How to Convert HEIC to PNG

Take a photo on a modern iPhone and it is saved as a .heicfile. It looks perfect on your phone, but try to open it on a Windows PC, drop it into a website, or attach it to a design and you often hit a wall: "file type not supported." Converting to PNG fixes that instantly and gives you a crisp, lossless image that opens everywhere. This guide explains what HEIC is, when PNG is the right choice, and how to convert in seconds.

What is a HEIC file?

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the format Apple uses for photos on iPhone and iPad. It is based on the HEIF standard and squeezes better image quality into roughly half the file size of an old-style JPG. That is great for storage on your phone — but because it is newer, a lot of software, websites and Windows versions still cannot open it. That is where conversion comes in.

Why convert to PNG instead of JPG?

Both PNG and JPG are universally supported, but they are good at different things. Choose PNG when you care about quality and flexibility:

• Lossless quality. PNG keeps every pixel exactly as it was — nothing is thrown away. Ideal when you plan to edit, crop or re-save the image several times.
• Transparency support. PNG can store a transparent background, which JPG cannot — essential for logos, graphics and overlays.
• Crisp text and sharp edges. Screenshots, diagrams and images with fine lines look cleaner as PNG, with no blurry JPG artefacts.

If you mainly want the smallest possible file for sharing a normal photo, HEIC to JPG is the better pick. For photos on a website where size and quality both matter, consider HEIC to WebP.

Convert HEIC to PNG, step by step

1. Open the converter. Go to the HEIC to PNG tool and drop in your .heic or .heif photo.
2. Convert. The image is decoded and re-saved as a full-quality PNG.
3. Download your PNG, ready to edit, upload or share on any device.

How to stop your iPhone saving HEIC

If you would rather avoid conversion in the first place, you can tell your iPhone to shoot in the older, more compatible format:

1. Open Settings → Camera → Formats.
2. Choose Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency.

New photos will then be saved as JPG. This does not change photos you already have, though — so for existing shots, converting is still the way to go.

Will I lose any quality?

No. PNG is a lossless format, so the conversion preserves the full detail of your original photo. The trade-off is file size: a PNG is usually larger than the HEIC it came from, because it does not compress as aggressively. That is a fair price for an image that opens everywhere and survives repeated editing without degrading.

Working with lots of photos or other formats

Converting a whole camera roll? Run your photos through one at a time, or bundle several into a single document with HEIC to PDF — handy for sharing or printing a set of images together. Already have PNGs you want to shrink before uploading? Compress them for the web so pages load fast.

Is it private and free?

Decoding Apple's HEIC format reliably needs proper image software, so the tool runs on our secure server. Your photo travels over an encrypted HTTPS connection, is converted in an isolated workspace, and is deleted automatically the instant the PNG is returned — nothing is stored, logged or shared. It is completely free, with no watermark and no account required.

Frequently asked questions

Does this work on Windows? Yes. The conversion runs online in your browser, so it works on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and Linux alike.

What about .heif files? They are supported too — HEIC and HEIF are the same underlying format.

Does the transparency carry over? Standard iPhone photos have no transparent areas, but the PNG format fully supports transparency if your source image has it.

Should I pick PNG or JPG? Choose PNG for editing, transparency or the sharpest possible quality; choose JPG for the smallest file when sharing everyday photos.

Convert your photo now

Open the HEIC to PNG converter for a lossless, watermark-free PNG in seconds — free and deleted right after. Prefer a smaller file? HEIC to JPG has you covered.