatibility. Apple devices read HEIC natively, but Windows, many Android phones, older software and most upload forms on websites expect JPG.
Option 1: convert HEIC to JPG in your browser
The quickest fix for photos you already have: drop them into a HEIC to JPG converter. Ours runs entirely in your browser, converts many photos at once and gives you a ZIP — nothing is uploaded, which matters for personal photos.
Option 2: make the iPhone send JPG automatically
- Settings → Photos → “Transfer to Mac or PC” → choose Automatic. Photos copied over USB are then converted to JPG.
- Settings → Camera → Formats → choose “Most Compatible”. New photos are saved as JPG from now on (they take more space).
Option 3: open HEIC directly on Windows
Windows can show HEIC photos after installing the free “HEIF Image Extensions” from the Microsoft Store; some versions also need “HEVC Video Extensions”, which may be paid. This lets you view the photos, but websites will still refuse HEIC uploads — for those you need JPG anyway.
Which should you choose?
- A few photos to send or upload now → convert them to JPG in the browser.
- You copy photos to a PC regularly → set “Transfer to Mac or PC” to Automatic.
- Phone storage is tight → keep HEIC on the phone and convert only when needed.