When iPhone photos will not open or upload
You copied photos from an iPhone or iPad, and they arrived as .heic files. A website form, an app or a Windows program does not accept them. Converting HEIC to JPG gives you a JPG copy of each photo to use instead.
Pixcon accepts both .heic and .heif files and handles the two extensions in the same way.
To edit a photo without new compression loss, convert HEIC to PNG instead. Images saved from websites as .avif files are covered on the AVIF to JPG page.
What changes when a HEIC photo becomes a JPG
- Files
- One JPG for each HEIC photo. The file name stays the same, and only the extension changes.
- Orientation
- Upright, because Pixcon applies the rotation saved in the photo.
- Compression
- Lossy for every JPG that Pixcon saves. "Optimize images" makes the compression stronger to reduce the file size.
- Transparent areas
- Filled with white, because JPG does not support transparency.
- JPG or JPEG
- Two extensions of the same format. Choose JPEG in "Convert to:" if a form asks for .jpeg files.
Settings for a large set of iPhone photos
- Choose the settings before you select the photos. Pixcon reads them when the files are added and applies them to every photo in that upload.
- Keep "Optimize images" on for smaller JPG files to send by email or upload to a form. Turn it off for the highest JPG quality, for example before printing.
- To limit the dimensions of every photo, choose "Resize" and enter 2048 in both "Width:" and "Height:". With "Maintain Aspect Ratio" on, portrait and landscape photos both fit within 2048 × 2048 px.
- Each value can be up to 4096 px. Photos that are already smaller than the size you enter are enlarged, so resize only the photos that are too large.
Questions about converting iPhone photos to JPG
What can I do if my HEIC photos will not open or upload?
Convert them to JPG and use the JPG files instead. Pixcon converts the photos on its servers: you upload the HEIC files in your browser and download the JPG files. Each HEIC file can be up to 50 MB.
Will my photos be rotated correctly after converting HEIC to JPG?
Yes. Pixcon reads the orientation saved in each HEIC photo and turns the image to match it. Portrait photos are therefore not shown sideways in the JPG.
Does converting HEIC to JPG reduce photo quality?
Yes, to some degree, because Pixcon saves every JPG with lossy compression. With "Optimize images" on, the default, the compression is stronger and the file is smaller. Turn the option off before you select files to save the JPG at the highest quality setting.
How do I convert a whole set of iPhone photos to JPG and download them together?
Select or drag all the HEIC photos at once. Pixcon converts each photo separately with the same settings. When the conversions are completed, "Download all" saves the JPG files in one ZIP archive.
Does the JPG keep the date and location of the photo?
It can, and Pixcon does not guarantee either result. "Optimize images" tries to remove metadata such as the capture date and location, but many JPG files still contain it. Keep the original HEIC photos if you need this information, and do not rely on the JPG to hide where a photo was taken.