HEIC vs JPG: why your iPhone photos won’t open (and how to fix it)

Squishly team · Jul 2026 · 7 min read

You sent a photo from your iPhone and got the reply everyone dreads: “it won’t open.” The file ends in .HEIC and nothing on the other end knows what to do with it. It is not broken, it is just a format Apple picked that the rest of the world has been slow to catch up with. Here is what is going on, and how to fix it in about a minute.

What is HEIC, and why does your iPhone use it?

HEIC is the file format iPhones have used by default since 2017. It is Apple’s take on HEIF, a modern way to store photos that keeps roughly the same quality as a JPG in about half the space. On your phone that is great, you fit twice as many photos on the same storage and never notice a difference.

The catch is that HEIC is newer and less widely supported than JPG, the format that has been the universal standard for decades. So the photo looks perfect on your iPhone and then trips up the moment it lands somewhere else.

Why HEIC won’t open

Older Windows PCs do not recognise HEIC out of the box, so the file shows a blank thumbnail or an error. Plenty of apps, web upload forms, printing services and older Android phones do not accept it either. And when you email a HEIC to someone on Windows or an older device, they often just cannot open the attachment. JPG, by contrast, opens on essentially everything ever made.

The fix: convert HEIC to JPG

The quickest fix is to convert the photo to JPG before you share it. JPG opens everywhere, so once it is converted the problem simply goes away. You can do it in your browser, one photo or a whole batch, with nothing uploaded anywhere.

JPGTry the toolHEIC to JPGOpen

Add your HEIC files — drag them in, or tap to pick them straight from your phone.

Convert to JPG — Squishly turns each one into a standard JPG on your device.

Download — grab one photo, or download the whole batch as a ZIP.

Share with confidence — the JPG opens on any phone, PC, app or upload form.

Stop your iPhone shooting HEIC (if you want)

If you would rather never deal with this again, you can tell your iPhone to shoot JPG from the start. Open Settings, tap Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. From then on your camera saves JPG instead of HEIC. You lose a little of the space saving, but you gain photos that open anywhere without a second thought.

Tip

Already have a camera roll full of HEIC? Leave the setting as it is for storage, and just convert the specific photos you need to send. Best of both worlds.

When to keep HEIC, when to convert

Keep HEIC when the photos are staying inside Apple’s world, on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and iCloud, where everything reads it happily and you get the smaller files. Convert to JPG whenever a photo is leaving that world: emailing it to a Windows user, uploading to a website or form, sending to a printer, or sharing with someone on Android. When in doubt, convert. A JPG will never leave someone stuck.

In short

HEIC is Apple’s space-saving photo format. It looks great on your iPhone but often will not open on Windows, older apps or Android. Convert it to JPG before you share and it opens everywhere. It takes about a minute and, on Squishly, your photos never leave your browser.

The short version

HEIC is the iPhone’s default format, smaller files but poor support elsewhere.
It often won’t open on Windows, older apps, printers or Android.
Convert to JPG before sharing and it opens on everything.
To avoid it entirely: Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible.

Frequently asked questions

What does HEIC stand for?

HEIC is High Efficiency Image Container, Apple’s version of the HEIF format. iPhones have used it by default since 2017 because it stores a photo at about the same quality as a JPG in roughly half the file size.

Why won’t my HEIC photo open on Windows?

Older versions of Windows do not support HEIC out of the box, so the file shows a blank thumbnail or an error. The simplest fix is to convert the photo to JPG, which opens on any version of Windows.

Is HEIC better than JPG?

For quality per megabyte, yes, HEIC keeps similar quality in a smaller file. For compatibility, no, JPG opens on virtually every device and app ever made while HEIC does not. Keep HEIC for storage on Apple devices, and convert to JPG whenever you share.

How do I convert HEIC to JPG for free?

Use the HEIC to JPG tool on Squishly. Add your files, convert, and download, all in your browser with nothing uploaded. You can do one photo or a whole batch at once.

Will converting HEIC to JPG lower the quality?

Only very slightly, and not in a way you will see on a screen or a normal print. The JPG is saved at high quality, and your original HEIC files stay untouched on your device.

How do I stop my iPhone taking HEIC photos?

Open Settings, tap Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. Your iPhone will save JPG from then on. Photos take a little more space but open anywhere.