How to Convert JPG to HEIC (And Whether You Should)

No browser can convert a JPG into a HEIC file. Not this site, not any other. Every online tool offering it is either processing the photo on a server or renaming the file and hoping you do not check.

That is an unusual thing for a converter site to lead with, so this guide explains why, shows the methods that genuinely work, and is honest about whether you want to do this at all.

Why browsers can read HEIC but can’t write it

The asymmetry catches people out, because every other format works both ways.

Reading is free, writing is licensed

Opening a HEIC needs a decoder. Open-source projects like libheif publish one, and any web page can ship it as WebAssembly. That is exactly how the HEIC to JPG converter on this site works.

Creating a HEIC needs an HEVC encoder. HEVC is covered by a patent pool, and the encoders that exist are either commercially licensed or released under terms that a browser vendor will not adopt.

Browsers can read HEIC because decoders are freely available, and cannot write it because HEVC encoding is patent-encumbered. The limitation is legal, not technical.

What that means for online tools

There are open-source HEVC encoders that can be compiled to WebAssembly. We looked at shipping one here and decided against it: the licence is unsuitable for an ad-supported site, and the alternative would add several megabytes of download for a rarely-used conversion.

So when a site offers JPG to HEIC in your browser, check what you are actually getting. The two common answers are a server-side conversion — your photo is uploaded — or a file with the extension changed and the contents untouched.

How to spot a renamed file

Open the downloaded file’s properties and look at the size. A genuine HEIC of the same photo should be noticeably smaller than the JPEG. If the byte count is identical, nothing was converted.

Methods that actually work

Apple licenses HEVC properly, which is why every method below runs on Apple hardware.

Method 1Mac: Preview → Export

Open the JPG in Preview.
Choose File → Export…
Set Format to HEIF.
Adjust the quality slider if you want, then Save.

macOS ships a real HEVC encoder, so this produces a proper HEIC file. It is built in, free, and works on batches if you select multiple images first.

Note the menu says HEIF rather than HEIC — same thing, as covered in what a HEIC file is.

Use this when: you have a Mac. This is the easiest genuine conversion there is.

Method 2iPhone: the Shortcuts app

There is no switch in Photos that converts existing images. Shortcuts is the supported route.

Open Shortcuts and create a new shortcut.
Add the Convert Image action.
Set the format to HEIF.
Add Save to Photo Album or Save File.
Turn on Show in Share Sheet in the shortcut’s settings.

You can then convert any photo by sharing it into the shortcut.

Use this when: you want to convert on the phone itself.

Method 3Windows: third-party software

Windows has no built-in HEIC encoder. The HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store add decoding only.

Your realistic options are ImageMagick built with libheif support, run from the command line, or a paid image editor that lists HEIC among its export formats. Both work; neither is convenient.

This is the point at which it is worth asking whether you actually need HEIC, because on Windows the answer is usually no.

Use this when: you are on a PC and genuinely need HEIC output.

What about the online converters that do work?

Some sites genuinely produce a valid HEIC. They manage it by doing the work on their servers rather than in your browser.

How to tell which kind you are using

Watch the network. A server-side converter has to upload your photo before it can return anything, so there is a delay proportional to the file size and a request carrying your image.

A local tool finishes without any upload at all. You can check this in your browser’s developer tools under the Network tab.

Whether that matters

For a photo of a spreadsheet, probably not. For a photo taken inside your home, it matters more than people assume.

An image file carries the coordinates where it was taken, the device that took it, and the exact timestamp. Uploading it hands all of that to a third party along with the picture. The HEIC EXIF viewer shows exactly what your own photos are carrying.

The trade is yours to make

There is nothing dishonest about server-side conversion, provided the site says that is what it does. The problem is the ones that imply everything stays local while quietly uploading, which is why it is worth checking rather than trusting a badge.

Should you convert JPG to HEIC at all?

Here is the part most guides skip entirely.

You take a second quality hit

Your JPEG already threw detail away when it was created. Re-encoding it as HEIC throws away a little more.

This is generation loss, and it is one-directional. Converting back to JPEG afterwards does not recover anything.

The space saving is smaller than you expect

HEIC is around half the size of an equivalent JPEG when both are made from the original camera data. Converting an existing JPEG is different: you are compressing data that has already been compressed, so the gain is real but more modest.

You lose compatibility, on purpose

You are converting a file that opens everywhere into a file that does not. Windows needs an extension, Android support varies by manufacturer, and browsers cannot display it at all.

That is a strange trade to make deliberately.

When it does make sense

Three cases are legitimate:

You are freeing space in a large Apple-only photo library and every device you use reads HEIC natively.
You need a specific app’s HEIC input for depth or Live Photo features.
You are testing HEIC handling in software you are building.

Outside those, the better move is to change what your camera produces rather than convert what it already produced.

📖 Further reading: how to turn HEIC on or off on your iPhone covers the camera setting in both directions.

The direction most people actually want

Nearly everybody who searches for this eventually turns out to want the opposite conversion: a HEIC that will not open, which needs to become a JPG.

If that is you, it takes about ten seconds and no software.

The bottom line

Converting JPG to HEIC is possible, but only with an Apple device or extra software on Windows — never in a browser, whatever a site may claim.

Before you do it, check that you actually want it. You are paying a second round of lossy compression and giving up compatibility, in exchange for a space saving smaller than the one you would get by simply shooting in HEIC from the start.

If what you really need is the other direction, HEIC to JPG, HEIC to PNG and every other HEIC tool run entirely on your own device.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert JPG to HEIC in my browser?

No. Browsers can decode HEIC but none of them can encode it, so any browser-based tool offering JPG to HEIC is either uploading your photo to a server or handing you a renamed file. Use the native tools on iPhone or Mac instead.

Why can browsers read HEIC but not write it?

Reading needs a decoder, which open-source projects ship freely. Writing needs an HEVC encoder, which is covered by patent licensing that browser vendors have not taken on. The asymmetry is legal, not technical.

How do I convert JPG to HEIC on a Mac?

Open the file in Preview, choose File then Export, and set Format to HEIF. macOS includes an HEVC encoder, so this is a genuine conversion and it is built in at no cost.

How do I convert JPG to HEIC on an iPhone?

Use the Shortcuts app. Create a shortcut with the Convert Image action, set the format to HEIF, and run it on any photo from the share sheet. There is no setting in Photos that converts existing images.

How do I convert JPG to HEIC on Windows?

There is no built-in way. Windows ships a HEIC decoder as an optional extension but no encoder. You need third-party software such as ImageMagick built with libheif, or a paid image editor that includes HEIC export.

Will converting JPG to HEIC improve the quality?

No. The JPEG already discarded detail when it was created, and re-encoding cannot bring it back. You get a smaller file of the same visual quality at best, and a slightly worse one at worst.

Does converting to HEIC save much space?

Compared to the original photo, HEIC is roughly half the size of an equivalent JPEG. Converting an existing JPEG gives you a smaller file, but you are compressing already-compressed data, so the saving is less than shooting in HEIC from the start.

Should I convert my JPG library to HEIC?

Usually not. You take a second lossy hit on every photo, lose compatibility with anything non-Apple, and save less space than you would expect. Changing your camera format going forward is the better move.