You copy photos from your iPhone to a Windows PC, double-click one — and it won't open, or shows up blank. The file ends in .HEIC, and Windows doesn't know what to do with it. Here is why, and the free fix.
What is HEIC?
HEIC is the photo format Apple has used by default since iOS 11. It keeps the same quality as JPG at roughly half the file size, so your iPhone stores twice as many photos. The trade-off is compatibility: outside Apple devices, support is patchy.
Why Windows struggles with it
Windows Photos does not include the HEIC codec by default — Microsoft offers it as a separate paid extension — and many older Windows apps don't support HEIC at all. So a photo that looks perfect on your iPhone can be unreadable on your PC.
Convert HEIC to JPG free — in 4 steps
- Open the HEIC to JPG tool.
- Upload one photo, or many at once — batch conversion is supported.
- Choose JPG or PNG output and set the quality.
- Click Convert. One photo downloads directly; several arrive together as a ZIP. Everything happens in your browser, so your photos are never uploaded.
HEIC vs JPG at a glance
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Smaller — about half of JPG | Larger |
| Quality | Same quality at a smaller size | The standard everyone supports |
| Windows support | Limited — needs a codec | Works everywhere |
| Best for | Storing photos on your iPhone | Sharing, printing and Windows |
Should you stop using HEIC?
Not necessarily. Keep HEIC on your iPhone to save space, and convert copies when you need them on Windows. If you'd rather shoot JPG directly, go to Settings > Camera > Formats on your iPhone and choose Most Compatible.