Import HEIC as JPG into Win11

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Import HEIC as JPG into Win11

I have always imported pictures from my iPhone, via File Explorer, into Windows as JPG and managed them further there. All of a sudden, they appeared as HEIC files in Explorer instead of JPG in my Win11 laptop. Reading up on this, I realise that HEIC is the internal format in iPhone (unless explicitly changing format to 'Most Compatible'), but that it should automatically convert when being accessed from a Windows laptop. For some reason, this suddenly stopped working. As I can actually open the HEIC files, it might be that some HEIC extension got installed on the laptop.

I then tried to connect my iPhone to another Win10 laptop. There, all the pictures appear as JPG as usual. This is hence not an iPhone config issue, but something in the Windows settings.

Bottom line; how do I set my Windows laptop to 'force' iPhone to export pictures as JPG, but still storing them as HEIC internally in the phone?

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 17

Posted on Sep 2, 2024 9:20 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Lawrence Finch

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228,480 points

Sep 2, 2024 9:56 AM in response to oddtweaks

HEIC is NOT an “internal format in iPhone” - it is a worldwide standard created by the same group that created JPEG, and has been around for 7 years. If Microsoft doesn’t recognize it that is their problem, but most photo management software can work with it if the software is kept updated. And Windows photo transfer can deal with it also.

But you should never attempt to import photos using File Explorer; it is not a supported means, and can corrupt the Photo database on the phone, and also miss some photos and photo edits.

Here is the correct way to export photos to Windows→Copying personal photos and videos from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer. And using this has the advantage that it will also include any edits to the photos, and will convert to JPEG.

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Answer 2

oddtweaks Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 16, 2024 2:12 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Hi Lawrence and thanks a lot for your inputs.

I didn't refer to HEIC as a proprietary Apple format, just as being the format in which the pictures are stored internally on the phone. As such, I don't doubt HEIC is a superior format, and I'm for sure tempted to move over to it. As I'm in general on Windows platform, I might however not be prepared to take that step just yet...

Anyway, trying the methods suggested in the article, I understand there are two "supported" ways; either using iCloud Photos (and download from the icloud.com web page) or downloading via the Windows Photos app.

iCloud: I can choose to download "Unmodified Originals" or "Highest Resolution", which gives me the HEIC files that I currently don't want, or I can choose to download as "Most Compatible". This gives me JPG files, but not full resolution (typically 2048 x 1546 instead of 5712 x 4284) and I find no way to change that.
Windows Photos: This seems very unstable. First time trying, I got the pictures as JPG and I thought this was the solution to my problem. But next time, the photos randomly appeared in Windows Photos, and eventually get downloaded, as HEIC or JPG (although they are all HEIC/HEIF in the phone). Hence not really a sustainable solution if I cannot get it more stable.

Unless there is a solution to the above, I guess my question remains - is there any way of explicitly controlling how Windows signals to the phone whether it supports HEIC or not, which I assume is the fundamental problem.

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Import HEIC as JPG into Win11

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