HEIC vs JPG — What's the Difference and Should You Convert?
HEIC stores the same visual quality as JPG in roughly half the space, but many Windows PCs, websites and upload forms can't open it. Keep HEIC for storage on Apple devices, and when you need to share or upload, drop the photos into anyview.dev and click “JPG”.
What HEIC is
HEIC (an HEIF image) compresses photos using HEVC, the same technology used for modern video. iPhones have saved photos as HEIC by default since iOS 11 because the files are typically about half the size of a comparable JPG.
HEIC can also hold 10-bit color and extra data such as Live Photo and Portrait depth information, which JPG can't.
Side-by-side
HEIC: smaller files, excellent quality, seamless on Apple devices, but often rejected by Windows apps, older Android devices and web upload forms.
JPG: larger files, but opens virtually everywhere — every OS, browser, editor and website.
When to keep HEIC vs convert
If photos stay on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, keep HEIC and save storage. Convert to JPG when you don't control the other side: submitting photos to a government or school portal, moving them to a Windows PC, emailing, or uploading to a marketplace.
If you always need JPG, set Settings > Camera > Formats to “Most Compatible” and the iPhone will shoot JPG from then on (at the cost of bigger files).
How to convert HEIC to JPG
Drop the HEIC photos into anyview.dev (or tap “Choose files”) and click JPG. Each file converts and downloads immediately; with several photos, use “Download all (ZIP)”.
Conversion happens in your browser, so photos are never uploaded. Under “Options” you can set quality from 50–100%; 90% is visually indistinguishable for most photos.
Things to know
Converting doesn't add quality and adds one more round of lossy compression, so keep the original HEIC if you may need it later. Live Photos become a single still image.
Try it now — HEIC to JPG
FAQ
Is HEIC better quality than JPG?
At the same file size HEIC looks cleaner; at the same quality it's smaller. For everyday viewing the difference is hard to see.
Why can't Windows open HEIC files?
HEIC needs an HEVC decoder that many Windows installs don't include. Install the extensions or convert to JPG.
Will an Android phone open HEIC?
Most recent Android phones can, but some apps and older devices can't. Send JPG to be safe.
Open HWP, Figma, archives, mail, CAD and 200+ formats right on your device — offline, from the Files app or the share sheet.
Updated: 2026-11-14