How to Convert HEIC to PNG on iPhone (Free, No Upload)

Your iPhone saves photos as HEIC by default. It's efficient, but the moment you need to share a photo with an Android user, upload it to a website that only accepts PNG, or edit it in an app that doesn't speak HEIC, you're stuck.

Here are the free ways to convert HEIC to PNG on iPhone — including one where your photos never leave your device.

Option 1: Change the default format (prevention)

Go to Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. New photos will be saved as JPEG instead of HEIC. This doesn't fix photos you've already taken, but it stops the problem from growing.

Option 2: The Files app trick (no new app needed)

1. Open Photos, select the HEIC photos, tap Share → Save to Files.
2. In the Files app, the copies are saved as JPEG, not HEIC.

This works, but you get JPEG — not PNG — and it's clumsy for more than a handful of photos.

Option 3: A browser-based converter (best for PNG output)

If you specifically need PNG — for transparency, lossless quality, or a site that requires it — the fastest route is a browser tool:

1. Open FileOnTap's HEIC to PNG converter in Safari or Chrome on your iPhone.
2. Drop in your HEIC photos (it handles batches).
3. Download the PNGs.

The conversion runs entirely in your browser using local processing — your photos are never uploaded to a server. That's a meaningful difference from most "free online converters," which send your personal photos to a third-party server first. No account, no watermark, no install.

Which option should you pick?

• One-off photo, JPEG is fine: use the Files app trick.
• Need PNG, or converting several photos: use the browser converter.
• Sick of HEIC entirely: switch to Most Compatible in Settings.

Disclosure: I'm the developer of FileOnTap.