FormatDrop
How-To Guide

How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Mac

Mac natively supports HEIC since macOS High Sierra, so your Photos app opens them fine — but you still need JPG for email attachments, web uploads, design software on older versions, and sharing with Windows users. Here are all the ways to convert HEIC to JPG on Mac: using Preview (built-in, free), using Photos Export, and using the browser if you want batch conversion without opening any app.

Open HEIC to JPG Converter

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Open your HEIC file in Preview (the built-in Mac method)

    Double-click any HEIC file to open it in Preview (macOS's built-in viewer). Preview natively reads HEIC since macOS High Sierra. Once open, go to File → Export. In the Format dropdown, select JPEG. Drag the Quality slider to your preferred quality level (75–85% is a good balance of size and quality). Click Save. This is the fastest method for single files.

    Go to converter
  2. 2

    Use Photos Export for multiple files at once

    If your HEIC files are in the Photos app, select all the photos you want to convert (hold Shift or Command to select multiple), then go to File → Export → Export [N] Photos. In the dialog, set Photo Kind to JPEG, set quality to High or Maximum, and choose a destination folder. Click Export. Photos handles the conversion and naming automatically.

  3. 3

    Use FormatDrop for batch conversion without opening Photos

    If your HEIC files are not in Photos (e.g., transferred via USB or downloaded), use FormatDrop in your browser. Open formatdrop.com/heic-to-jpg in Safari or Chrome on your Mac. Drag multiple HEIC files onto the converter. All files convert in your browser — nothing is uploaded. Download the JPGs as a ZIP.

  4. 4

    Check your output in Finder

    Whether you used Preview, Photos, or FormatDrop, verify the exported files in Finder. Right-click → Get Info to confirm the file type shows JPEG. The JPG files will now work in any macOS app, any web service, and any platform that can't open HEIC.

Why convert HEIC to JPG?

Mac users are in the best position with HEIC — macOS opens HEIC files natively, Preview renders them, Spotlight indexes them, and Photos manages them alongside JPGs with no friction. The need to convert comes when you leave the Mac ecosystem: attaching a photo to an email to someone on Windows, uploading to a web platform that doesn't support HEIC (most don't), sending to a print service, or opening in Adobe Photoshop on an older Creative Cloud version. Macs also have a built-in trick for sharing: when you drag a HEIC file from Photos or use Share from the Photos app, macOS often auto-converts to JPEG automatically for apps and services that request it. But for manual export, batch conversion, or working with HEIC files outside the Photos library, Preview's Export function or a batch tool like FormatDrop are your fastest options.

Your files never leave your device

FormatDrop runs the conversion engine entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly. No file upload. No server. Nothing stored. You can verify this by opening DevTools → Network tab and watching: zero upload requests.

Frequently asked questions

Can Preview batch convert HEIC to JPG?
Not directly through the standard export dialog — Preview's Export works on one file at a time. However, you can select multiple HEIC files in Finder, open them all in Preview at once (right-click → Open With → Preview), then in Preview go to File → Export All and export as JPEG. This effectively batch converts all open files.
Does macOS automatically convert HEIC to JPG when sharing?
Often yes. When you share a HEIC photo from the Photos app using AirDrop to a Windows PC, or when you attach it to an email in Mail.app to a non-Apple recipient, macOS's 'automatic' compatibility mode can convert it to JPG on the fly. This happens transparently. However, this only works through the Share sheet — dragging a raw HEIC file from Finder sends the HEIC as-is.
How do I stop my iPhone from saving as HEIC in the first place?
On your iPhone, go to Settings → Camera → Formats. Select 'Most Compatible' to shoot JPEG instead of HEIC going forward. Existing HEIC photos in your library remain as HEIC; only new photos use JPEG. Alternatively, keep HEIC and let iCloud convert automatically when syncing to Mac — iCloud Photo Library handles the conversion transparently.
Can I use Automator to batch convert HEIC to JPG on Mac?
Yes, but it requires a workaround. Automator doesn't have a native 'convert HEIC' action. The easiest scripted approach is to use sips (the macOS command-line image processing tool) in a shell script: `sips -s format jpeg *.heic --out ./converted/`. This command runs in Terminal and converts every HEIC file in the current directory to JPG, outputting to a 'converted' subfolder. For non-technical users, the Preview or FormatDrop methods are simpler.
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