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How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Mac

Your Mac already has a tool for this: Preview. Open the HEIC photo, choose File → Export, and save a JPEG copy. There’s no need to install anything.

If you’d rather work in a browser, the HEIC-to-JPG converter is another option. It processes the photo on your Mac without uploading it.

Convert one photo with Preview

  1. Open the HEIC file in Preview. If another app opens instead, Control-click the file and choose Open With → Preview.
  2. Choose File → Export.
  3. Select JPEG in the Format menu and adjust the quality slider.
  4. Save under a new name or in a separate folder so the HEIC original stays intact.

Can’t see the format you need? Hold Option while opening the Format menu, as described in Apple’s Preview guide. JPG and JPEG mean the same format, so Preview’s JPEG option is the right one.

Convert several HEIC photos

In Preview, open the images together and select the ones you want in the sidebar before exporting. Save the copies into a new folder to keep them separate from the originals.

For a browser workflow:

  1. Open HEIC to JPG and leave the output set to JPG.
  2. Leave quality at the default 92 for a first attempt. You can adjust it after checking a result.
  3. Drag your downloaded HEIC files onto the page.
  4. Check the completed results, then download individually or choose Download All as ZIP.

You can convert three files at a time for free and run as many batches as you need. Pro removes that file-count limit. For a large folder, the batch guide explains how to avoid memory problems and mixed-up filenames.

Which method should you choose?

For one photo, Preview is a straightforward choice. The browser converter is handy if you also work on a Windows PC or phone and want to use the same tool everywhere.

There’s a difference worth knowing: heic.site doesn’t copy the original EXIF metadata, such as GPS tags, camera details, or the date the photo was taken. Don’t assume Preview and heic.site keep the same information in their exports.

Check quality before deleting anything

Open the JPG and look at the parts that matter: a face, small lettering, or detail you need for a print. If the result looks rough, try a higher quality. If an upload form rejects the file as too large, try a lower setting and check it again. A JPG can be larger than the HEIC you started with.

Keep the original for later editing and photo information the JPG won’t retain. HEIC versus JPG explains those trade-offs.

If the file will not convert

Check that iCloud has finished downloading the photo; seeing a thumbnail doesn’t mean the full file is on your Mac. Try one photo on its own. If neither Preview nor the converter can open it, download another copy from the original device.

Changing .heic to .jpg in Finder won’t help. That changes the name, not the picture’s format.