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HEIC vs JPG: what iPhone users should know
Your iPhone probably saves photos as HEIC, not JPG. Here’s what that means, when it causes problems, and the simple ways around them.
Updated October 22, 2026
What is HEIC?
HEIC is Apple’s name for photos saved in the HEIF format using modern HEVC compression. iPhones have used it by default since iOS 11 in 2017. The main benefit: photos take about half the space of a JPG at similar quality, so your phone holds roughly twice as many.
HEIC vs JPG at a glance
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | About half | Larger |
| Opens on iPhone, iPad, Mac | Yes | Yes |
| Opens on Windows | Sometimes needs extra extensions | Yes |
| Websites and online forms | Often rejected | Accepted almost everywhere |
| Printing services | Often not accepted | Accepted |
When you’ll want a JPG
- Uploading to a website or form that says “JPG or PNG only”
- Sending photos to someone on Windows or an older Android phone
- Ordering prints or using a photo kiosk
- Editing in software that doesn’t support HEIC
Three ways to get JPGs from your iPhone
1. Convert the photos you already have
Use a converter like our HEIC to JPG tool. It runs in your browser, so your personal photos aren’t uploaded anywhere, and it can handle up to 100 at once.
2. Let your iPhone convert when transferring
Go to Settings → Apps → Photos and, under “Transfer to Mac or PC”, chooseAutomatic. Your iPhone then converts photos to a compatible format when you copy them to a computer over a cable.
3. Shoot in JPG from now on
Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG. The trade-off is that they take more storage, and photos you’ve already taken stay HEIC.
Should you switch your iPhone to JPG?
For most people, no. HEIC saves a lot of space, and you can convert the occasional photo when you need to share or upload it. If you constantly send photos to Windows PCs or forms, switching to “Most Compatible” can save you a step.