# HEIC for Windows

> Convert HEIC for Windows 10 and 11 so photos open in Photos, Explorer and Office without paid extensions. Batch convert folders to JPG, free and private.

URL: https://ihateheic.com/convert-heic-for-windows  
Updated: 2026-10-04

Windows and iPhone photos don't get along out of the box. Skip the extension hunt and turn your HEIC files into JPGs that every Windows app understands.

This tool runs entirely in the browser: photos are decoded and encoded on the visitor’s device and are never uploaded. It is free, needs no sign-up and works offline after the first visit.

## How to use it

1. Open File Explorer, find your HEIC folder and drag it onto the box above in Edge, Chrome or Firefox.
2. The photos convert to JPG at quality 90 on your PC. Pause or retry any time.
3. Download the ZIP, right-click it and choose **Extract All**. Thumbnails show up in Explorer right away.

## The Windows HEIC situation, briefly

Windows 10 and 11 can display HEIC, but not on their own. Two pieces from the Microsoft Store are involved:

- **HEIF Image Extensions** (free): understands the HEIF container.
- **HEVC Video Extensions** (paid, small): decodes the HEVC-compressed image inside. Without it, HEIC files usually still won't open.

Some PCs already have them; many don't. And even with both installed, only your PC benefits. The person you email the photo to is back to square one, and older software or specialist apps may still refuse the file.

## Install the extensions, or convert?

| Situation | Better choice |
| --- | --- |
| You view your own iPhone photos on your own PC | Extensions |
| Work PC with the Microsoft Store blocked | Convert |
| Sending photos to other Windows users | Convert |
| Using the photos in Office, older editors or upload forms | Convert |
| One-off "what is this file?" | The [HEIC viewer](https://ihateheic.com/heic-viewer) |

Our guide to [opening HEIC on Windows](https://ihateheic.com/how-to-open-heic-on-windows) covers installing the extensions step by step if that's the route you want.

## Getting iPhone photos onto a PC as JPG

If you copy photos from an iPhone by cable, the iPhone can convert them for you: **Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic**. That only affects transfers, not photos you already have as HEIC, and not files that arrive by email, cloud links or messaging apps. For those, convert here.

## Why quality 90 by default

This page leans slightly higher than our standard 88 because Windows users often treat these JPGs as the new originals and delete the HEICs. At 90, a 12 MP photo stays visually identical and the file is still a reasonable size. Pick PNG instead if you plan to edit the photos repeatedly.

## Explorer-friendly results

The converted JPGs get proper thumbnails in File Explorer, preview in the Photos app, and drop straight into Word or PowerPoint. Dates and camera details travel with them, so Photos still groups them by when they were taken.

## No installer, no admin rights

Everything runs inside your browser tab, so it works on locked-down office PCs too. Your photos stay on the machine, and after the first load you can even convert offline. Bigger folders? The [batch HEIC to JPG](https://ihateheic.com/heic-to-jpg-batch) page is set up for whole exports.

## FAQ

### Why can't Windows open HEIC files?

HEIC uses HEVC compression, and Windows doesn't include an HEVC decoder by default. You need Microsoft's free HEIF Image Extensions and usually the HEVC Video Extensions, a small paid add-on in the Microsoft Store.

### Is it better to install the extensions or convert?

Install them if you'll view HEIC on your own PC often. Convert if you're sharing files, can't install Store apps on a work PC, or need the photos to work in other software and on other people's computers.

### Why don't HEIC thumbnails show in File Explorer?

Explorer relies on the same codecs as the Photos app. Without them it shows a generic icon. JPGs always get thumbnails.

### Can I convert HEIC to JPG on Windows without software?

Yes. This converter runs in your browser, so there's nothing to install and no admin rights needed.

### Will Word, PowerPoint and Outlook accept the JPGs?

Yes. JPG works in every Office app and every version of Windows.

### Does converting keep my photo dates for sorting in Explorer?

The date taken is kept in the JPG's metadata, so apps that sort by date taken, including Windows Photos, keep the right order. GPS location is removed by default.