This article will show you how to convert HEIC files (sometimes also called HEIF files) to JPG and PNG. This was written for macOS Big Sur but the steps should work on all other versions of MacOS, too.
Sometimes you need to convert HEIC to JPG or PNG format. We’re here to help. The HEIC image format was introduced with iOS 11 and is supported by Apple, Google and Microsoft on iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (2018), iPad (2017) or later, iPad Air2 as well as the 2017 versions of the iPad mini and iPod touch. Because Android devices are not all created equal, we have included an Android solution, too.
The HEIC file extension was introduced with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra and allows you to take advantage of lossless image compression algorithms. Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to convert HEIC files to the popular JPEG or PNG file formats! So, how can you convert HEIC files to JPG or PNG?
Related: What is an HEIC file? How to open HEIC file? and How to edit photos on Mac
Convert HEIC to JPG with native macOS
To help Mac users avoid this confusion, here’s a quick guide to convert HEIC to JPG and PNG quickly.
How to convert HEIC file to JPG with Photos
The Photos app was built for your Mac to be the place where you interact with your photos. It serves as the default image viewing and editing app for Mac users. As a continuation of Photo, it has inherited all the best features of its predecessors while bringing in even more powerful new capabilities. In fact, aside from being a great way to view and edit photo files, Photos also provides feature-rich tools to convert HEIC images to JPG in various quality levels–including PNG–so that you can continue enjoying them on a computer as well.
- The easiest way is to Open the image in Photos app
- Click File then select “Export.”
- Choose the JPEG or PNG format under “Photo Kind” selection menu.
- Click on Export.
Your photo will be converted from HEIC to PNG or JPG format and saved In Mac desktop.
How to convert HEIC to JPG with Preview
Not all applications support the new HEIC photo format that comes with iOS 11 and iPhone 7. But converting HEIC to JPG is easy and quick using your Mac and Preview, the default app for viewing images on your Mac.
- Select a photo you want to convert.
- Right click and Open With preview
- From the top toolbar, Click on File and then Click Export
- Change the file format from HEIC to JPG or PNG under format menu
- Click save and name the file
HEIC file is now converted to a jpeg or a PNG file.
How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows PC
Batch conversion takes longer, and sometimes more, technical skills than you’d like. There is a way to convert .HEIC images to standard JPEG and PNG formats online, though. Simply run a Google search for “convert HEIC to JPG” or the like. You will find several websites that can turn your high-quality .HEIC photos into still images in the most popular formats.
Using HEIC to JPEG (FREE) software
Avoid the trouble of manually converting HEIC files to JPEG by using this lightweight and efficient app.
With a robust HEIC to JPEG converter, you can easily convert the thousands of images on your iPhone that use this new format. Just drop or paste your files and they’re converted automatically.
This is the best utility for converting HEIC file format to JPEG files. on Windows 10/8.
Open your HEICs or paste in a folder via drag and drop. That’s it. File Saving lets you choose a new filename, and that’s all you need to do. It’ll even open up your destination folder and drop the converted files into it!
Converts locally, so it’s fast and secure 
Note: Online graphics converters are a great tool if you want to convert, say, an image from .jpg to .png. I know it’s tempting to upload all your personal photos so that they can be converted, but we strongly recommend against it. It is always best to do such conversions locally on your own computer.
Here’s how to convert HEIC to JPG online on Chrome, Firefox, Opera:
If you’ve recently upgraded to a newer Mac (running macOS High Sierra or later) and have images saved in the new HEIC format, you should know that they won’t open in most other image editing apps. To quickly convert them, we recommend using a universal file converter like Zamzar.
This efficient online service can convert your HEIC files to JPGs or PNGs with just a few clicks, and it’s completely free!
Conclusion
You have a lot of options for opening HEIC file on Mac and converting HEIC to JPG/PNG. You can use Photos, you can use Preview, or online converter tool. If you need to compress resulting JPGs, there’s no better way to do so than Tinypng.
The best way to deal with HEICs is to convert them to the more flexible format of JPG. If you use the Photos app, one way is to import a HEIC file, and then export it out as a JPG to your desktop. However, you can then do things like add metadata or apply quality adjustments before exporting. If you’re using a Mac running High Sierra or newer, you can even use the built-in feature to export HEIC pictures in batches as JPGs. Another option is to use Preview, where you can export your HEIC file as a TIFF, JPEG, PNG.