HEIC to PNG
Open an iPhone photo as a lossless PNG — never uploaded.
How it works
Three steps, and nothing leaves your device.
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1
Drop the HEIC in
A decoder loads the first time you use it; after that it is instant.
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2
It is decoded and written as PNG
Lossless — no second round of compression.
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3
Download the PNG
Larger than the HEIC, and ready to edit.
PNG or JPG for an iPhone photo
- Choose PNG when the photo is going into an editor. HEIC is already lossy, and saving to JPG compresses it a second time. PNG stores the decoded image exactly, so nothing further is lost no matter how many times you edit and re-save.
- Choose JPG when you are just sending it to someone. The PNG of a phone photo is several times larger than the JPG and looks identical. For email, chat or an upload form, HEIC to JPG is the better tool.
- Your browser almost certainly cannot read HEIC on its own. Only Safari decodes it natively. Everywhere else a decoder is loaded into the page the first time you convert — about a megabyte, fetched once, and still nothing is uploaded.
- Live Photos give you the still frame. An iPhone Live Photo pairs a HEIC with a separate video file. Only the still is converted; the motion lives in a file this never sees.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pick PNG or JPG?
PNG if you are going to edit it, because nothing is lost. JPG if you are just sending it, because the file is far smaller and looks the same.
Why is the PNG so much bigger?
PNG is lossless. It stores every pixel rather than approximating, which on a phone photo is several times the size.
Does this work in Chrome?
Yes. Chrome cannot read HEIC natively, so a decoder is loaded into the page. The photo is still never uploaded.
What about a Live Photo?
You get the still image. The video half is a separate file.