How To Convert Heic To Jpg On Windows

Tips
1

I transferred a bunch of photos from my iPhone to my Windows PC and just realized they’re all in HEIC format. Most of my software and a couple of websites I use for work only accept JPG files, so I can’t open or upload these images properly. What’s the easiest and safest way to batch convert HEIC to JPG on Windows without losing too much quality or messing up the original files?

2

Here are a few easy ways to get HEIC into JPG on Windows.

  1. Built-in Photos app
  • Right click a HEIC file.
  • Open with → Photos.
  • Hit the three dots top right → Save as.
  • Choose JPG in the dropdown, pick a folder, save.
    Downside: slow if you have a ton of photos.
  1. Free batch converter (IrfanView)
    Good if you have hundreds.
  • Install IrfanView, plus its plugins, from the official site.
  • Open IrfanView.
  • File → Batch Conversion/Rename.
  • Set Output format to JPG.
  • Click Add all your HEIC files.
  • Pick an output folder.
  • Click Start.
    You can also tweak quality. 80 to 90 percent is fine for most photos.
  1. Online converter
    Fast for a few files if you trust uploading.
  • Google “heic to jpg online”.
  • Pick a known site like CloudConvert or iLoveIMG.
  • Upload HEIC files.
  • Convert to JPG.
  • Download the zip.
    Watch file size and privacy, do not send sensitive stuff.
  1. Change iPhone settings so this stops happening
    On iPhone:
  • Settings → Camera → Formats.
  • Set to “Most Compatible”.
    Future photos save as JPG instead of HEIC, so Windows tools work better.
  1. Older Windows support issue
    On older Windows 10 you might need HEIF and HEVC extensions from Microsoft Store to open HEIC in Photos. After that Photos Save as JPG works fine.

For work stuff I would use IrfanView batch and switch the iPhone to Most Compatible so you do not repeat the same mess next time.

3

You’re not stuck, HEIC is just mildly annoying on Windows.

Since @codecrafter already covered Photos, IrfanView, and online tools, here are some different angles:

1. Use File Explorer’s “Copy as path” + PowerShell (fast & local, good for batches)
If you’re ok with a tiny bit of “techie,” this avoids extra apps and avoids uploading anything.

  1. Put all your HEIC files in one folder.
  2. Shift + right‑click in the folder background → “Open PowerShell window here” (or “Open in Terminal”).
  3. Run this:
Get-ChildItem *.heic | ForEach-Object {
  $dest = '$($_.DirectoryName)\$($_.BaseName).jpg'
  magick '$($_.FullName)' '$dest'
}

Catch: this uses ImageMagick’s magick command, so you’d need to install ImageMagick first (from the official site, default options). After that, converting folders at a time is stupidly fast.

Yeah, it’s more nerdy than Photos, but if you have thousands of pics, clicking “Save as” 2,000 times will melt your soul.

2. Use ImageMagick directly without scripting UI stuff
Once ImageMagick is installed:

  • Put HEICs in a folder, open Terminal there.
  • One command for the whole folder:
magick *.heic -quality 85 '%d\%f.jpg'

That converts all .heic files to .jpg in the same folder, keeps filenames, and uses decent quality. Personally I prefer this to IrfanView for bulk stuff, but I know some people like having a GUI.

3. Use a dedicated Windows Store app that auto‑watches a folder
Instead of manual conversions, grab a HEIC → JPG converter from Microsoft Store that supports “watched folders.” Then:

  • Point the app at a “HEIC_inbox” folder.
  • Any HEIC you drop there auto-converts to JPG into an “output” folder.

Nice if this is part of your regular workflow (e.g. every week you dump new iPhone pics to the PC). No need to babysit the process every time.

4. Let iCloud handle it on download
Slight disagreement with the “only iPhone setting” approach: even if you keep HEIC on the phone (which I actually recommend, it’s more efficient), you can still get JPGs on Windows by using iCloud’s “download as JPG” behavior.

Two ways:

  • iCloud for Windows app: sync Photos, and depending on your version/settings, a lot of installs will hand you JPGs automatically.
  • iCloud.com in a browser: select photos → click download → often they come as JPG in a zip, even though they’re HEIC on the phone.

That way you get HEIC on the phone (saves space, keeps Live Photo goodness) but still have JPGs on the PC when you actually need them.

5. For your specific work issue
If this is for tools that only accept JPG and you have a big backlog now:

  • One‑time cleanup:

    • Use ImageMagick or a batch tool to convert everything in your photo dump folder to JPG into a parallel folder, like Photos_JPG.
    • Point your work software and websites at the JPG folder only, so you don’t mix types.

  • Going forward:

    • Either switch iPhone to “Most Compatible” like @codecrafter said,
    • Or leave it on HEIC but decide one fixed place and method for conversion so it’s not chaos every time.

Personally, I keep HEIC on iPhone, use ImageMagick on Windows, and just script it so I never think about it again. The “manual Photos app” route works, but if you’ve got a lot of files, it gets old fast.