HEIC to JPG on Windows, without installing anything

By the EditXo team · Updated 6 October 2026 · 6 min read

iPhone photos arrive on a Windows PC as HEIC files that Photos, Paint and most programs cannot open. You have three ways through: a free browser tool that converts on your PC without uploading, Microsoft’s HEIF extension, or changing the iPhone setting so it stops happening. This guide covers all three and when each makes sense.

Do it now in the editorFree. Nothing uploaded.

Why Windows cannot open HEIC

HEIC is Apple’s default photo format since iOS 11. It uses the HEVC video codec to store a still image in about half the space of a JPG. Windows does not include an HEVC decoder by default because of licensing, so Photos, Paint, File Explorer previews and most apps show an error or a blank thumbnail. Nothing is wrong with the file.

Method 1: convert in the browser, nothing installed, nothing uploaded

This is the fastest route and works on any Windows 10 or 11 PC in Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Unlike most “online converters”, EditXo decodes the HEIC inside the browser using a small WebAssembly decoder, so the photo never leaves your PC.

Open editxo.com in your browser.
Drag the HEIC file onto the page, or click Choose File and pick it. The first HEIC takes a few seconds while the decoder loads; after that it is immediate.
Click Export, choose JPG, set quality to 85, and click Download. The JPG lands in your Downloads folder.
For many files, click Batch in the top bar, Add Images, select all your HEIC files, choose JPEG and quality 85, and click Apply. Each JPG downloads as it finishes.

Method 2: Microsoft’s HEIF Image Extensions

Microsoft offers “HEIF Image Extensions” in the Microsoft Store. On many PCs it is free; on some, the companion “HEVC Video Extensions” costs a small fee, and HEIC photos need both. Once installed, Photos and File Explorer can open HEIC, and you can convert by opening a photo in Photos and using Save as with JPG selected. This is the right choice if you want HEIC to just work everywhere on that PC, and you do not mind installing something.

Method 3: stop the iPhone making HEIC

On the iPhone: Settings, Camera, Formats, choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG. Existing photos stay HEIC. Also useful: Settings, Photos, scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic, which converts to JPG when you copy photos over a cable. Sharing from the Photos app to Mail usually converts as well; AirDrop and cloud sync do not.

Which method when

Situation	Use
A few photos, right now, on a work or shared PC	Method 1 (browser). Nothing installed, nothing uploaded.
Dozens of photos	Method 1 batch mode, or Method 2 if you convert often.
You want File Explorer thumbnails for HEIC	Method 2.
It is your own iPhone and this keeps happening	Method 3, plus Method 1 for the backlog.
Photos must stay private	Method 1 or 2. Avoid upload-based converters.

What converting changes

A JPG at quality 85 looks identical to the HEIC and is roughly 1.5 to 2 times larger. Live Photo motion is dropped, leaving the still frame. Portrait-mode depth data is dropped, but the visible blurred background stays. Location and date metadata are not written into the exported JPG by EditXo, which is what you want when sharing publicly; keep the original HEIC if you need that metadata.

Frequently asked questions

Does the browser method upload my photos?

No. EditXo decodes and converts in your browser on your own PC. You can confirm it in the browser’s developer tools under the Network tab.

Why is the HEIF extension sometimes paid?

HEIC photos use the HEVC codec, which Microsoft licenses separately. Some PC makers include it; others do not, and the Store then charges for the HEVC extension.

Can I convert HEIC to PNG instead?

Yes, choose PNG in the Export dialog. Expect a much larger file; PNG only makes sense if you need an exact copy or transparency.

Is there a file-size limit?

Not one set by a server, because there is no server. Full-size iPhone photos are fine.