FormatDrop
How-To Guide

How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows

Your iPhone photos are HEIC. Your Windows PC can't open them — at least not without a paid Microsoft Store codec or a third-party app. There's a faster way: convert HEIC to JPG directly in your browser using FormatDrop. No download, no codec, no account. Works on Windows 10 and Windows 11 in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

Open HEIC to JPG Converter

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Open the FormatDrop HEIC to JPG converter in your browser

    Go to formatdrop.com/heic-to-jpg in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge on your Windows PC. The conversion engine (libheif compiled to WebAssembly) loads directly into your browser tab — nothing is installed on your computer and nothing is uploaded anywhere.

    Go to converter
  2. 2

    Select your HEIC files from Windows Explorer

    Click the drop zone to open the Windows file picker, or drag HEIC files directly from Windows Explorer or File Explorer onto the converter. You can select multiple HEIC files at once — they'll all convert in a single batch. HEIC files from iPhone are usually in your Downloads folder or transferred via iCloud for Windows.

  3. 3

    Wait for conversion to complete in your browser

    The libheif decoder runs locally inside your browser tab. On most modern Windows PCs this takes 1–5 seconds per photo. You'll see a progress indicator. Your files never leave your machine — there's no upload step. Open DevTools (F12) → Network tab if you want to verify: you'll see zero outbound upload requests.

  4. 4

    Download your JPG files

    Click the Download button to save each converted JPG to your Windows Downloads folder. Alternatively, download all files as a ZIP. The JPG files will open natively in Windows Photos, Paint, Photoshop, and every other Windows application without any codec needed.

Why convert HEIC to JPG?

Windows 10 and Windows 11 do not ship with a HEIC codec by default. When you connect an iPhone, copy HEIC files via USB, or receive them from someone, Windows displays a generic file icon and refuses to open the images. Microsoft sells the 'HEIF Image Extensions' codec on the Microsoft Store for $0.99, but it's a recurring frustration for anyone who just wants to open iPhone photos occasionally. The browser-based approach avoids all of that: Chrome, Firefox, and Edge on Windows already include the WebAssembly runtime that FormatDrop uses to decode HEIC files, so no system-level codec installation is required. The resulting JPG files are standard JPEG images that Windows opens natively — no codec, no extension, no Microsoft Store trip required. If you transfer iPhone photos to Windows regularly, the permanent fix is to change your iPhone camera settings (Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible) to shoot JPEG instead of HEIC. For one-off conversions or existing HEIC files, the browser converter is the fastest path.

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

Why can't Windows open HEIC files by default?
Microsoft chose not to include HEIC codec support in the base Windows installation — likely due to licensing considerations around HEVC (H.265), the compression algorithm HEIC uses. Apple paid for HEVC licenses when building HEIC support into iOS and macOS, but Microsoft did not bundle it into Windows. You can purchase the HEIF Image Extensions codec from the Microsoft Store for $0.99, install a free third-party viewer (IrfanView, XnView), or simply convert HEIC files to JPG using a browser-based tool.
Does this work on Windows 10 as well as Windows 11?
Yes. The conversion happens inside your web browser using WebAssembly, which has been supported in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge since 2017 — long before Windows 11 existed. Any Windows 10 or 11 PC with a modern browser can use FormatDrop to convert HEIC to JPG without any additional software.
How do I transfer HEIC files from iPhone to Windows?
The main methods are: (1) USB cable — connect iPhone, trust the PC, then open File Explorer and navigate to This PC → [your iPhone] → Internal Storage → DCIM. The files shown are HEIC unless you've changed camera settings. (2) iCloud for Windows — install the free iCloud app from the Microsoft Store; it syncs your Photo Library and can optionally auto-convert HEIC to JPG (enable this in iCloud settings). (3) Email or AirDrop to yourself — when you share from iPhone to a non-Apple destination, iOS often auto-converts to JPG during the share.
Can I batch convert hundreds of HEIC files at once?
FormatDrop supports batch conversion — you can drop multiple files at once and they'll convert in parallel. Free accounts support up to 5 files per batch with a 10 MB file size limit per file. For larger batches (photographing an event, exporting a camera roll), upgrading to Pro removes both limits: unlimited files per batch, up to 500 MB each.
Will iCloud for Windows convert HEIC to JPG automatically?
Yes, if you enable it. In the iCloud for Windows app, go to Photos settings and check 'Download and keep originals' — then under the HEIF options, select to convert to JPG on download. This makes every photo that syncs to your Windows PC arrive as JPG instead of HEIC automatically, without needing to convert files one by one.
Convert HEIC to JPG Now — Free

No account. No upload. Works in any browser.

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