How to open HEIC photos on Windows without paying

The easiest way to open HEIC on Windows without paying is to convert the photos to JPG in your browser with our free HEIC to JPG converter: no upload, no sign-up, up to 50 photos at a time. If you would rather view HEIC files directly in the Windows Photos app, you need two Microsoft Store add-ons, and only one of them is free. And if the photos come from your own iPhone, one setting stops the problem for new pictures.

This guide explains what HEIC is, what each option costs, and which one to pick.

What is a HEIC file?

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is Apple's name for photos saved in the HEIF format, compressed with HEVC (also called H.265), the same method used for modern video. iPhones and iPads have used it as their default photo format since iOS 11.

The upside is size: a HEIC photo is usually much smaller than a JPG of the same quality, so your phone holds more pictures. The downside is support. Many Windows apps, older PCs, websites and office systems still expect JPG or PNG, so a folder of IMG_1234.HEIC files copied from a phone often shows blank icons or an error when you double-click one.

Can Windows open HEIC files on its own?

Sometimes, but often not out of the box. When you open a HEIC photo in the Photos app on a PC without support, Photos asks you to install an extension from the Microsoft Store. Two packages are involved:

Extension	What it does	Cost
HEIF Image Extensions	Lets Windows read the HEIF/HEIC container	Free in the Microsoft Store
HEVC Video Extensions	Decodes the HEVC compression inside the photo (and HEVC videos)	Sold by Microsoft for a small fee for years (US$0.99 in the US); check the Store for your price

The HEIF extension alone is usually not enough, because the picture inside a HEIC file is HEVC-compressed. Some PCs, mainly from big brands, ship with a free "HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer" version already installed, and on those machines HEIC photos may open with no extra step. On a home-built PC or a clean Windows install you will usually be asked to buy the HEVC extension.

Microsoft changes Store listings from time to time, and prices differ by country, so treat the table as a guide and check the Store page on your own PC before you pay anything.

How to check what your PC already has

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on Windows 10: Apps & features).
2. Search for HEIF and HEVC.
3. If both appear, try opening a HEIC photo in Photos again. If only HEIF appears, that explains the error.

Three ways to open HEIC on Windows

1. Convert the photos to JPG in your browser (free)

This works on any Windows version, needs nothing installed, and gives you files every app, website and printer understands.

1. Open the HEIC converter in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
2. Choose JPG (smaller files) or PNG (lossless, much bigger), and set the JPG quality. 90% or more looks the same as the original to most eyes.
3. Drop your .heic or .heif photos onto the page, up to 50 at once.
4. Click Convert. The decoder downloads once, then runs on your computer.
5. Download each photo, or all of them together as a ZIP.

Your photos are not uploaded anywhere: the conversion runs inside your browser, which matters for family pictures, ID documents and anything private. The converted files also leave out the original EXIF details, such as GPS location, which is usually what you want when sharing photos online.

If a single HEIC file turns into several JPGs, that file held more than one image, such as a burst. Keep "Export every image" switched on to save them all.

2. Install the Windows extensions (free or paid)

If you open iPhone photos every day and want them to work in Photos, File Explorer thumbnails and other Windows apps:

1. Install HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store (free).
2. Check whether HEVC support is already on your PC (see above).
3. If it is not, decide whether the HEVC Video Extensions are worth the Store price for you.
4. Restart Photos and open a HEIC file again.

This is the most convenient option long-term, but it only helps on that one PC. Anyone you send the photos to may still be unable to open them, which is why many people convert anyway.

3. Make your iPhone save JPG instead

If the photos are yours, you can stop the problem at the source:

1. On the iPhone, open Settings > Camera > Formats.
2. Choose Most Compatible.

New photos are then saved as JPG and videos as H.264. Photos you already took stay HEIC. The trade-off is space: JPG photos take more storage on the phone.

There is also a setting for USB transfers. In Settings > Photos (on newer iOS versions, Settings > Apps > Photos), find Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic. The iPhone then converts photos to a compatible format when you copy them to a PC with a cable. Keep Originals copies the HEIC files as they are.

Which option should you choose?

• A few photos to send, print or upload today: convert them in the browser.
• You view iPhone photos on this PC all the time: install the extensions, if the HEVC price is fine for you.
• The photos are coming from your own phone: switch to Most Compatible so future photos are JPG.
• You share photos with many people or upload them to forms and websites: convert to JPG, because you cannot control what software the other side uses.

After converting: make the photos ready to share

Converted iPhone photos are often several megabytes each, and many upload forms (job portals, exam and visa sites) reject anything over a set limit.

• Shrink the file size with the image compressor.
• Change the pixel size for a form or a profile picture with resize image.
• Need PNG instead of JPG, or the other way around? Use the JPG and PNG converter.

If you are preparing an image for a link preview on social media, our guide on why Facebook shows the wrong image covers the size Facebook expects.

Common problems

"This file can't be opened" or a blank thumbnail

Windows is missing the HEIF extension, the HEVC decoder, or both. Convert the file, or check the installed apps as shown above.

The file ends in .HEIC but will not convert

Some files are damaged during transfer, especially when copied from cloud storage before they fully downloaded. Copy the photo again from the phone and retry. If a file is really a JPG renamed to .heic, the converter handles it as a normal image.

Windows asks you to pay for an extension

That is the HEVC Video Extensions listing. You do not have to buy it to see your photos: converting them to JPG gives you files that open everywhere, for free.

Quick checklist

• Know the cause: HEIC needs both HEIF and HEVC support on Windows.
• Free route: convert in the browser to JPG or PNG; nothing is uploaded.
• Paid or pre-installed route: HEIF extension (free) plus HEVC extension.
• Stop new HEIC photos: Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible.
• Before uploading: compress or resize the converted photos.