Occasional HEIC hiccups
Back in 2017, with the launch of iOS 11, Apple introduced High-Efficiency Image Container (HEIC) as the default format. The format offers better file compression without losing information. This basically means that capturing and storing a photo in HEIC format will not only take up lesser space but will not compromise on details as compared to the more popular JPG format. While this is a very handy space-saving feature on iPhones, which is very important considering the number of photographs people take with their iPhones, and how iPhones do not come with expandable memories, the format can also be a headache. This is because it is not supported universally and can be quite limiting sometimes. Many government websites, blogs, and online services still require you to upload images in JPG format, which can be a little problematic if you have already captured the image in HEIC (which iPhones do by default).
The just-do-not-shoot-in-HEIC option
You can change the format in which your iPhone saves images and choose JPEG over HEIC by diving into the Settings, although it would cost you more storage. It is a simple enough process –
You open Settings and head to the Camera option. Once there, choose Formats, and then change the format from High Efficiency to Most Compatible. As their names indicate, ‘High Efficiency’ is HEIC ‘Most Compatible’ here means JPEG/JPG.
Also Read: All the Ways to Convert Images on iPhone and iPad
Convert HEIC to JPG on your iPhone itself
If you wish to keep HEIC as your default format, you can also convert selected pictures into JPEG format. You can do this by downloading third-party apps, but that means having an additional third-party application on your iPhone just to convert your images from HEIC to JPG. What if we tell you there is a much simpler way in which you can convert your image format? One that does not require you to download a third-party app. It is a simple copy-paste solution built right into your iPhone. The process is pretty easy. All you have to do is follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Files app
To convert your photograph format from HEIC to JPEG, you have to first open the Files app on your iPhone. It is a native app and comes pre-installed on the iPhone. All you have to do is search for Files and open it on your phone.
Step 2: Select On My iPhone
After opening the Files app on your iPhone, select the Location from the Locations list. From here, you have to select On My iPhone. Alternatively, you could also choose iCloud Drive but using that option might cost you data later as the images saved there will not be available offline.
Step 3: Create a new Folder
Now that you are all set on the location, you have to create a new folder to save your images in. In order to do this, you have to tap on the ‘three-dot’ menu option present in the top right corner of your iPhone’s screen. There, in the list, you will find the New Folder option. Tap on the option and create a new folder. You can also simply long-press on any empty region in the On My iPhone window, and one of the options that would pop up is New Folder. Call this folder whatever you wish – we have gone with HeicToJPEG for obvious reasons.
Step 4: Go to the Photos app
Most of your background work is now done. You now have to get to the real business– selecting the images from your Photos app and changing their format. In order to do that, you have to now go to your iPhone’s photo gallery and pick the image(s) you wish to convert into JPG. Just tap Select on the top right corner and tap on the images you wish to convert.
Step 5: Copy Photos
Once you have finalized the picture you wish to convert, you have to tap on the bottom left corner of the screen, the Share button. Tap on it and a number of new choices will pop up on your phone. From this list, you have to select Copy Photos. Once you select the option your photo will get copied on your iPhone’s Clipboard. A point to note here is that there is also a Save to Files option, but this does not change the format of the photograph, so stick to Copy Photos.
Step 6: Go back to your Folder in Files
After copying the image you wish to convert from HEIC to JPG, you now have to go back to the folder you just created in the Files app. Just open the Files app and either search for the folder’s name in the search bar or go to the location where you created it and find it. Tap the folder to open it.
Step 7: Paste photos
This is the last leg of this conversion race. You now have to open the folder, and long press on the blank space in the middle until the option to Paste pops up on your screen. Just select the Paste option and the photo will appear in this folder. The photographs would automatically be saved in JPEG. And you can also change the names of the images – something you cannot do in the gallery. That’s it. You do not have to create a new folder every time you wish to change image formats. Just paste the images into any existing folder (remember where you pasted them though). The Files app will do the rest. You can then select and share and upload files in JPEG format from this folder.
HEIC to JPG: Online solutions!
In case you are in a hurry, have a good Internet connection, and do not have too many images to convert, you can also use a free online conversion website. Cloud Convert is an excellent option. All you have to do is upload the pictures, indicate the format you want them converted to, and it will do just that. This can get a little tedious if you have a number of pictures to convert, though. It is a simple enough process –
You open Settings and head to the Camera option. Once there, choose Formats, and then change the format from High Efficiency to Most Compatible. As their names indicate, ‘High Efficiency’ is HEIC ‘Most Compatible’ here means JPEG/JPG.
