How to Open iPhone Photos on Windows (HEIC Fix)
You copy photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC, double-click one, and Photos complains that it needs an extension. Or the thumbnails are blank, or an upload form on a website refuses the file. The reason is almost always the same: the photos are in HEIC format.
This guide gives you three ways to fix it, from the quickest one-time setting to converting files for people who cannot change their PC. Pick the one that fits.
Why this happens
Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos in Apple’s High Efficiency format, which is HEIC. It produces smaller files than JPG, but Windows does not always ship with everything needed to display it. For a full comparison of the two formats, read HEIC vs JPG: which should you use.
Fix 1: Teach Windows to open HEIC
This is the right fix if it is your own PC and you want to view HEIC files directly.
- Open the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 or 11.
- Search for HEIF Image Extensions (published by Microsoft) and install it.
- Restart the Photos app and open a HEIC file again.
- If Photos still asks for an extension, search the Store for HEVC Video Extensions and install it as well. This one may not be free in every region, so check the listing before buying.
After that, Photos and File Explorer thumbnails usually handle HEIC. Some third-party apps still may not, so you may need Fix 3 for specific programs or upload forms.
Recent versions of Windows 11 may already include some HEIF support, so try opening a file before installing anything.
Fix 2: Change two settings on the iPhone
If the iPhone is yours, you can stop the problem at the source.
Convert automatically when copying by cable
- On the iPhone, open Settings > Photos.
- Scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC.
- Choose Automatic.
Now, when you import photos to a Windows PC over a USB cable, the iPhone converts them to a compatible format during the transfer. Your library on the phone stays in HEIC.
Shoot JPG from now on
- Open Settings > Camera > Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible.
New photos are saved as JPG. Existing photos stay HEIC, and files will be larger than before. Most people are better off keeping High Efficiency and using the transfer setting above.
Menu names can shift between iOS versions, but these settings have stayed in the Camera and Photos sections for years.
Fix 3: Convert HEIC to JPG before sharing
Sometimes neither fix is possible: the PC belongs to a client, a school or an office with locked-down software, or the files go to a website that only accepts JPG and PNG. Then the reliable answer is to send JPG.
If the photos are on an Android phone, for example because they were sent to you from an iPhone, or because you use an Android phone alongside a PC, convert them there with Total Media Converter:
- Open Total Media Converter on your Android phone.
- Select the HEIC photos. You can pick a whole batch.
- Choose JPG (or JPEG, PNG or WebP).
- Choose the quality. A high setting keeps the result visually close to the original.
- Start the conversion. Jobs run in a background queue, and a history lists everything you converted.
- Share the JPG files to the PC by cable, email or your usual cloud folder.
Everything runs offline on the phone, nothing is uploaded, and image conversions keep metadata and the ICC colour profile so dates and colours stay correct. Our HEIC to JPG on Android guide covers the settings in more detail.
Moving files from Android to the PC
To move the converted files to a computer over USB or Wi-Fi from the browser, the file manager in ADB Kit works on Windows, macOS and Linux. See ADB over Wi-Fi with ADB Kit for the cable-free setup.
Which fix should you choose?
| Your situation | Best fix |
|---|---|
| Your own Windows PC, you want to view originals | Fix 1: install HEIF extension |
| Your own iPhone, you import photos by cable | Fix 2: Transfer to Mac or PC > Automatic |
| Sending to clients, schools or upload forms | Fix 3: convert to JPG |
| You just received HEIC files on Android | Fix 3: convert with Total Media Converter |
Don’t forget privacy
Converting keeps metadata, which is usually what you want for your own archive. But iPhone photos often include GPS coordinates. Before sending photos to people you do not know, remove the location with ExifTool, as shown in how to find where a photo was taken and hide it.
Troubleshooting
Thumbnails are still blank after installing the extension. Restart File Explorer or sign out and back in, then check again.
Some photos open, others do not. Live Photos and some edited images are stored differently. Converting them to JPG is the simplest fix.
Videos from the iPhone will not play. iPhone videos may use HEVC as well. That needs the HEVC extension on Windows, or a conversion to a more compatible format.
Summary
HEIC is a great format that Windows does not always open by default. Install the HEIF extension on your own PC, set the iPhone to convert automatically when you transfer by cable, and convert to JPG when sharing with anyone else. On Android, Total Media Converter does that conversion offline in a few taps.
FAQ
Why can't Windows open my iPhone photos?
iPhones save photos as HEIC by default. Windows needs the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store to display them, and some setups also need the HEVC Video Extensions. Without them, Photos shows an error or a blank thumbnail.
How do I make my iPhone send JPG to my PC?
Set Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic before copying over a cable. To save every new photo as JPG, set Settings > Camera > Formats to Most Compatible.
Can I convert HEIC photos on an Android phone?
Yes. Total Media Converter converts HEIC to JPG, JPEG, PNG or WebP on Android, offline and in batches, keeping metadata and the colour profile.
A fast, simple tool for converting between media formats including photos, video and audio.