Convert iPhone HEIC Photos to JPG on Windows (Free)

You copy photos off an iPhone, double-click on Windows, and Photos shows a blank tile or "Can't open this file". That is HEIC. Apple uses it to shrink files. Windows 10 and 11 can install an HEVC / HEIF extension from Microsoft, sometimes paid depending on the bundle, and plenty of office PCs block the Store anyway. Websites that validate .jpg will reject .heic even when the PC can preview it.

The general converter guide is how to convert HEIC to JPG online. This is the Windows path: File Explorer, Outlook, and skipping the codec.

Convert on Windows without the Store pack

1. Copy the photos to a folder (USB, iCloud for Windows, AirDrop via a nearby Mac, or email to yourself).
2. Open HEIC to JPG in Edge or Chrome.
3. Drop the .heic / .heif files. Convert. Save the JPGs next to the originals.
4. Attach the JPG to Outlook or the upload form. Leave the HEIC as archive if you still have the iPhone.

You do not need iTunes for this. You do not need to change a registry key. Batch conversion is the point when someone sent you a whole weekend of HEICs.

If you would rather teach Windows to open HEIC

Install Microsoft's HEIF and HEVC extensions, then Photos can preview. That helps you look at files. It does not help a web form that only allows JPG. Convert those anyway. Also, a locked-down work laptop may not allow the extensions. The browser tool still does.

Windows-specific traps

• Explorer showing a generic icon does not always mean the file is corrupt. It means no codec thumbnail.
• Outlook may block uncommon extensions. JPG goes through.
• OneDrive can transcode in the cloud, but that is another copy of your photos on a server. The in-browser converter is the local option.
• Live Photos: you get the still. The motion is a separate movie on the iPhone.

Need Mac or Android instead? See HEIC to JPG on Mac and Android.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open HEIC on Windows for free?

Convert to JPG with HEIC to JPG, or install Microsoft's HEIF extensions if your PC allows Store apps.

Is the photo uploaded?

Usually no. Rare variants fall back to server conversion and are discarded after.

Will quality drop?

Slightly, because JPG is lossy. For email and web it is the format that actually opens.

Open HEIC to JPG on the Windows PC that refused the file. Free, no signup.