HEIC vs JPG: What's the difference and when to convert
Since iOS 11, iPhones have saved photos in HEIC format by default. It's a smarter format in many ways — but it causes compatibility headaches with Windows PCs, older apps, and most websites. Here's everything you need to know.
HEIC and JPG at equivalent visual quality — HEIC takes roughly half the storage space.
What is HEIC?
HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It's a file format based on the HEVC (H.265) video compression standard, adopted by Apple in 2017. The main advantage is that HEIC files are roughly 50% smaller than equivalent JPG files at the same visual quality, which saves significant storage space on your iPhone.
When you take a photo on a modern iPhone, it's saved as a .heic file by default. You might not notice this until you try to open the photo on a Windows PC or upload it to a website — and find that it doesn't work.
What is JPG?
JPG (also written JPEG) has been the standard photo format since the 1990s. It uses lossy compression to reduce file size while maintaining acceptable visual quality. JPG is supported by virtually every device, operating system, app, and website on the planet — which is its biggest advantage.
HEIC vs JPG: a direct comparison
Feature
HEIC
JPG
File size
~50% smaller
Larger
Image quality
Better at same size
Good
Compatibility
Limited (mainly Apple)
Universal
Windows support
Requires codec
Native
Web upload support
Often rejected
Always accepted
Transparency
Yes
No
Multiple frames
Yes (Live Photos)
No
When should you convert HEIC to JPG?
Converting from HEIC to JPG makes sense in these situations:
Sending photos to someone using Windows or Android
Uploading photos to websites, social media, or web forms
Using photos in design software that doesn't support HEIC
Sharing photos with clients or colleagues for professional use
Printing photos at a lab that requires JPG
When to keep HEIC
If you're only sharing photos within the Apple ecosystem — iPhone to Mac, AirDrop, iCloud — there's no need to convert. HEIC gives you better quality at smaller file sizes, which means more photos on your device.
How to stop iPhone from shooting in HEIC
If you'd rather avoid converting altogether, you can change your iPhone camera settings. Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. This makes your iPhone shoot in JPG instead of HEIC.
The downside is that your photos will take up more storage space. The better approach for most people is to keep shooting in HEIC and convert only when needed.
Why Apple chose HEIC
Apple adopted HEIC in iOS 11 (2017) for a clear technical reason: HEVC, the compression standard at HEIC's core, is roughly twice as efficient as the older codec underlying JPG. In practice, a HEIC photo takes up about half the storage of an equivalent JPG at the same visual quality. For an iPhone with 128 GB of storage accumulating years of photos and videos, that difference is meaningful — you simply get to keep more.
HEIC also unlocks capabilities that JPG cannot support: 10-bit color depth for richer gradients and smoother tonal transitions, HDR metadata for better-looking images on HDR displays, depth map data powering Portrait Mode bokeh, and image sequences for Live Photos and slow-motion bursts — all stored in a single file. From Apple's perspective, HEIC was a significant engineering upgrade that brought real, tangible benefits to everyday iPhone photography.
The compatibility problem in detail
Despite its technical advantages, HEIC support outside the Apple ecosystem remains inconsistent. Here is where you will run into problems:
Windows: Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files after installing the free "HEIF Image Extensions" codec from the Microsoft Store. Older Windows versions (7, 8, 8.1) have no HEIC support whatsoever without third-party software.
Web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and most mainstream browsers do not render HEIC images embedded in web pages. Uploading a HEIC file to a web form often produces an error or a silent failure.
Android: No native HEIC support. Android devices cannot open HEIC files without a dedicated third-party app.
Image editing software: Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (2019 and later) support HEIC. Many older versions and smaller editing tools do not.
Email: Sending a HEIC file as an email attachment works on your end, but Windows and Android recipients may be unable to open it without extra software installed.
Print labs and photo services: Many online print services require JPG or PNG and will reject HEIC uploads entirely.
Should you shoot in HEIC or JPG?
The right choice depends on how you primarily use your photos:
Keep shooting in HEIC if your photos live mainly within the Apple ecosystem — on your iPhone, Mac, and iCloud. HEIC gives you better storage efficiency and preserves advanced features like Live Photos and Portrait Mode depth data. When you need to share a specific photo outside that ecosystem, convert just that one file.
Switch to JPG (Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible) if you regularly share photos with Windows or Android users, frequently upload to websites or web forms, or use editing software that doesn't support HEIC. The cost is roughly twice the storage space per photo.
For most iPhone users, the practical sweet spot is keeping the HEIC default and converting individual photos on demand. Converting a handful of files when you need to share them is far less wasteful than storing every photo at double the file size permanently.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open HEIC files on Windows?
Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files after you install the free "HEIF Image Extensions" codec from the Microsoft Store. Without it, Windows shows a generic file icon and refuses to open the file. Windows 7 and 8 have no native HEIC support at all — you would need a third-party image viewer. The easiest solution on any Windows version is to convert the HEIC to JPG first using a free online tool.
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
Converting HEIC to JPG involves re-encoding the image, which technically introduces a small quality loss. However, at quality settings of 90% or higher — which most converters use as a default — the difference is completely indistinguishable to the human eye at normal viewing sizes. You will not notice any visual degradation in the converted file.
Why do iPhones use HEIC instead of JPG?
Apple adopted HEIC because it produces files that are roughly half the size of JPG at the same visual quality. This saves storage space on the device, speeds up iCloud backups, and enables features JPG cannot support — such as depth data for Portrait Mode, HDR metadata, 10-bit color, and Live Photo sequences. For users who stay within the Apple ecosystem, HEIC is a strictly better format than JPG in almost every way.
Can I make my iPhone save photos as JPG instead?
Yes. Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and select "Most Compatible." Your iPhone will then save new photos as JPG. The trade-off is that photos will take up roughly twice as much storage space compared to HEIC. You will also lose the option to capture Live Photos with full sequence data stored in the file. For most people, keeping HEIC and converting when needed is the better long-term approach.
Is HEIC the same as HEIF?
Not exactly. HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is the container format standard developed by the MPEG group — think of it as the wrapper. HEIC is Apple's specific implementation of HEIF using HEVC compression for the image data inside. You'll often see the terms used interchangeably in casual conversation, but technically HEIC is a subset of HEIF. Other HEIF variants exist that use different compression codecs, such as AVIF, which uses AV1 compression.
Are HEIC files good for printing?
Yes. HEIC supports high quality, wide color gamut, and 10-bit depth — all of which are beneficial for printing. Most modern professional print labs can handle HEIC files. However, older or smaller print services may require JPG or TIFF. When in doubt, convert to JPG at high quality (90%+) before sending to a print lab — this guarantees compatibility and produces a file that is indistinguishable from the HEIC original in print.
Need to convert a HEIC photo right now? Try our free tool — no upload required.