LocalJPG

HEIC to JPG on Windows 11

Windows 11 added some HEIC support, but the HEVC decoder is still a paid $0.99 Microsoft Store add-on — and even then most apps can't read HEIC. Skip the codec dance. Convert here.

Your photos stay home

Sceptical? Watch DevTools → Network while converting: zero uploads.

0 server uploads

Drop photos

HEIC, WebP, or a ZIP

Converts instantly

On your device only

Download JPGs

Singly or as one ZIP — free

Output preset

free · no account

Why LocalJPG?

Private by architecture

Files never upload — conversion runs in your browser. Most converters send photos to a server first.

Works offline

Installs as an app after the first visit. Airplane mode? Still converts.

Batch + ZIP, free

Drop a whole folder, download one ZIP. Others gate batches behind accounts or paid plans.

EXIF preserved

Capture date, GPS, orientation survive the conversion. Compressors often strip them.

What Windows 11 does (and doesn't) include for HEIC

Out of the box, Windows 11 has the HEIF Image Extensions component installed. That gives File Explorer thumbnails and Photos basic recognition. What it doesn't include is the HEVC Video Extensions — the codec that actually decodes the image data. Without HEVC, the thumbnail is a blank placeholder and double-clicking shows "We can't open this file."

HEVC is a $0.99 paid package in the Microsoft Store. Microsoft removed it from the default install in 2022 to avoid royalty fees paid to the MPEG LA patent pool. The $0.99 extension surfaces a notice that the codec is required, but you have to actually buy it before HEIC files render.

Why "just buy the extension" is the wrong fix

Even after paying for HEVC Video Extensions, you only get HEIC support in Microsoft's own apps — Photos, File Explorer, and a handful of others that integrate the Windows Imaging Component (WIC). Everywhere else, the format is still unreadable:

Converting once to JPG eliminates the entire chain of compatibility problems. JPG is the universal image format — nothing in the Windows software ecosystem fails to read it.

Browser conversion: faster than the Store fix

LocalJPG runs the HEIC decoder as WebAssembly in your browser. The decoder is the same libheif library Microsoft licenses from Strukturag for their HEVC extension — just delivered to your browser cache instead of installed system-wide. Conversion takes under a second per photo on a modern PC.

No Microsoft Store purchase, no install prompt, no admin rights, no file upload to any server. The page is static HTML + JavaScript. Open DevTools (F12) > Network tab during conversion to verify: nothing leaves your machine.

Step-by-step on Windows 11

  1. Get the .heic file onto your PC — cable, OneDrive, email, AirDrop relay.
  2. Open localjpg.com in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox.
  3. Drag the .heic file onto the drop zone (or click to browse).
  4. Wait for the conversion check — usually under a second.
  5. Click Download JPG.

Want to convert a batch? Drag a whole folder. Each file converts to JPG individually, and you can download them one by one or as a single ZIP bundle — everything free.

Frequently asked

Will Windows 12 fix this?

Unknown. The royalty cost of HEVC is the underlying reason Microsoft de-bundled it; that economic pressure is unchanged. JPG conversion is the safer long-term workflow.

Can I set iPhone to capture JPG instead of HEIC?

Yes — Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. You lose the storage savings of HEIC (about 50% smaller files) but eliminate the Windows compatibility issue at the source.

Is the conversion lossy?

Slightly. JPG is a lossy format; quality 85 (LocalJPG default) is visually indistinguishable from the source. If you want lossless preservation, archive the original HEIC alongside.

Related: HEIC to JPG converter · HEIC to JPG on Windows 10 · Why iPhone photos don't open on Windows · What is HEIC?