How to Change HEIC to JPG on Mac

Understanding HEIC Format and Why You Might Need to Convert

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. Apple introduced this format with iOS 11 in 2017 and made it the default image format on newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The format was created to provide better image quality while using less storage space compared to older formats like JPG.

According to Apple's technical specifications, HEIC files can be about 50% smaller than equivalent JPG files while maintaining similar visual quality. This means a photo that takes up 5 MB as a JPG might only use 2.5 MB as an HEIC file. Despite these advantages, HEIC has limited compatibility with many devices and software programs.

You might encounter situations where converting HEIC to JPG becomes necessary. Some common scenarios include sharing photos with people who use Windows computers or older devices that don't recognize HEIC format. Professional photographers and designers often work with JPG files because these are more universally supported in design software, printing services, and web platforms. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter technically support HEIC, but some older browsers or less common platforms may reject files in this format.

Educational institutions sometimes require JPG format for document submissions. If you're uploading photos to a learning management system, online form, or institutional database, the system may reject HEIC files. Similarly, email services occasionally have trouble with HEIC attachments, particularly when sending to recipients with older email clients.

Understanding when and why conversion is needed helps you manage your image library more effectively. Keep HEIC files for storage efficiency on your Mac, but convert to JPG when compatibility matters for your specific task.

Method 1: Using the Preview Application on Mac

The Preview application comes pre-installed on every Mac and provides a straightforward way to convert HEIC images to JPG format without additional purchases or software installation. Preview is Apple's native image viewer and editor, located in the Applications folder under Utilities.

To convert a single image using Preview, start by opening the HEIC file. You can do this by right-clicking the image file, selecting "Open With," and choosing Preview from the menu. Alternatively, you can simply double-click the HEIC file if Preview is set as your default image viewer. Once the image opens in Preview, look at the menu bar at the top of your screen and click "File." From the dropdown menu that appears, select "Export." This opens a save dialog window.

In the export dialog, you'll see several options. Most importantly, locate the "Format" dropdown menu, which typically shows "HEIC" as the current setting. Click this dropdown and select "JPEG" from the available format options. You can also choose where to save the converted file and give it a new name if desired. The default location is usually the Downloads folder or the same folder where the original file was stored.

Before clicking the "Save" button, you may notice a "Quality" slider. This controls how much compression the JPG file receives. Higher quality settings produce clearer images but larger file sizes, while lower quality settings create smaller files but with more visible compression artifacts. For most purposes, leaving this at the default setting works well, though you can adjust it based on your needs.

Practical takeaway: Preview works best for converting a small number of images. If you have dozens or hundreds of HEIC files to convert, this method becomes time-consuming since you must repeat the process for each image individually.

Method 2: Converting Multiple Images at Once with Automator

For users with several HEIC images to convert, Mac's Automator application offers a more efficient approach. Automator is a built-in tool that lets you create workflows to automate repetitive tasks. This method converts multiple HEIC files to JPG in a single operation rather than one file at a time.

Open Automator by going to Applications, then Utilities, and clicking Automator. When Automator starts, you'll see a dialog asking what type of document you want to create. Select "Quick Action" and click "Choose." This creates a workflow you can use repeatedly.

In the workflow editor window, you need to add actions. On the left side, you'll see a search box. Search for "Image" to find image-related actions. Look for and drag the action called "Change Type of Images" into the main workflow area on the right. This is the core action that performs the conversion.

Once you've added this action, configure its settings. Set the "Type" dropdown to "JPEG." You can also adjust the compression quality using the quality slider, similar to the Preview method. Below that, you may see options for "Size" and other parameters—you can leave these at default settings unless you specifically want to resize the images.

Now add another action to specify where converted files should be saved. Search for "Move" in the action library and select "Move Finder Items." Add this to your workflow. This action lets you choose a destination folder for the converted JPG files, keeping them separate from your original HEIC files.

Save your workflow with a descriptive name like "Convert HEIC to JPG." Once saved, you can use this workflow by selecting multiple HEIC files in Finder, right-clicking them, choosing "Quick Actions," and selecting your newly created workflow. All selected images convert simultaneously.

Practical takeaway: Creating an Automator workflow requires a few more steps initially, but once set up, it significantly reduces the time needed to batch-convert multiple images. This method is particularly valuable for photographers or anyone regularly working with image collections.

Method 3: Using Mac's Built-In Screenshot Tools and Grab Utility

If you need to convert a HEIC image and only have access to basic Mac tools, the Screenshot tool combined with Preview offers another conversion path. While this method is less direct than others, it works reliably when other options aren't available.

This approach involves opening the HEIC image in Preview, taking a screenshot of the image window, and saving the screenshot as JPG. Although it sounds indirect, it accomplishes the conversion. Start by opening your HEIC file in Preview as described in the first method.

Position the Preview window so the image fills as much of the window as possible without showing excessive empty space. Open the Spotlight search by pressing Command+Space, type "Screenshot," and open the Screenshot utility. Select "Capture Selected Window" from the options, then click the Preview window containing your HEIC image. The screenshot utility captures the image window as a PNG file by default.

A thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen. Click this thumbnail to open the screenshot in the Screenshot app. From there, you can convert it to JPG format. However, there's a simpler approach: once you've taken the screenshot, it typically lands on your desktop as a PNG file. Open this PNG file in Preview and export it as JPG using the method described earlier.

A drawback to this method is potential quality loss. Screenshots can introduce compression artifacts, particularly if your HEIC image contained fine details. The converted JPG won't match the quality of direct format conversion methods. Additionally, the process is slower than other approaches since you're creating intermediate files.

Practical takeaway: This method serves as a backup option when you're unable to use Preview's export function or Automator for some reason. For regular image conversion work, direct conversion methods preserve image quality more effectively.

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications from the Mac App Store

The Mac App Store offers several dedicated image conversion applications that specialize in HEIC to JPG conversion. These range from free options to paid applications, each with different feature sets and user interfaces. Popular options include Image Converter, HEIC Converter, and others that focus specifically on batch conversion workflows.

Most of these applications follow a similar workflow. You launch the application, select the HEIC files you want to convert (usually by dragging and dropping them into the application window or using a browse button), choose JPG as your output format, set quality preferences, and initiate the conversion. Many applications handle batch conversions natively, converting dozens or hundreds of files without requiring you to repeat steps for each image.

When evaluating third-party applications, consider several factors. Check user reviews to understand real-world performance and reliability. Look at the privacy policy to understand how the application handles your image files—reputable applications process everything locally on your Mac rather than uploading to external servers. Compare features like batch processing speed, quality