How to Convert iPhone Photos for the Web
Your iPhone saves photos in HEIC format, which many websites won't accept. Here's how to convert them to web-friendly formats without installing anything.
Why websites reject your iPhone photos
Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos in HEIC format by default. HEIC produces files roughly half the size of JPEG at the same quality, which is great for phone storage. The problem is that HEIC is still not universally supported outside the Apple ecosystem.
When you try to upload a HEIC photo to a website, CMS, online form, or social media platform, you'll often get an error like “unsupported file type” or “please upload a JPG or PNG”. The same happens when emailing photos to someone on Windows or Android who doesn't have HEIC support installed.
Which format should you convert to?
It depends on where the photo is going. Here's a quick guide:
- JPG— The safest choice for sharing. Every device, browser, and platform supports it. Best for photographs where you don't need transparency. This is the right pick for social media, email, and print services.
- PNG— Use this when you need lossless quality or transparency. Good for screenshots captured on your iPhone, or photos you plan to edit further. Files will be larger than JPG.
- WebP— The modern web-optimised format. Smaller files than both JPG and PNG while supporting transparency. Ideal if you're uploading to a website or blog that accepts WebP. Not suitable for print or older software.
HEIC output format comparison
| Target | JPG | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| File size | Small | Large | Smallest |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Quality | Lossy | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Best for | Sharing, printing | Editing, screenshots | Web publishing |
How to convert without installing software
FlipFiles converts HEIC photos to JPG, PNG, or WebP entirely in your browser. There's nothing to download or install — it uses a WebAssembly-powered decoder to read HEIC files directly on your device. Your photos are never uploaded to any server.
Just drop your HEIC files, pick an output format, and download the result. You can convert entire batches at once.
Can you stop your iPhone from using HEIC?
Yes. Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and select Most Compatible. Your phone will shoot in JPEG instead. The downside is roughly double the storage per photo, which adds up if you take a lot of pictures.
A better approach for most people is to keep HEIC enabled (for the storage savings) and convert individual photos when you need to share them. This gives you the best of both worlds.
What about AirDrop and the share sheet?
When you share photos via the iOS share sheet to non-Apple devices or services, Apple automatically converts them to JPEG. Between Apple devices, AirDrop preserves the original HEIC format. This auto-conversion works for casual sharing, but it doesn't help when you need to upload files to a website, attach them to an email on your computer, or work with them in software that doesn't support HEIC.
For those situations, converting the files yourself gives you full control over the output format and quality.