HEIC photos on a Mac: what they are and how to convert them to JPEG

Updated 2026-10-18

HEIC is the format iPhones use for photos by default. Macs open it without any extra software, but websites, older software and some people you send files to may not. Converting is quick with tools you already have.

What HEIC is

HEIC files use the High Efficiency Image format, which stores a photo of similar quality in a smaller file than JPEG. On iPhone, the setting is under Settings, Camera, Formats: High Efficiency saves HEIC, and Most Compatible saves JPEG. Your Mac reads both natively, so you only need to convert when something else cannot open HEIC.

Convert in Finder with a Quick Action

Select one or more HEIC files in Finder.
Right-click and choose Quick Actions, then Convert Image.
Choose JPEG as the format, pick an image size, and choose whether to keep metadata.
Click Convert To JPEG. The new files appear next to the originals.

Convert Image is available on macOS Monterey and later. It is the quickest way to convert many files at once.

Convert in Preview

Open the photo in Preview.
Choose File, then Export.
Set Format to JPEG and adjust the quality slider.
Click Save.

Preview is handy for a single image when you also want to crop or resize first.

Export from Photos

If the picture is in your Photos library, select it and choose File, then Export, then Export Photos. Choose JPEG as the photo kind. To keep the original HEIC file instead, choose Export Unmodified Original.

Get JPEG automatically when transferring

On iPhone, Settings, Photos, Transfer to Mac or PC has an Automatic option that converts to a compatible format when you copy photos to a computer over a cable. This does not affect iCloud Photos, which keeps the original format.

Avoid a folder full of pairs

Converting leaves both files: IMG_1234.HEIC and IMG_1234.jpeg. They show the same picture but are different files, so a check that compares file contents will not treat them as duplicates.

Convert into a separate folder when you only need JPEGs for sharing.
Once you have sent or uploaded the JPEGs, delete them and keep the HEIC originals, which are smaller.
If you convert to keep JPEG permanently, check a few converted files open properly, then move the HEIC files to the Trash.

Sort out mixed folders in FileSift

FileSift shows image folders as large thumbnails, so HEIC and JPEG versions of the same picture are easy to see side by side, with Quick Look on Space. Its Duplicates scan finds identical files and look-alike photos and groups them for review; look-alike matching is the kind of check that can surface pairs like these, but review each group and decide which format you want to keep. FileSift always keeps one copy in each group and moves the extras to the Trash.

Common questions

Does converting HEIC to JPEG lose quality?

Slightly, because JPEG compresses differently. At high quality settings the difference is hard to see.

Can Windows PCs open HEIC files?

Some can with an extra codec, but JPEG is the safer choice when you are not sure.

FileSift shows your folders as large thumbnails, searches in plain English and clears duplicates. US$19 once, for macOS 14 or later. See what it does.