The battle between Apple and Microsoft. Despite being direct opponents in the computing world, the relationship between Microsoft and Apple is surprisingly close, and usually behind the scene,s they’ve worked together on tech projects with mutual benefits. Apple’s new file format HEIC is one instance that is an exception. The HEIC file format is a massive improvement to any photo file format that Microsoft has released and they are keeping this to themselves. With its high compression capabilities, the HEIC file format is preferred amongst all others; it seems like an extension for the long run. If you are a Windows user and you are struggling with viewing HEIC files on your Windows 10, here are a few ways you can view HEIC files or convert HEIC to JPG on your computer.
Use email
To save you a lot of time and effort I will start with the most basic solutions of all. There is no real special trick to it. All you need is a Gmail account and attach the picture to an email. Gmail will conveniently automatically convert the files to JPG. Once you open your mail and download the files to your Windows 10, you are done.
Download Codecs from the Windows store.
Windows has caught on to this frustration, and in Windows 10’s April 2018 Update they have made it a little easier to install support for HEIC files. If you’ve upgraded to this version of Windows 10, you can double-click a HEIC file to open the Photos app. Click the “Download codecs at Microsoft Store” link in the Photos app.
The Store app will open to the HEIF Image Extensions page. Click the “Get” button to download and install the free codecs on your PC.
You can now open HEIC files like any other image—just double-click them and they’ll open in the Photos app. Windows will also show thumbnails of HEIC images in File Explorer.
Convert HEIC to JPG Using the Windows Photos App
Once the HEIC codec is installed, follow these steps to convert:
- Open the HEIC image with the Photos app.
- Click the three-dot menu at the top-right corner.
- Select Save As.
- Choose JPG as the format.
- Click Save to export the file.
This is a fast and easy way to convert single HEIC files to JPG on the fly.
Use Paint to Convert HEIC to JPG
Once the HEIC codec is installed:
- Right-click the HEIC file and choose Open with > Paint.
- In Paint, go to File > Save As.
- Select JPEG picture.
- Choose the save location and filename.
This method is useful for quick conversions and requires no additional software beyond the codec.
Download a free tool – CopyTrans HEIC for Windows
There are a number of free apps out there that will allow you to convert HEIC files to a more Windows-friendly JPG file. Copytrans is one of those free apps that is really easy to use. The CopyTrans HEIC program was developed to aid Windows users to be able to use HEIC images on Windows 7 and Windows 8. These two OS obviously do not have HEIC support. CopyTrans HEIC can, however, convert to JPG but not png.
Website – https://www.copytrans.net/
With CopyTrans you can simply right-click on your HEIC image and use the new option in Windows’ context menu, “Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans,”.
In Windows 10 CopyTrans HEIC can act as a plugin allowing you to open HEIC files using the Windows Photo Viewer.
Use an Online conversion tool
If you don’t want to install any software, you can always use an online conversion tool. Just upload the.HEIC file to the online tool and you’ll be able to download a . JPEG in a few moments. While this tool often works really well, it is strongly recommended to avoid uploading any private photos (or documents, or videos) to online tools for conversion.
If you just want to do a quick conversion, head to heictojpg.com and upload up to 50 photos at a time. You can drag and drop one or more HEIC files from your computer to the web page.
The website will convert those files to JPEGs for you, and you can download the resulting JPG files from the page.
Use a Batch Conversion Tool for Multiple Files
For converting multiple files, a third-party desktop application is often the best option. Many of these tools allow drag-and-drop batch processing with support for multiple formats including HEIC to JPG.
Popular options include:
- Image conversion utilities are bundled with some photo editors
- HEIC-compatible software from your photo management tools
- Windows Store apps that specialize in HEIC conversion
Always ensure the software is from a trusted source before installing.
Change iPhone Settings to Use JPG Instead of HEIC
To avoid the need to convert in the future, you can change your iPhone’s camera settings:
- Go to Settings > Camera > Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible to save future photos in JPG.
This setting ensures your photos will be saved in JPG format, which is universally supported.
Conclusion
Dealing with HEIC files on Windows 10 doesn’t have to be frustrating. Whether you’re converting one image or an entire album, these methods provide fast, reliable solutions. By enabling the HEIC codec or using built-in tools like Paint and Photos, you can seamlessly open and convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 10 without compromising quality.
