Drag & drop your .heic files here — convert many at once — or click to choose
Why won't Windows 11 open HEIC?
When you copy photos off an iPhone, they usually arrive as .heic files, and Windows 11 frequently greets them with a blank thumbnail, a "this file can't be opened" message, or a prompt nudging you toward the Microsoft Store. The reason is licensing rather than a bug. HEIC wraps its image data in HEVC (H.265) compression, a patented codec that Microsoft doesn't ship with Windows by default. To decode it, Windows looks for two separate Store packages: the HEIF Image Extensions, which are free, and the HEVC Video Extensions, which Microsoft lists for a small fee (a free OEM version exists but isn't available on every machine). Until both pieces are present, File Explorer can't render a preview and the Photos app can't display the picture. That leaves a lot of people stuck with a folder of photos they simply can't see — and reluctant to pay or hunt down extensions just to open a holiday snap.
Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11 — step by step
The quickest fix is to skip the codec hunt entirely and convert the files in your browser. Nothing installs, and your photos never leave the PC.
- Open this page in Edge, Chrome or Firefox — any modern browser on Windows 11 works.
- In File Explorer, select your iPhone .heic files (or the whole folder) and drag them onto the drop area above. You can also click the box to browse and multi-select with Ctrl or Shift.
- Set the quality slider — 85 to 95% looks identical to the original for everyday photos — then let the batch process.
- Click Download all to save every JPG as a ZIP, or grab them one by one. They land in your Downloads folder, ready to open, edit or upload anywhere.
Because the work happens locally, a folder of a few hundred photos converts in moments and the originals stay untouched.
The built-in alternatives, and their limits
Windows does offer native routes, but each comes with friction:
- Install the Store extensions. Adding the HEIF Image Extensions lets the Photos app show HEIC, and you can then use Save as to make a JPG. But you may also need the paid HEVC component, and you still convert one image at a time.
- Re-save in Paint. Once the extensions are in place, Paint can open a HEIC and export it as JPG or PNG — fine for a single file, tedious for a camera roll.
- Change the iPhone setting. On the phone, Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes new photos shoot as JPG, but it does nothing for the HEIC images you already have.
The browser converter sidesteps all of that: no Store purchase, no per-file exporting, and it works even on a locked-down work PC where you can't install software. Need lossless output for editing instead? Use HEIC to PNG.
Tips for converting a big batch
If you're clearing an entire iPhone import, a few habits make it smoother. Drag a whole folder rather than hand-picking files — the tool queues them all. Very large batches lean on your PC's memory, so on an older laptop it helps to convert in groups of a hundred or so rather than thousands at once. Keep the browser tab in the foreground while it works, and once the ZIP downloads you can extract it straight into the folder where you want the JPGs. Since the originals aren't modified, you can safely keep the HEIC files as a backup or delete them once you've checked the results.
Frequently asked questions
Does Windows 11 open HEIC files natively?
Not fully. It usually needs the free HEIF Image Extensions plus the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, and the HEVC package is often a paid add-on. This converter avoids both by decoding HEIC in your browser.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Conversion runs in Edge, Chrome or Firefox with nothing to install and no Store extension required — useful on work PCs where installs are blocked.
Can I convert many HEIC files at once on Windows?
Yes. Drag a whole folder of HEIC photos onto the box, convert them in one batch, and download them together as a ZIP.
Will converting reduce my photo quality?
At 85–95% quality the JPG looks the same as the HEIC for normal viewing and printing. Your original files are left untouched, so you can always keep them.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. Files are processed locally in your browser and never uploaded to any server.