Ever since iOS 11, iPhones have been capturing images in HEIC/HEIF format by default. This usually goes unnoticed until you try to export an image and discover that some devices, apps, or websites don’t support it. As a result, you may find yourself having to convert HEIC files to JPEG files manually, which can be time-consuming. The good news is that your iPhone can assist you with this task, no third-party apps required. Here’s how.
Why iPhones Save to HEIC by Default
HEIC/HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File and is the proprietary RAW file format in the Apple ecosystem. This format uses the efficient H.265 codec to compress images and can therefore deliver similar quality as a JPEG at a much lower file size.
Basically, Apple adopted HEIC primarily for its efficiency, as the format cuts file sizes nearly in half, speeds up iCloud syncing, and reduces bandwidth and data usage when images are shared.
You can easily check whether an image is in HEIC format or not. In the Photos app, navigate to the image in question and tap to open it. Press the small info button (i) at the bottom.
Check the info next to your iPhone’s model to see the file format.
You can also check a photo’s format from the Files or Preview app (if you’ve updated to iOS 26). In the first scenario, open the image and tap its name at the top. If it says Image underneath it, that’s your cue you’re dealing with a HEIC file.
In the Preview app, tap the i at the bottom. This will show the image’s full information sheet. Check the File Name or Kind section to view the format.
Convert a HEIC File to JPEG Directly on iPhone
To avoid dealing with compatibility issues, it’s a good idea to convert HEIC files to JPEG before sending them out. Here’s how you can do this.
In the Photos app, find the photo you wish to convert and press the Share icon.
Tap on the Copy Photo option that appears underneath the row of apps.
Now open the Files app on your phone and select On My iPhone (you might need to press Back a few times to access the Browse screen where the option is located).
Long-press on an empty area and select Paste.
The photo should now appear. If you check, you’ll see it has been automatically converted to JPEG.
Send the image(s) via email
Another quick way to convert a HEIC file to JPEG is to send it via email, as the file gets automatically converted.
Open the Photos app and go to the image in question. Then press the Share icon. Select the Mail app (or your preferred mail service) to attach the image to a new email. Send it to yourself.
When you check the attachment, you’ll see the image is now a JPEG.
I also noticed that if you transfer images using an app like Blip, they will arrive at their destination as JPEGs.
Create a shortcut for bulk conversion
If you constantly need to convert multiple HEIC files, you might want to create a shortcut to quickly convert them in bulk.
Open the Shortcuts app and tap on the + button in the upper right. Identify the Search Actions field at the bottom.
Use it to search for Select Photos. Select it to add it. Once this is added, make sure you enable the toggle for Select Multiple by pressing the downward arrow.
Next, go to the Search Actions field again and search for Convert image. By default, the conversion should result in a JPEG image. If it’s not set to that, tap on the file format to change to JPEG.
Once again, go to Search Actions and look for Save to Photos. The default saving location is Recents, but if you tap it, you can change it to something else.
Finally, you can rename your shortcut by pressing the downward arrow at the top. You can opt to Add to Home Screen. This adds the shortcut to your home screen for easy access.
Now, when you launch the shortcut, your iPhone will ask you to select the images you want to convert.
Wait a few seconds, then check the destination folder. Your JPEGs should be waiting for you there.
Note: Shortcuts are powerful tools that can do many things. For example, you can set one up to combine two photos into a single side-by-side image. No extra apps needed.
Change Default File Format to JPEG
In case you don’t want to deal with file conversation, you can set your iPhone to shoot in JPEG instead of HEIC. On your phone go to Settings → Camera → Formats.
Switch from High Efficiency to Most Compatible to have your iPhone save images as JPEG directly.
Now, if you received a HEIC image, then you will have to convert it somehow. Here are your options if you are using a Windows device.
