How to Convert HEIC to JPG or PNG on Android
HEIC is a great format for storing photos. It keeps images small without visible quality loss, which is why iPhones use it by default. The trouble starts when the photo leaves the phone: an upload form rejects it, an older Windows PC cannot preview it, or a print shop asks for JPG.
The fix is a quick conversion, and you can do it entirely on your Android phone. This guide shows how with Total Media Converter, which converts HEIC to JPG, JPEG, PNG or WebP offline.
What is HEIC?
HEIC is a file using the High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF). Compared with JPG, it usually stores the same visual quality in a smaller file, and it can hold extras such as depth information and multiple images.
The downside is compatibility. Support is common on recent phones and operating systems, but many websites, office tools, older computers and print services still expect JPG or PNG.
You typically end up with HEIC files on Android when:
- you switch from an iPhone and copy your photo library
- someone sends you photos as files instead of through a messaging app that converts them
- you download originals from a cloud backup
- your own Android camera is set to save in HEIF
JPG, PNG or WebP?
| Output | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| JPG / JPEG | Photos you want to share or upload anywhere | Lossy; larger than HEIC |
| PNG | Screenshots, graphics, images with text | Much larger files for photos |
| WebP | Images for websites | Not accepted by every upload form |
For ordinary photos, JPG is the safe default.
How to convert HEIC to JPG on Android
- Install Total Media Converter from Google Play and open it.
- Allow storage access when prompted. The app needs it to read the HEIC files and save the converted copies.
- Pick your HEIC photos. Select one file or several. Files on an SD card can be imported too.
- Choose the output format: JPG, JPEG, PNG or WebP.
- Choose the quality. Higher quality means larger files. For sharing, a high setting is usually a good balance.
- Start the conversion. Multiple files are queued and processed in the background, so you can switch to another app.
- Open the history to find the converted files and share them.
Your original HEIC files stay where they are, so you can convert again with different settings if needed.
Converting a whole library
If you moved a large iPhone library to Android, convert in batches rather than all at once:
- Group photos into folders, for example by year or event.
- Queue one folder at a time.
- Spot-check a few converted files before moving on.
- Keep the HEIC originals until you are happy with the results.
Batching keeps the queue manageable and makes it easier to spot a problem early.
Going the other way: JPG to HEIF
Total Media Converter also includes a HEIF encoder that converts JPG or JPEG to HEIF on Android 9 (Pie) and above. This is useful if storage is tight and you only view the photos on devices that support HEIF.
What happens to metadata and colors
Many converters quietly drop metadata. Total Media Converter keeps the metadata and ICC color profile when converting images. In practice:
- Colors stay accurate, because the color profile travels with the image.
- Capture dates and camera details survive, so your gallery still sorts converted photos correctly.
- GPS location also survives. If the HEIC photo had a location, the JPG has it too.
That last point matters if you convert in order to share. Once converted, run the files through ExifTool to remove the location. Our guide to batch removing GPS location from photos walks through it, and ExifTool for iPhone covers the same step if the photos are still on an iPhone.
Troubleshooting
A conversion fails. The developer recommends avoiding spaces in file and folder names. Rename the file or move it to a folder without spaces, then try again.
Converted files are larger than the HEIC originals. This is expected. JPG is less efficient than HEIC, and PNG is much larger for photos. Lower the quality setting if size matters.
Colors look different in another app. Some viewers ignore color profiles. Try opening the file in a different viewer before re-converting.
Cannot save to the SD card. SD card support covers importing files, not writing converted files to the card. Converted files are saved to internal storage; move them afterwards with a file manager.
Checking the result
After the first batch, take a minute to confirm everything looks right:
- Open a converted JPG in your gallery and compare it with the HEIC original.
- Check that the date still matches, so the photo sorts correctly.
- Try uploading one file to the site or app that rejected the HEIC version.
Privacy
Conversion happens on your phone in offline mode. Your photos are not uploaded to the internet, which is a real advantage over web-based HEIC converters that require uploading personal pictures.
Related guides
- Introducing Total Media Converter: everything the app can convert
- WEBP to JPG converter apps for Android
- Convert video to MP3 on Android
Summary
- HEIC saves space but is not accepted everywhere.
- Convert to JPG for photos, PNG for graphics.
- Use Total Media Converter to convert on your phone, offline and in a background queue.
- Metadata, including GPS, is kept, so clean it with ExifTool before sharing publicly.
FAQ
Why do I have HEIC files on my Android phone?
HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones and is used by some Android cameras too. Photos copied from an iPhone, received as files or exported from cloud storage often arrive as HEIC.
Should I choose JPG or PNG?
Choose JPG for photos: files stay reasonably small and open almost everywhere. Choose PNG for screenshots, graphics or text, where sharp edges matter more than file size.
Does converting HEIC to JPG keep the photo's metadata?
With Total Media Converter, yes. Image conversion keeps metadata and the ICC color profile. That includes GPS location, so remove it before sharing publicly if needed.
A fast, simple tool for converting between media formats including photos, video and audio.