How to Convert HEIC to JPG in XnConvert

XnConvert turns a whole folder of HEIC photos into ordinary JPG files in one pass, for free, on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Converting HEIC photos to JPG files with XnConvert

Your phone saves photos as HEIC because it halves the file size, and then half the software on your computer refuses to open them.

The permanent fix is to convert them to JPG once, in bulk, and stop fighting the format.

This guide does that in XnConvert, which chews through hundreds of files in one go and leaves your originals exactly where they are.

Not sure you want to convert at all? If you would rather open HEIC photos without converting them, install HEIF Image Extensions instead and Windows will read them natively. Converting is better when you need to email, upload or share the photos.

Step 1: Download and install XnConvert

Download XnConvert, run the installer, then launch it from your desktop or applications folder.

It is free for personal and educational use on Windows, Mac and Linux. Using it inside a company needs a paid licence, which starts at 15 EUR.

Nothing else is required. Recent versions read HEIC and HEIF straight out of the box, so there is no plugin or codec to hunt down first.

Step 2: Add your HEIC files

On the Input tab, click Add files and pick your photos, or just drag them from File Explorer or Finder into the window.

Whole folders work too, using Add folder. There is no practical limit, so throw the entire camera roll at it.

Step 3: Pick where the converted files go

Switch to the Output tab and choose a destination folder.

Send them somewhere new rather than back into the source folder. That way your HEIC originals stay intact and you can delete the copies if something goes wrong.

Step 4: Choose JPG as the output format

On the same Output tab, open the Format dropdown and select JPG.

JPG is the safe answer, because everything opens it. Pick PNG if you need a lossless copy, or WebP if the photos are going on a website and you want them small.

Check this before you convert. The dropdown holds both input and output formats, and HEIC sits in the list too. Selecting HEIC here converts your photos to the format you are trying to get away from.

Step 5: Adjust the quality slider (optional)

Click Settings next to the format dropdown to set JPG quality.

Somewhere around 85 to 90 keeps the photos looking untouched at roughly a quarter of the size. Below 70 you will start to see blocky patches in skies and skin tones.

The Actions tab is where the other 80-odd operations live, if you want to resize, rotate or watermark everything while you are at it. You can skip it entirely.

Step 6: Hit Convert

Click Convert and watch the counter. A few hundred phone photos take a couple of minutes on a normal laptop.

When it finishes, open your output folder. Every file should now be a JPG that opens anywhere, with the originals untouched where you left them.

Converted photos sitting in the output folder after conversion

Save the setup for next time. Use the preset box at the bottom of the window to store this exact configuration under a name like "HEIC to JPG". Next month it is two clicks instead of six steps.

If your HEIC files will not load

Almost every failure here comes down to one of three things.

An old XnConvert build. HEIC support improved over several releases, so download XnConvert again and install the current version.
The file is a Live Photo pair. The still image converts fine; the short video half is a separate file and will not come along with it.
The photo is still in iCloud. A placeholder file on your disk has nothing to convert, so download the full-resolution copy first.

If you only need one or two files done right now, HEIC to JPG online and HEIF to JPG online will handle them in a browser with nothing to install.

When XnConvert is the wrong tool

The tell is simple: if you never want to see a converted copy, you do not want a converter.

Readers who just want to double-click a photo and see it should download HEIF Image Extensions, which makes Windows Photos and File Explorer read HEIC directly.

If your files are iPhone videos rather than photos, you need HEVC Video Extension or the free HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer instead, since HEVC is the video cousin of HEIC.

And for a converter with a narrower, friendlier front end, iMazing HEIC Converter does this one job and nothing else.

Other formats XnConvert will save you from

The same six steps work for any of the 500-plus formats it reads, which is the real reason to keep it installed.

Camera RAW files, PSD layers, JPEG XL and AVIF all go in the same window and come out as JPG. For RAW specifically, Raw Image Extension lets Windows preview them first, and Adobe DNG Converter is better if you are archiving rather than converting.

Going the other way, WebP Codec teaches older Windows apps to open the WebP files you export. Browse the rest of the graphics tools if you need something more specialised.

Quick questions

Is XnConvert really free?

Yes, for private and educational use, with no adware and no nag screens. Companies need a paid licence, which starts at 15 EUR per seat.

Do I need to install anything extra to open HEIC files in it?

No. Current versions read HEIC and HEIF natively on Windows, Mac and Linux, so the installer is all you need.

Will converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?

A little, since JPG is lossy, though at quality 85 to 90 you will not see it. Choose PNG in the format dropdown if you want a pixel-perfect copy.

Does it keep the date and location stored in my photos?

Yes, EXIF data carries across by default. You can strip or edit it on the Actions tab if you would rather not share where a photo was taken.

Will it overwrite my original HEIC files?

Not if you set a separate destination folder in step 3. The originals are only ever read, never modified.

XnConvert or HEIF Image Extensions, which one do I actually need?

XnConvert if you need files other people and other apps can open; HEIF Image Extensions if you only need to view them on your own PC. Plenty of people install both.