iPhone photos (HEIC) won't open on Windows? Here's how to fix it

Updated 2026-10-24

You copy photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC and get a folder of .HEIC files that won't preview, won't upload to websites and won't open in older programs. Nothing is broken: the photos are fine, they're just in a format Windows doesn't read out of the box.

Why your iPhone saves HEIC

Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) by default. HEIC keeps the same visual quality as JPG at roughly half the file size, which matters when a phone holds thousands of photos.

The catch is compatibility. macOS and iOS read HEIC natively, but Windows needs extra codecs, and many websites, office programs and older photo editors simply refuse the file.

Fix 1: convert the photos you already have

The fastest fix for photos already on your PC is to convert them to JPG. JPG opens everywhere: Windows Photos, Word, email, every upload form.

With Localvert's HEIC to JPG converter you can drop a whole batch at once and download them as a single ZIP. The conversion runs inside your browser, so your personal photos are never uploaded to a server — which matters for pictures of family, documents or your home.

If you need the photos as one file — for example to send a set of receipts or ID pages — convert HEIC straight to PDF instead, and every photo becomes a page in one document.

Fix 2: let the iPhone convert when you transfer

On the iPhone, open Settings → Photos and scroll to "Transfer to Mac or PC". Choose Automatic. The phone keeps HEIC for itself but hands your PC ordinary JPG files when you copy over USB.

This only affects USB transfers. Photos you send through iCloud, AirDrop or messaging apps can still arrive as HEIC.

Fix 3: shoot in JPG from now on

If you'd rather never deal with HEIC again, go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be saved as JPG. The trade-off is that each photo takes about twice the space on the phone.

What about Windows extensions?

Microsoft offers a HEIF Image Extensions package in the Microsoft Store, and HEIC photos also rely on the HEVC Video Extensions codec, which may cost a small fee depending on your PC. Once both are installed, Windows Photos can open HEIC files.

This helps you view the photos, but it doesn't help the people you send them to, or the websites that only accept JPG and PNG. For sharing, converting is still the reliable option.