How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows
Windows can ask for two Store extensions before it will open a HEIC photo, and opening isn't converting. Here's the route that needs neither.
To convert HEIC to JPG on Windows, open HEIC to JPG in your browser, add your .heic files, and download the JPG copies. Nothing is installed and the photos are not uploaded. The decoding happens in the browser tab, so it doesn't depend on which codecs your PC has.
That matters because the fix Microsoft documents is about opening HEIC files, and opening one is not the same as converting it.
How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows without installing anything
- Open HEIC to JPG on the PC that has the photos.
- Add the files. The tool takes
.heicand.heif, up to 50 files at a time and up to 50MB each. - Set the JPG quality slider. It starts at 0.92 and runs from 0.4 to 1. Lower values make smaller files.
- Convert, then download. One photo downloads as a single JPG. Two or more come back together in one zip.
Each file keeps its name with a new ending, so IMG_1234.heic becomes IMG_1234.jpg. The originals are not changed. The page needs an internet connection to load its decoder, but the photos themselves stay on your PC.
JPG is a lossy format, so the copy is a re-compressed version of the photo and not a bit-for-bit duplicate. If you want a copy with no second round of lossy compression and can live with a larger file, use HEIC to PNG. Our HEIC vs JPG comparison covers what the two formats trade.
Why won't Windows open HEIC files?
Windows can ask for two add-ons from the Microsoft Store before its Photos app will open a HEIC photo. Microsoft's support page for the error, Photos app Video Editor error: Can't view this file type, says the Photos app may show the message "You need an extension to use this file" for HEIF photos and HEVC videos taken on an iOS or Android device. HEIC is the file ending iPhones give HEIF photos, and our explainer on what HEIC is covers the format itself.
Microsoft's first fix is to install both of these, as long as your PC meets their system requirements:
| Extension | Price Microsoft lists |
|---|---|
| HEIF Image Extensions | Free |
| HEVC Video Extensions | $0.99 |
Microsoft adds: "You'll need both, even if you only plan on using photos and not videos." So the free extension alone may not be enough, and the second one is paid. The $0.99 figure is from Microsoft's support page and its US Store listing as read on 10 October 2026. After installing, Microsoft says to restart the Photos app.
Do the HEIF and HEVC extensions convert HEIC to JPG?
No. They let Windows read the file. Microsoft's Store listing describes the HEIF Image Extension in one sentence: "View HEIF images with this extension." The photo on your disk is still a .heic file afterwards, so an upload form that only takes .jpg will still turn it down, and it still won't open for anyone whose PC lacks the extensions.
Once a photo opens, an app on your PC may be able to save a JPG copy of it. The support page above describes no such step, so no menu path is given here. If you only need the JPG, the browser route above skips the extensions and the $0.99 altogether.
Microsoft's other two fixes: re-import the photos, or use OneDrive
The same support page lists two alternatives to buying the extensions.
Re-import or email the photos. Microsoft says many devices will convert HEIC photos to a more common format when you transfer or email them, and suggests plugging the phone into the PC and moving the files over, or emailing them to yourself. It adds that you may need to change the camera and photo settings on the phone for this to work. On an iPhone those are the settings described in our guide to stopping your iPhone saving HEIC. This route helps with photos still on the phone. It does nothing for HEIC files already sitting in a folder on your PC.
OneDrive. The Photos page says OneDrive can automatically convert your photo files and links to a second Microsoft page, Upload HEIF and HEVC photos and videos to OneDrive. That page says something different: OneDrive for iOS uploads HEIF photos in their original format instead of as JPG. It also says you can view them on the OneDrive website in any browser, and that to open the downloaded files on a Windows computer you may need to install a codec. Going by Microsoft's own OneDrive page, don't count on OneDrive to hand you JPGs.
Which route should you use?
If the goal is a JPG, convert in the browser. The extensions are for viewing HEIC photos, not for changing them.
| What you need | Route |
|---|---|
| JPG copies of HEIC files already on the PC | HEIC to JPG in the browser |
| To view HEIC photos in the Photos app, and keep them as HEIC | Both Store extensions |
| Future iPhone photos to arrive as JPG | Change the iPhone's camera or transfer setting |
If the JPG is headed for an upload form and gets refused for a reason other than its format, the general guide on why HEIC photos won't open goes through the file-size and dimension limits that usually cause it.
FAQ
Is the HEVC Video Extension free?
Microsoft lists it at $0.99. The HEIF Image Extensions are listed as free, and Microsoft's support page says you need both, even for photos only.
Can I convert a whole folder of HEIC photos at once on Windows?
Yes, up to 50 at a time. Select them all when you add files to HEIC to JPG and the JPGs download together in one zip. For more than 50, run a second batch.
Do I need the extensions installed to use the browser converter?
No. The page loads its own JavaScript HEIC decoder and does the work in the tab, so it doesn't use the Windows extensions.
Will the JPG look worse than the HEIC?
JPG is lossy, so the copy is not identical to the original. The slider starts at 0.92, near the top of its 0.4 to 1 range, which favours quality over file size. Keep the HEIC original if the photo matters.