iPhone → Windows · photos

HEIC on Windows: how to open it, and when not to convert

Since iOS 11 the iPhone shoots HEIC by default: half the size of JPEG, more color depth, and a format Windows did not read out of the box. Three honest options, from cheapest to best.

Option 1: make Windows open HEIC (free, 1 minute)

Install “HEIF Image Extensions” from the Microsoft Store — it is free and made by Microsoft. After that, Photos and Explorer open HEIC like any image. For iPhone videos (HEVC) there is “HEVC Video Extensions”; the Store lists a paid version and, on many PCs, a free one “from Device Manufacturer”.

Option 2: convert HEIC to JPG (and what you lose)

Right-click → Open with Photos → Save as JPG works for a few files. Batch converters exist, free and paid. What nobody says: JPEG is lossy and drops the HDR information (gain map) and some metadata the HEIC carries. A converted photo is a smaller, flatter copy — fine for sharing, wrong for the one you will print or keep.

Option 3: stop the iPhone from shooting HEIC

Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes the camera record JPEG and H.264. Files get bigger and lose the HEIC advantages. Only worth it if you will never touch the settings again.

The transfer setting that converts behind your back

Settings → Apps → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC (Settings → Photos on older iOS). On “Automatic”, the iPhone converts HEIC and HEVC while importing over the cable. Set “Keep Originals” to get what you shot.

Move the originals intact

ZiggSend copies the HEIC file byte for byte over your Wi-Fi — no conversion anywhere in the path, verified on arrival. Then open it with the free extension, or convert a copy when you need a JPEG. The original stays original.

Measured, not promised. 22 GB in 184 files with 0 failures from an Android to a Mac over a USB 2 cable (about 28 MB/s); an 806 MB video over home Wi-Fi in 46 s; up to 49.7 MB/s over Wi-Fi from a Mac to an iPhone. Every file is checked against the original on arrival. How we measure.

What people ask before they trust a transfer app

“I don’t trust my private photos to a site I don’t know.”

Neither do we. ZiggSend has no site in the middle: the file goes from one device to the other over your home Wi-Fi (or, from Android to a Mac, a cable), and no file is stored anywhere else. The computer app only contacts ZiggSend to check for updates, to register a random install ID when it opens and, if you go Pro, to activate the license and check its status once a day; the privacy policy lists exactly what goes out.

“Mine fails at 64% every time.”

A transfer that breaks resumes where it stopped. Every file is written as a temporary part and only gets its final name after the SHA-256 check passes — you never end up with a half file that looks whole.

“I’m out of space and need to empty the phone.”

Move everything to the computer first: only files that pass the SHA-256 check get their final name, and History shows each fingerprint (today’s on Free, all of them on Pro). Then delete on the phone. Originals, no size limit.

Free forever with 1 phone. Pro when you need it.

The phone apps are free. So is the computer app, with one paired phone. Pro — several phones, full history, automatic folders, up to 3 computers — is $39 a year, or $19 once for the first 1,000 founders.

Get ZiggSend for Windows

Questions people actually ask

Is HEIC better than JPEG?

For storage and for keeping HDR, yes: about half the size at the same quality, with the HDR gain map preserved. For compatibility, JPEG still wins on old software.

Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?

Yes, a little every time: JPEG is lossy and drops the HDR information. Keep the HEIC original and convert copies.

Why did my photos arrive as JPG when I copied them by cable?

Windows Photos and the iPhone “Automatic” transfer setting convert on the fly. Set “Keep Originals” on the iPhone, or transfer over Wi-Fi with an app that does not touch the file.

Does it work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?

Both. ZiggSend for Windows runs on Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11, on desktops and laptops. Get it at ziggsend.com/windows. ZiggSend for Windows.

What is the best app for this — and is it free?

Depends on what “best” means to you. For casual sharing, LocalSend (free, open source, and since version 1.18 with a SHA-256 check on every file) is honest and good. For a camera roll, a client’s footage or anything you cannot afford to lose, ZiggSend: originals only, no size limit, resume, a check of the whole file already on disk, and each file’s fingerprint in the history for you to check. The phone app is free; the computer app is free with one phone, and Pro (several phones, full history, automatic folders, up to 3 computers) is optional — see pricing. Side by side: ZiggSend vs LocalSend.

Related guides

Videos from iPhone to a PC or laptop without compressionVideos from a phone to a PC or laptop without compressioniPhone not showing up in WindowsPC not recognizing your phone over USBSend a large video from a phone

Compared with

ZiggSend vs iCloudZiggSend vs WhatsAppZiggSend vs Google Drive