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How to Change iPhone Photos to JPG

To make your iPhone take JPG photos, go to Settings, Camera, Formats and choose Most Compatible. That only changes new photos; to convert photos you already took, use Shortcuts, a browser converter, or the NoHEIC app.

Updated

Make new iPhone photos JPG

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Camera, then Formats.
  3. Choose Most Compatible.

From now on the camera saves photos as JPG and videos as H.264. Apple's High Efficiency setting (the default) saves HEIC photos, which take less space. So Most Compatible fills your storage and iCloud faster. Many people keep High Efficiency and convert only the photos they need to send.

Note: some camera features need High Efficiency. On recent iPhones, for example, 4K video at 60 frames per second and the 48 MP HEIF Max photo setting on Pro models need High Efficiency on.

Send JPG when you copy photos to a computer

Go to Settings, Photos (on recent iOS, Settings, Apps, Photos) and find Transfer to Mac or PC at the bottom:

  • Automatic asks the iPhone to convert photos to a compatible format, usually JPG, when you import them to a computer over a USB cable.
  • Keep Originals copies the HEIC files as they are.

Apple says media "might be converted" with Automatic, and some people report still getting HEIC files on Windows. If that happens, convert them on the computer: HEIC to JPG on Windows or on Mac.

Sharing also helps: when you AirDrop, email or message a photo to a device or app that does not support HEIC, iOS often sends a JPG instead.

Convert photos you already took

With the Shortcuts app (free, built in):

  1. Open Shortcuts and tap + to make a new shortcut.
  2. Add the Select Photos action and turn on Select Multiple.
  3. Add the Convert Image action and set it to JPEG.
  4. Add Save to Photo Album (or Save File to keep them in Files).
  5. Run the shortcut and pick your photos.

In Safari, with nothing to install: open the HEIC to JPG converter on your iPhone, tap Choose photos, pick them from your library, and download one JPG or a ZIP. The photos are converted on the iPhone and never uploaded. On a phone, convert 50 to 100 photos at a time.

With the NoHEIC app: select photos in the Photos app, tap Share, then the NoHEIC action to save JPG, PNG or PDF copies with the date taken kept. It is free for up to 25 photos at a time, with a one-time $4.99 Pro unlock for more. It is coming to the App Store; see the iPhone app page.

Questions

What photo format does iPhone use?

By default, HEIC (High Efficiency). With Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible, it uses JPG instead. Read more in What is a HEIC file?

Will changing to Most Compatible convert my old photos?

No. It only affects photos taken after the change. Old photos stay HEIC until you convert them.

How do I convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone for free?

Use the Shortcuts app with the Convert Image action, or open the browser converter in Safari.

Does converting on iPhone keep the date taken?

The browser converter keeps it by default. In Shortcuts, check the Convert Image options for keeping metadata.

Why do my photos still arrive as HEIC on my PC?

Check Settings, Photos, Transfer to Mac or PC is set to Automatic. If they still arrive as HEIC, convert them on the PC with the browser converter.

HEIC tools

On iPhone or iPad?

Convert right from the Photos app

The NoHEIC app adds "Convert" to the share sheet: select photos in Photos, tap Share, pick JPG, PNG or PDF. It keeps the date taken, so converted photos stay in order. No ads, no subscription: free for up to 25 photos at a time, $4.99 once for unlimited. Coming to the App Store soon.

See what the app does
  • Hundreds at oncefrom the photo picker, no library access needed
  • Dates and names keptIMG_1234.HEIC becomes IMG_1234.jpg
  • Fits upload formsset a size limit like "under 2 MB"