How to Convert HEIC to JPG on an iPhone
Your iPhone shoots photos in HEIC by default, and the moment you try to email one, upload it to a website, or send it to a friend on Android, you hit a wall. The good news: you don’t need a Mac or a PC to fix this. You can turn HEIC into a universal JPG right on the phone itself. I’ve tested every method below on iOS 18 and the iOS 26 beta, and they all work without a single app download.
The fastest method: convert in your browser
If you just want a JPG and you want it now, skip the workarounds and use a browser converter. Open Safari (or Chrome) on your iPhone, go to the HEIC to JPG tool, tap Choose files, and pick your photos straight from the camera roll. The conversion happens on your phone, in the browser tab — nothing is uploaded to a server, so your photos and their location data never leave the device. Tap to download the JPG, and it lands in your Files or Photos.
This is genuinely my default now, because:
- It works on any iPhone, no matter the iOS version.
- It handles batches of photos at once.
- It strips EXIF/GPS metadata on conversion, so you’re not accidentally sharing where the photo was taken (more on the privacy details here).
If you only need to see a HEIC someone sent you rather than convert it, the in-browser viewer opens it instantly too.
Method 2: the Files app copy trick (no apps, no settings)
This is the classic hidden trick. Copying a HEIC photo and pasting it into the Files app quietly converts it to JPG. Here’s the exact sequence:
- Open the Photos app and find the photo.
- Tap Share (the square with the up-arrow), then scroll down and tap Copy Photo.
- Open the Files app and navigate to a folder (On My iPhone works fine).
- Press and hold in an empty area, then tap Paste.
The pasted file appears as a .jpg. It’s quick for one or two images, though it gets tedious in bulk and you lose a little control over quality. Still, it’s handy when you can’t get online.
Method 3: a Shortcuts automation (best for doing this often)
If you regularly need JPGs, build a one-tap shortcut once and reuse it forever. The Shortcuts app is built into iOS.
- Open Shortcuts and tap the + to create a new shortcut.
- Add the action Select Photos (search for it in the action list).
- Add the action Convert Image. Set the format to JPEG.
- Add Save to Photos (or Save File if you’d rather choose a Files location).
- Name it something like “HEIC to JPG” and tap Done.
Now you can run it from the Shortcuts app, your Home Screen, or even by asking Siri. It processes whole batches and lets you set the JPEG quality. In my experience this is the most convenient offline option once it’s set up — the only downside is the five-minute setup.
Method 4: share-sheet and AirDrop quirks
A couple of things worth knowing when you’re sending photos rather than storing them:
- AirDrop to a Mac can auto-convert: in Photos, go to Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic to send compatible (JPG) copies. AirDrop between two iPhones, however, keeps HEIC.
- Email and some Messages flows will sometimes hand off a JPG automatically when the receiving service can’t read HEIC — but it’s inconsistent, so don’t rely on it.
- Mail Drop / large-file links preserve the original HEIC, so those won’t help.
Because the behavior is unpredictable, I treat the share sheet as a bonus, not a real conversion method.
Which method should I use?
| Method | Best for | Batch? | Needs internet? | Keeps quality control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser converter | Anyone, any iPhone, uploads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Files copy trick | One-off, offline | No | No | No |
| Shortcuts | Frequent, repeat use | Yes | No | Yes |
| Share sheet / AirDrop | Sending, not storing | Sometimes | Depends | No |
My rule of thumb: use the browser tool for anything you’ll upload or send (it also strips location data), and build a Shortcut if you find yourself doing this every week offline.
Stop the problem at the source
If you’re tired of converting at all, you can tell your iPhone to shoot ordinary JPGs from the start. Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and switch from High Efficiency to Most Compatible. Full walkthrough — including the trade-offs — is in my guide on how to stop your iPhone saving as HEIC. You’ll use a bit more storage, but every photo will open everywhere without a second thought. It helps to understand why your iPhone uses HEIC in the first place before you decide.
A quick word on quality
JPG is a lossy format, so converting HEIC to JPG does involve a small quality step-down — but at standard quality settings it’s invisible to the eye, and JPG files end up only slightly larger. If you want a lossless copy instead (for editing or archiving), convert to PNG, and if you need to combine several shots into one shareable document, HEIC to PDF is the move. For the deeper format comparison, see HEIC vs JPG.