How to Convert HEIC to JPG Without Uploading Your Photos (Free, Works Offline)

Every iPhone saves photos as HEIC by default. It is a good format. The files are about half the size of a JPG at the same quality. The trouble starts the moment the photo leaves the phone. Windows shows a blank thumbnail, a lot of upload forms reject the file, and some older apps cannot open it at all.

The usual fix is to search "HEIC to JPG" and drop the photos on the first website that shows up. I did that for years. Then one day I was about to convert a photo of an ID card for a form and stopped. That file was going to sit on a server I knew nothing about, just so I could change its format.

So this is a short guide on how to convert HEIC to JPG on any computer while keeping the photos on your own device. I will cover the built-in options first, then a browser option that works with no install and no upload.

Why uploading photos to a converter is a bad habit

A photo is not just pixels. HEIC files from a phone carry EXIF metadata: the date and time, the phone model, and very often the exact GPS location where it was taken. When you upload it, all of that goes too.

Most converter sites say they delete files after an hour or so. Maybe they do. But you cannot check that, and you do not need to take the risk for a job your own computer can do in a second.

Option 1: convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac (built in)

macOS can do this with no extra software.

1. Select one or more HEIC files in Finder.
2. Right click, then choose Quick Actions, then Convert Image.
3. Pick JPEG, choose a size, and click Convert to JPEG.

You can also open a file in Preview and use File, then Export, then JPEG. For the terminal fans: sips -s format jpeg photo.heic --out photo.jpg.

Option 2: convert HEIC to JPG on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 need the HEIF Image Extensions (and sometimes the HEVC Video Extensions) from the Microsoft Store. After that the Photos app can open the file, and you can use Save as to write a JPG. Paint can do the same with Save as, then JPEG.

This works, but it is one file at a time, and the HEVC extension is not free on every machine.

Option 3: convert HEIC to JPG in the browser, with no upload

This is the option I use now, because it works on any computer (including a locked down work laptop) and handles a whole batch at once.

Modern browsers can run real image decoders through WebAssembly. That means a web page can decode HEIC right inside the tab, using your own CPU, and save the JPG back to your disk. The file never goes over the network.

I built a free, open source toolkit around this idea called OpenFile. It has a HEIC converter along with a few hundred other file tools, and all of them run in the tab. Here is how to use the HEIC one:

1. Open https://openfile-studio.vercel.app/heic-converter
2. Drop in one photo or a whole folder of HEIC files.
3. Choose JPG (or PNG, WebP or AVIF if you want).
4. Set the quality. Around 85 is a good balance between size and detail.
5. Download the files one by one or as a ZIP.

There is no account, no watermark and no file limit.

How to check that a converter really does not upload your files

Do not just trust a "we never upload" banner, including mine. You can check it yourself in under a minute:

1. Open the converter page and let it fully load.
2. Open your browser's developer tools (F12) and go to the Network tab.
3. Convert a photo and watch the requests. A local tool shows no request carrying your file.
4. For extra proof, turn off Wi-Fi and convert another photo. If it still works, the work is happening on your device.

Does it work offline

Yes. OpenFile is an installable PWA. Open it once, use the install button in the address bar, and after that it works with no connection. That is handy on a plane or on bad hotel Wi-Fi. There are also desktop builds for Windows, macOS and Linux, and an Android build.

What about the GPS data in my photos

Converting to JPG may keep some EXIF data depending on the tool and settings. If you are sharing a photo publicly, strip the metadata first. OpenFile has an EXIF viewer and remover in the same image section, and it also runs locally.

FAQ

Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
A little, because JPG is lossy and 8-bit. At quality 85 or higher most people cannot see the difference.

Is HEIC to JPG conversion free?
The built-in Mac and Windows options are free, and so is the browser option above.

Can I convert many HEIC files at once?
Yes. Finder Quick Actions and the browser tool both handle batches.

Is OpenFile open source?
Yes, it is MIT licensed. The code is here: https://github.com/aniruddhaadak80/OpenFile

Wrapping up

You do not need to hand your photos to a stranger to change a file format. Use what your computer already has, or a browser tool that does the work locally.

If you try OpenFile, I would love to hear what breaks or what is missing. Issues and stars on the repo help a lot. Here is a short demo video of the app: