How to Batch Convert HEIC Files to JPG

Why Batch Conversion Matters for HEIC Files

iPhones have captured photos in HEIC format since iOS 11 (2017). If you've been using an iPhone for years, your photo library likely contains thousands of HEIC files. Converting these one at a time would take hours—batch processing handles the entire collection in minutes.

The math is straightforward: converting 1,000 photos at 30 seconds each would take over 8 hours of clicking. A batch converter processes the same 1,000 photos in under 5 minutes. The time savings compound as your library grows.

Common Batch Conversion Scenarios

When you need bulk HEIC conversion

iCloud Photo Library Export — Converting years of photos for backup or migration to Google Photos, OneDrive, or local storage.
Sharing with Non-Apple Users — Family members with Android or Windows can't open HEIC files without extra software.
Website or Blog Uploads — Most CMS platforms and image hosts require JPG or PNG uploads.
Print Orders — Photo printing services (Shutterfly, Costco, CVS) expect JPG format.
Archival Storage — JPG is a more universally readable format for long-term archives.

The core trade-off with HEIC: you get 40-50% smaller files, but compatibility suffers outside the Apple ecosystem. Batch conversion solves this by creating JPG copies for sharing while keeping HEIC originals.

Online Batch Converters: No Software Required

Online converters are the fastest way to process HEIC files without installing anything. Upload your files, wait for processing, and download JPGs individually or as a ZIP archive.

What to Look for in an Online Converter

Not all online converters are equal. The best tools handle large batches, process files quickly, and respect your privacy. Before uploading personal photos, check these criteria:

Feature	Why It Matters	What to Look For
Batch Size	Determines how many files per upload	100+ files minimum
Processing Speed	Time spent waiting	Parallel processing
Privacy	Protection for personal photos	TLS encryption, auto-delete
Output Quality	Preserves image detail	Quality setting 85-95

Step-by-Step Batch Conversion

Convert a batch of HEIC files online

Navigate to Convert.FAST HEIC to JPG.
Drag and drop your HEIC files—up to 1000 at once.
Wait for automatic processing. Most batches complete in under 30 seconds.
Download individual files or click "Download All" for a single ZIP archive.

Convert.FAST batch capabilities

Process up to 50 files as a guest, 50 with a free account, or 1000 with Pro. Files are encrypted during transfer and automatically deleted after 1 hour. Your photos never touch AI training pipelines.

Desktop Tools for Offline Batch Conversion

If you prefer keeping files on your computer or need to process very large libraries (10,000+ photos), desktop applications offer unlimited batch sizes and offline processing.

macOS: Built-in Preview App

Mac users have a free option built into the operating system. The Preview app can export multiple HEIC files to JPG in one operation.

Batch convert using macOS Preview

Select all HEIC files in Finder (Cmd+A to select all).
Right-click and choose "Open With" → "Preview".
In Preview, press Cmd+A to select all images in the sidebar.
Choose File → Export Selected Images.
Select JPEG format and choose quality (80-90 recommended).
Pick a destination folder and click "Choose".

Windows: Third-Party Applications

Windows doesn't include a built-in batch converter, but several free applications fill the gap. XnConvert is a popular choice—it's free for personal use and handles HEIC conversion along with many other formats.

Desktop vs online trade-offs

Desktop tools process files locally (more private, unlimited batch size) but require installation and updates. Online converters work instantly from any device but require uploading files. Choose based on your privacy needs and convenience preference.

Command Line: Automation for Power Users

For developers and technical users, command-line tools offer the most control over batch conversion. You can script conversions, set exact quality parameters, and integrate HEIC-to-JPG conversion into larger workflows.

ImageMagick

ImageMagick is the most widely-used command-line image tool. It's available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Install via your package manager or download the installer.

ImageMagick batch conversion commands

Convert all HEIC files in the current directory to JPG:

magick mogrify -format jpg -quality 90 *.heic

Convert and place output in a different folder:

magick mogrify -format jpg -quality 90 -path ./converted *.heic

Process a specific folder recursively:

find ./photos -name "*.heic" -exec magick {} -quality 90 {}.jpg \;

macOS sips Command

Mac users have sips (scriptable image processing system) built into the OS. It's faster than ImageMagick for basic conversions since it uses native macOS image frameworks.

sips batch conversion

for f in *.HEIC; do sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "${f%.HEIC}.jpg"; done

This loops through all HEIC files in the current directory and creates JPG versions with the same base filename. Note: iPhone files typically use uppercase .HEIC; adjust the pattern to *.heic if your files use lowercase.

Preserving Folder Structure and Filenames

A common concern with batch conversion is maintaining your photo organization. You've spent time organizing photos into folders by date, event, or location—you don't want conversion to dump everything into one flat directory.

Filename Preservation

Most batch converters preserve original filenames, changing only the extension. IMG_1234.heic becomes IMG_1234.jpg. This makes it easy to match converted files with originals and maintains alphabetical/chronological sorting.

Watch for filename conflicts

If your folder already contains JPG files with matching names (from screenshots or different sources), batch conversion may overwrite them. Check for existing JPG files before converting, or output to a separate folder.

EXIF Metadata

HEIC files contain EXIF metadata: date taken, camera settings, GPS location, and more. Good batch converters preserve this metadata in the output JPG. This ensures your photos still sort correctly by date and show location data in apps like Google Photos.

Metadata handling

Date Taken — Preserved—photos sort correctly by capture time.
GPS Location — Preserved by default; can be stripped for privacy.
Camera Settings — Preserved—aperture, ISO, shutter speed remain intact.
Orientation — Applied during conversion—photos display correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many HEIC files can I convert at once?

Online converters typically support 50-500 files per batch. Convert.FAST allows up to 1000 files per batch on the Pro plan. For larger libraries, run multiple batches or use a desktop tool like ImageMagick which has no practical limit.

Will batch conversion lose image quality?

Both HEIC and JPG are lossy formats, so some re-compression occurs during conversion. At quality settings of 85-95, the difference is imperceptible to most viewers. The trade-off: JPG files are typically 40-50% larger than the original HEIC at equivalent visual quality. If file size is a concern, compress the JPGs after conversion.

Should I delete the original HEIC files after converting?

Keep your HEIC originals as a master archive—they're smaller and potentially higher quality than the JPG conversions. Use JPG copies for sharing and compatibility. Storage is cheap; the original files may be useful if HEIC support improves across platforms in the future.

Can I batch convert to PNG instead of JPG?

Yes. PNG is lossless, preserving all image data, but files will be 3-5x larger than HEIC. For photos, JPG is usually the better choice. PNG makes sense for screenshots or images requiring transparency. Convert.FAST supports HEIC to PNG batch conversion.

What about converting to WebP or AVIF instead?

WebP and AVIF are modern formats with excellent compression. HEIC to WebP produces files similar in size to HEIC with broad browser support. HEIC to AVIF offers the best compression but has limited compatibility outside web browsers.

How do I export HEIC files from iCloud for conversion?

On Mac, open Photos, select the images you want, then File → Export → Export Unmodified Originals. On Windows, use iCloud for Windows to download photos locally—they'll appear in your Pictures folder. On iPhone, select photos, tap Share → Save to Files, then access via iCloud Drive.

Convert.FAST handles batch conversion of up to 1000 files at once. Get reliable JPG outputs for any workflow—fast, secure, and processed on encrypted EU servers with automatic file deletion.

Open HEIC to JPG converter