Why Windows struggles with iPhone photos
If you have copied photos from an iPhone to a PC, you have probably seen it: grey icons, no thumbnails and an error when you double-click. The quickest fix is a browser-based HEIC to JPG Windows converter like this one – it needs no extensions, no admin rights and no upload, and it works the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The root cause is the file format. Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC: a HEIF image compressed with the HEVC (H.265) codec. HEVC is a patented codec, and Windows does not ship with everything needed to decode it. So Explorer can’t draw thumbnails, and the Photos app asks you to install something first.
Option 1: install the HEIF and HEVC extensions
Windows can open HEIC files once two add-ons are installed from the Microsoft Store:
- HEIF Image Extensions – free. Lets Windows understand the HEIF container.
- HEVC Video Extensions – a small fee in the Microsoft Store. Some PCs already have the free “from Device Manufacturer” version preinstalled.
With both installed, the Photos app opens HEIC files and thumbnails appear in File Explorer. To get a JPG, open a photo in Paint and choose File › Save as › JPEG picture. This is fine for the occasional photo, but you have to repeat it for every single file, and the extensions don’t help other programs or websites that still expect JPG.
Option 2: HEIC to JPG on Windows 11 and 10 without installing anything
The faster route for most people is to convert the files in the browser you already have:
- Open this page in Edge, Chrome or Firefox.
- Drag your HEIC photos from File Explorer onto the page, or click “Choose a folder” to add an entire folder, for example the DCIM folder you copied from your iPhone.
- Click “Download all (ZIP)”, then right-click the ZIP in your Downloads folder and choose Extract All.
Everything happens on your PC. The converter uses a WebAssembly build of the open-source libheif library, so your photos are never uploaded. There is no limit on the number or size of files, no watermark and no account. Because nothing needs to be installed, it also works on locked-down work or school computers.
| Feature | Store extensions + Paint | Browser converter |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Two Store apps | None |
| Cost | HEVC extension may cost a small fee | Free |
| Many photos at once | One by one | Batch, ZIP download |
| Works on work/school PCs | Often blocked | Yes, in the browser |
| Photos uploaded | No | No |
Choosing the right settings
JPG is selected by default at quality 92, which is visually identical to the original for screens and prints. Raise the slider towards 100 for photo prints, or lower it to make e-mail attachments smaller. If you plan to edit the pictures in a design program, switch to PNG for lossless files.
The colour profile and orientation are preserved, so photos look the way they did on the iPhone. By default the JPG keeps the date, camera and lens but drops the GPS location; change this under “Photo info (EXIF)”.
Stop the problem at the source
If you regularly move photos from an iPhone to a PC, you can make the iPhone send JPG automatically. On the iPhone, go to Settings › Photos › Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic. Photos imported over a USB cable are then converted to JPG during the transfer. Alternatively, Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible makes the camera shoot JPG from the start, at the cost of roughly twice the storage space.
Tip: for older photos that are already on your PC as HEIC, the converter is still the quickest way to fix them in one go – see our guide to batch converting HEIC to JPG.
More help with HEIC
Not sure what a HEIC file actually is? Our explainer on what HEIC is covers the format in detail. Just want to look at a photo before converting it? Use the HEIC viewer. And if you also use a Mac, here is how to convert HEIC to JPG on Mac.
Updated: