How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Mac (5 Free Methods)

Published · By Lena Fischer

If you take photos on an iPhone and move them to a Mac, they often arrive as HEIC files. macOS opens them fine, but the moment you upload one to an older website, attach it to a form, or hand it to someone on Windows, you hit a wall — they need a JPG.

The good news: your Mac can already convert HEIC to JPG without installing anything. This guide covers five free methods, from a one-click browser converter to built-in macOS tools and a single Terminal command — including the fastest option for batches.

Method 1: Use pixconv.io (Fastest — No Upload, Works in Safari)

The quickest way to convert a HEIC file on a Mac is a browser-based converter that runs entirely on your machine. pixconv.io/heic-to-jpg uses your browser to decode the HEIC and re-encode it as JPG locally — the file never leaves your device.

Steps:

  1. Open Safari, Chrome, or Firefox on your Mac.
  2. Go to pixconv.io/heic-to-jpg.
  3. Drag your HEIC file from Finder into the drop zone.
  4. The file converts in about a second.
  5. Click Download to save the JPG to your Downloads folder.

Batch conversion: Drop multiple HEIC files at once. When they all finish, a Download all as ZIP button appears.

This is the best method when you want a quick conversion without opening any app — and because everything runs in the browser, your photos are never uploaded to a server.

Method 2: macOS Preview (Built-In, No Internet Required)

Preview is the default image viewer on Mac and it has full native HEIC support, so this method is completely offline and works on every modern macOS version.

Steps:

  1. Open the HEIC file in Preview (double-click it, or right-click → Open With → Preview).
  2. In the menu bar, choose File → Export.
  3. In the Format dropdown, select JPEG.
  4. Drag the Quality slider (higher = larger file, better quality).
  5. Choose a save location and click Save.

Notes:

Method 3: Finder “Convert Image” Quick Action (One Right-Click)

Since macOS Monterey (12), Finder has a built-in Convert Image action — no app, no Terminal. This is the easiest native option.

Steps:

  1. In Finder, right-click (or Control-click) your HEIC file. To convert several, select them all first.
  2. Choose Quick Actions → Convert Image.
  3. Set Format to JPEG.
  4. Pick an image size (Actual Size keeps full resolution) and whether to preserve metadata.
  5. Click Convert to JPEG. The new JPG is saved next to the original.

Note: This action runs on macOS 12 and later. On older versions, use Preview (Method 2) or pixconv.io.

Method 4: Photos App (For Images Already in Your Library)

If the HEIC images live in the Photos app (synced from your iPhone via iCloud), export them as JPG directly.

Steps:

  1. In Photos, select the image or images you want to convert.
  2. Choose File → Export → Export [N] Photos.
  3. Set Photo Kind to JPEG and choose a quality.
  4. Click Export, then pick a destination folder.

Note: Use Export, not “Export Unmodified Original” — the latter exports the raw HEIC. The standard Export is what produces a JPG.

Method 5: Terminal with sips (Built-In, Best for Big Batches)

macOS ships with sips (Scriptable Image Processing System), so you can convert HEIC to JPG from Terminal with no Homebrew or extra install.

Convert a single file:

sips -s format jpeg photo.heic --out photo.jpg

Convert every HEIC in the current folder:

for f in *.heic; do sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "${f%.heic}.jpg"; done

Note: sips is the fastest route for hundreds of files because it skips any UI. Run it inside the folder of images (use cd to navigate there first).

Which Method Should You Use?

SituationRecommended method
One file, fastest, nothing to openpixconv.io
One or a few files, offlineFinder Convert Image
Need a quality slidermacOS Preview
Photos already in your libraryPhotos app export
Hundreds of filesTerminal (sips)

Why iPhone Photos Are HEIC in the First Place

Since iOS 11 (2017), iPhones default to HEIF/HEIC — Apple’s “High Efficiency” format. It stores roughly the same quality as JPG in about half the file size, which saves storage on your phone.

The trade-off is compatibility. JPG is supported by virtually everything; HEIC is not yet universal outside the Apple ecosystem. That mismatch is exactly why “HEIC won’t open” problems appear when files leave your iPhone or Mac.

If you would rather avoid converting altogether, you can tell your iPhone to shoot JPG from the start: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. New photos will be JPG; existing HEIC files stay HEIC until you convert them.

Does Converting HEIC to JPG Reduce Quality?

JPG is a lossy format, so converting introduces a small, one-time recompression. In practice it is rarely visible at high quality settings. Two tips:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert HEIC to JPG in Terminal without installing anything?

Yes. macOS includes sips, so no Homebrew or download is needed:

sips -s format jpeg input.heic --out output.jpg

For a whole folder:

for f in *.heic; do sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "${f%.heic}.jpg"; done

Why won’t my HEIC file open on Windows or an older app?

HEIC is Apple’s format and is not natively supported everywhere. The file is fine — the app simply does not read HEIC. Convert it to JPG using any method above, or open it on your Mac and export it before sending.

How do I convert HEIC to JPG on my Mac for free?

Every method in this guide is free. The built-in options (Preview, Finder Convert Image, Photos, sips) cost nothing and need no download. pixconv.io is also free and runs in your browser.

Can I batch-convert a folder of HEIC files?

Yes. Select multiple files for the Finder Convert Image action, drop them all into pixconv.io, or use the sips loop in Terminal for the largest batches.

How we create this content: Our guides are drafted with the help of AI tools, then reviewed, fact-checked, and tested in pixconv's own converter by a human before publishing. We update them when devices or file formats change. Spotted something wrong? Email contact@pixconv.io and we'll fix it.