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How to convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac

Macs open HEIC photos without trouble, but the people and websites you send them to often can't. macOS has three built-in ways to convert them, and which one is best depends on how many photos you have and where they live.

Option 1: Finder Quick Action (best for many files)

On macOS Monterey and later, Finder can convert a whole batch in one go:

  1. Select the HEIC files in Finder.
  2. Right-click and choose Quick Actions → Convert Image.
  3. Set Format to JPEG, pick an image size, and click Convert to JPEG.

The JPG copies are saved next to the originals.

Option 2: Preview (best for one photo)

  1. Open the photo in Preview.
  2. Choose File → Export.
  3. Set Format to JPEG, adjust the quality slider, and save.

Option 3: Export from the Photos app

If the pictures are in your Photos library rather than in a folder:

  1. Select the photos.
  2. Choose File → Export → Export Photos.
  3. Set Photo Kind to JPEG and choose where to save them.

Simply dragging photos out of the Photos app usually keeps them as HEIC, so use Export when you need JPG.

Option 4: Convert in the browser on any computer

If you're on a shared or work computer, or switching between Mac and Windows, the HEIC to JPG converter works the same everywhere. Drop in the photos and download JPGs one by one or as a ZIP. The conversion runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded, and location data is not copied to the JPGs.

Does converting keep the location?

The built-in macOS exports can keep GPS location and other metadata in the JPG. If you're sharing the photos publicly, check the export options or clean the files with the photo location remover afterwards.

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