What is HEIC and why do iPhones use it?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the default image format on iPhones since iOS 11 (2017). It uses the HEVC codec to store images at roughly half the file size of JPG while preserving the same visual quality. For a 12-megapixel photo, that’s the difference between ~3 MB (JPG) and ~1.5 MB (HEIC).
For Apple users, this is great: more photos fit in the same iCloud storage. But the moment a HEIC file leaves the Apple ecosystem — uploaded to a website, opened on a Windows PC, sent to a non-Apple friend — compatibility becomes a real problem.
Why convert HEIC to JPG?
- Universal compatibility. JPG works everywhere: every browser, every CMS, every photo printing service, every social platform.
- Editing in old software. Photoshop CS6, older Lightroom versions, GIMP without plugins, and most Windows apps cannot open HEIC natively.
- Sharing without friction. A JPG attachment opens on every device. A HEIC often shows up as a broken thumbnail.
- Web uploads. Many websites reject HEIC during upload, or accept it and then fail to display it.
How to convert HEIC to JPG online
- Upload your HEIC files — drag them onto the upload area, click to browse, or paste from clipboard. You can add up to 30 at once.
- Pick output format and quality — JPG at 90% is the sweet spot for file size vs visual quality. Choose PNG if you want strict lossless output.
- Click Convert — processing runs locally in your browser using WebAssembly. Files stay on your device throughout.
- Download — save each file individually, or grab them all as a single ZIP.
HEIC vs JPG: Format comparison
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | ~50% smaller | Baseline |
| Quality at same size | Higher | Lower |
| Compatibility | Apple-first, limited elsewhere | Universal |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| 16-bit color | Yes | No (8-bit only) |
| Best for | Phone storage | Sharing & web upload |
When to keep HEIC instead
If you only view photos on Apple devices and care about iCloud storage, keep them in HEIC. The only reason to convert is when a HEIC file is going somewhere outside the Apple ecosystem.
Privacy: how PixTools handles your files
Every byte of your photo stays in your browser. The HEIC decoder is a WebAssembly module that runs locally — there is no upload to a server, no temporary file, no log. We are deliberate about this because photos are personal, and because it makes the tool faster (no network round-trip).