How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 10/11 — Step by Step

Door het redactieteam van OpenMyHEIC · Laatst bijgewerkt: 19 juli 2026

How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows

Received HEIC photos from an iPhone and can't open them on your Windows PC? You're not alone. HEIC is Apple's default photo format, and Windows doesn't fully support it out of the box. Here are three easy ways to change HEIC to JPG on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Method 1: Use OpenMyHEIC.com (Fastest & Most Private)

The quickest way to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows is using our free online converter. No software installation required.

Steps:

• Open your browser and go to OpenMyHEIC.com
• Drag and drop your HEIC file onto the converter, or click "Select Files" to browse
• Adjust quality using the slider (92% recommended)
• Click "Convert" and wait a few seconds
• Click "Download" to save the JPG file

Why this method is best:

• No software to install
• Files never leave your computer (conversion happens in your browser)
• Works on any Windows version
• Completely free with no limits

Method 2: Install HEIF Extensions on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files natively with the right extensions installed.

Steps:

• Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows PC
• Search for "HEIF Image Extensions"
• Click Install (it may be free or cost $0.99)
• You may also need "HEVC Video Extensions" ($0.99) for full support
• After installation, you can open HEIC files with the Photos app
• To save as JPG: Open the HEIC file in Photos → Click the three dots menu → Save as → Choose JPG

Note: This method requires a Microsoft Store purchase and only works on Windows 10/11.

Method 3: Use Free Desktop Software

Several free programs can convert HEIC to JPG on Windows:

IrfanView (Free)

• Download and install IrfanView
• Install the Plugins package (includes HEIC support)
• Open your HEIC file in IrfanView
• Go to File → Save As → Select JPG format
• Click Save

GIMP (Free)

• Download and install GIMP
• Open your HEIC file (GIMP 2.10+ supports HEIC)
• Go to File → Export As
• Change the extension to .jpg
• Click Export

Which Method Should You Choose?

For most users, OpenMyHEIC.com is the fastest and most convenient option. It requires no installation, works instantly, and keeps your photos completely private.

How to Open HEIC Files on Windows 11 (Without Converting)

If you just want to open a HEIC file in Windows 11 or Windows 10 without converting it, install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store (Method 2 above). After that, HEIC photos will open in the Photos app and show thumbnails in File Explorer. If you need the photo to work in other programs — or want to avoid the Store entirely — converting it to JPG remains the most reliable option.

Batch Conversion on Windows

Need to convert many HEIC files at once? Use our batch converter to convert multiple files simultaneously and download them all as a ZIP file.

Why Windows Cannot Open HEIC Out of the Box

HEIC files store their image data using HEVC (also called H.265), the same compression used for 4K video. HEVC is covered by a large pool of patents, and decoders have to be licensed. Apple pays for that licence and ships the decoder in iOS and macOS; Microsoft splits it in two.

That is why you may see two different items in the Microsoft Store. HEIF Image Extensions is free and handles the container. HEVC Video Extensions carries the licensed decoder and is the paid one — and it is the piece most HEIC photos from an iPhone actually need. Installing only the free extension is the single most common reason people report that "the codec did not fix it".

A converter running in your browser sidesteps the problem entirely: the decoding happens in an open-source WebAssembly build, and what lands on your PC is an ordinary JPG that Windows has understood since the 1990s.

Windows 11 vs Windows 10

On Windows 11 the HEIF support is more often already present, so double-clicking a HEIC file may simply work. Even there, HEVC-encoded photos can still ask for the paid extension, and thumbnails in File Explorer are the last thing to start working.

On Windows 10 you will almost always have to install something, and the licence is per PC — if you have a desktop and a laptop, you pay twice. On older builds the Store extensions may not be offered at all.

Either way, converting to JPG produces a file that opens on every Windows version, every phone and every website, with nothing to install and nothing to configure.

Troubleshooting

"This file format is not supported" in the Photos app. The HEIF extension is installed but the HEVC one is not. Either add it, or convert the file to JPG instead.

File Explorer shows grey or blank thumbnails. Thumbnails are cached separately from file support. After installing the codecs, sign out and back in, or clear the thumbnail cache with Disk Cleanup. Converted JPGs show thumbnails immediately.

A website or form rejects the photo. Most upload forms accept only JPG and PNG. This is not something you can fix on your PC — the file itself has to change format.

The photo arrived as .HEIC through WhatsApp or email. Messaging apps usually convert to JPG automatically, so a HEIC that reaches you intact was sent as a file or document attachment. Convert it once and keep the JPG.

The file opens but looks washed out. iPhone photos are often captured in the wide Display P3 colour space. Converting through a browser writes standard sRGB, which is what most Windows apps and printers expect.

What to Do About Future Photos

Converting is a cure, not a prevention. If iPhone photos keep arriving as HEIC, the person taking them can change one setting: Settings, then Camera, then Formats, then Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG at capture. It uses a little more storage and does not touch photos already taken, but it stops the problem at the source.