How do I convert iphone HEIC photos to JPEG on Windows 11?

Question

I am not aware all of iPhone photos on saved as HEIC. I visited the DCIM folder after connecting iPhone to my Windows 11 laptop. The problem is that I can't edit and open the iPhone heic photos. In the past, all photos are saved as JPEG on my Android phone.

I urgently look for a way to bulk convert heic to jpeg without losing EXIF data and quality. If you know a safe and fast way to do that, pls don't hesitate to share it here.

P.S. I tried a couple of free HEIC to JPG converters, unfortunately, the location and device information were lost after conversion.

hunterorion · Answer

Converting HEIC files to JPG on Windows 11 using the official extensions is a smooth process once you have the right "plumbing" installed. Since Windows doesn't always come with HEIC support enabled by default, here is how to set it up and perform the conversion.

Two Steps to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11

1. Install the Necessary Extensions

Before the Photos app can understand HEIC files, you need two specific drivers from the Microsoft Store. Without these, the Photos app will likely show a "File not supported" error or a blank screen.

HEIF Image Extensions: This is usually free and allows Windows to read the HEIF container.

HEVC Video Extensions: Crucial Step. Most modern iPhones encode HEIC using the HEVC codec. While this extension sometimes costs $0.99 in the Microsoft Store, it is required for the Photos app to process and convert these images.

2. Convert Using the Photos App

Once the extensions are installed, the Photos app gains a built-in "Save As" feature that handles the conversion automatically.

Open the Image: Right-click your HEIC file and select Open with > Photos.

Enter the Edit/Save Menu: Click the three dots (...) at the top of the window or press Ctrl + S.

Choose "Save As": Select Save as from the dropdown menu.

Change File Type:
A file explorer window will pop up.
In the Save as type dropdown at the bottom, change it from .heic to .jpg or .jpeg.

Finalize: Choose your destination folder and click Save.

ahmadom · Answer

Using libheif is an excellent, completely free, and open-source way to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11, especially if you are comfortable with command-line tools. However, it is not a simple "download and click" application. It is a powerful, low-level library that you operate by typing commands.

How to use it to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11

Once you have it installed via WSL (or the Windows command line if you got that version), the actual conversion is very simple.

The basic command is:

bash
heif - convert input _ file .heic output _ file .jpg

For example, if you have a photo named IMG _ 001. heic, you would type:

bash
heif-convert IMG _ 001 .heic IMG _ 001 .jpg

This command takes your . heic file and creates a . jpg copy in the same folder.

To convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11. Unlike many free converters that use hidden or fixed compression settings, libheif gives you explicit control. You can specify the exact quality level of the output JPG. For example, using the -q 100 flag ensures you preserve the maximum possible image quality during conversion. If file size is a concern, you can lower this value to create smaller, more manageable files.

jadeookb · Answer

The TiP (Totally in PowerShell) approach is the most native way to convert HEIC files to JPG on Windows 11 and Windows 10 because it doesn't rely on third-party software. Instead, it hooks directly into the Windows Imaging Component , the same engine Windows uses to generate thumbnails and power the Photos app.How it works for heic to jpg conversion on Windows 11/10This method uses a PowerShell loop to call the Windows Runtime (WinRT) APIs. Specifically, it uses the Windows.Graphics.Imaging namespace.Important: This only works if you have the HEIF Image Extension and HEVC Video Extension installed from the Microsoft Store, as the script acts as a "remote control" for those codecs.The Batch ScriptYou can copy and paste this into a PowerShell window (or save it as convert.ps1) to batch-convert an entire folder of images:# 1. Load the necessary Windows Runtime assemblies
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Runtime.WindowsRuntime
$asms = ("Windows.Storage", "Windows.Graphics", "Windows.Foundation")
foreach ($asm in $asms) {
    [void][Windows.Security.Authentication.Web.WebAuthenticationBroker, $asm, ContentType=WindowsRuntime]
}

# 2. Set your source folder
$path = "C:\Users\YourName\Pictures\HEIC_Exports"
$files = Get-ChildItem -Path $path -Filter *.heic

foreach ($file in $files) {
    $inputPath = $file.FullName
    $outputPath = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($inputPath, ".jpg")

# Use the .NET Drawing library to save as JPEG
    # This requires the HEIF/HEVC codecs to be active system-wide
    try {
        $img = [System.Drawing.Image]::FromFile($inputPath)
        $img.Save($outputPath, [System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat]::Jpeg)
        $img.Dispose()
        Write-Host "Successfully converted: $($file.Name)" -ForegroundColor Green
    } catch {
        Write-Host "Failed to convert $($file.Name). Ensure HEVC extensions are installed." -ForegroundColor Red
    }
}If the script throws an error saying "Out of Memory", it's usually not a RAM issue. Make sure you've grabbed the HEVC Video Extensions from the Store to clear that up.

eliseour · Answer

Microsoft Paint - Starting with Windows 11, the built-in Paint application can open and convert HEIC files directly without needing any extra plugins.

Steps of How to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11:

1. Right-click your HEIC file, select Open with, and choose Paint.

2. Click File > Save as > JPEG picture.

3. Choose your desired location and click Save.

Note: Paint does not compress the image during conversion, meaning the resulting JPG file may be significantly larger than the original HEIC.

✅ The Core Advantages of Using Microsoft Paint to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11

The main advantage is that Paint is already on your PC. You don’t need to download any sketchy converter tools, sign up for trials, or pay for a license. It is a standard Windows feature that works offline without any hidden costs.
Because Paint works entirely on your local computer, your photos never get uploaded to the internet. This is a major advantage over online conversion websites, which require you to upload your private photos to their servers first. If you are handling personal or sensitive images, Paint is the safest route.
This is a unique benefit of using Paint. Many free converters compress your images to save space, which reduces the photo quality. However, Paint does not compress the converted JPG during the process. It preserves the original quality of the HEIC file, ensuring you get a high-resolution JPG even if the file size ends up being larger.

dustincrui · Answer

HEIF Image Extensions + Save As - This method only requires the official Microsoft extension from the Store, which is free and published by Microsoft itself.

What you need to do:

1. Install the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store (this is free and required for Windows to read HEIC files)

2. Once installed, double-click any HEIC file to open it in the Photos app

3. Click the three dots (...) in the top-right corner

4. Select "Save As" and choose JPG as the format

If you are going to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11. The HEIF Image Extensions + Photos app "Save As" method is the closest you can get. The extension is published by Microsoft, and the Photos app is built into Windows.

The biggest advantage is that both pieces of this method come directly from Microsoft. The HEIF Image Extensions is a free, official plugin published by Microsoft on the Microsoft Store, and the Photos app is built directly into Windows 11. For you convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11. This means you are not downloading any risky, unverified, or third-party converter tools that might contain malware or adware .

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How do I convert iphone HEIC photos to JPEG on Windows 11?

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