iPhone Photos Won't Open on Windows? What HEIC Is and What to Do

Your daughter sends you photos from her iPhone, you copy them to your Windows PC, and nothing happens. The files are there, but instead of a picture you see a plain icon, and when you open one, Windows asks you to install something first. Nothing is broken. The photos are in HEIC, a format iPhones use to save space, and Windows doesn't always know what to do with it.

TL;DR: The quickest fix is on the iPhone: in Settings, tap Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. From then on, new photos are saved as ordinary JPG. Photos you already have can be downloaded from iCloud as JPG, or turned into JPG on your computer. Windows can also learn to open HEIC, but websites, forms and other people's computers often still want JPG.

If you already have a folder full of HEIC files, here's a way to convert them all at once on your computer: Compressa →

What a HEIC File Is

Since 2017, iPhones have saved photos by default in a format called HEIF, and the files end in .heic. A HEIC photo looks just as good as a JPG but takes up much less room, so more photos fit on the phone and in iCloud. On an iPhone, iPad or Mac you never notice it, because Apple devices open these files without any help.

Windows is a different story. Many programs, websites and older PCs still expect JPG, the format digital photos have used for decades. That's where the trouble starts.

Can Windows Open Them?

Sometimes, with a little help. The Photos app in Windows needs two add-ons from the Microsoft Store to show iPhone photos: HEIF Image Extensions, which is free, and HEVC Video Extensions, which costs $0.99. Some computers can get a free version of the second one from the PC maker, but not all.

Microsoft is also rolling out a new Photos app for Windows 11. It was announced in October 2026, and in one early test it opened HEIC photos without asking for anything extra. If your PC doesn't have it yet, it should arrive with a later update.

Even then, the photos are only readable on your own computer. A website that asks for a photo, a passport or pharmacy form, a photo printing shop or a friend with an old Windows 10 laptop may still not accept HEIC. For anything you plan to send or upload, JPG is the safe choice.

Fix It on the iPhone

If the photos come from someone else's iPhone, these settings are for that person. They take a minute.

To make the iPhone save new photos as JPG, open Settings, tap Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. From then on, every photo is a JPG. Photos taken earlier stay HEIC. The files will be a bit larger, and a few video modes, such as 4K at 60 frames per second, need the other setting, High Efficiency. You can switch back at any time.

When photos are copied from an iPhone to a PC with a cable, the iPhone can convert them on the way. Look in Settings > Apps > Photos (on older iPhones, Settings > Photos), scroll down to Transfer to Mac or PC (it applies to Windows PCs too) and make sure Automatic is selected, not Keep Originals.

Sending photos by email or Messages often converts them as well. Apple says the iPhone may switch to JPG when the other device doesn't support HEIC, but this doesn't happen every time.

Getting Photos From iCloud as JPG

If the photos are in iCloud, you can download them on any computer at icloud.com. Open Photos, click a photo to select it, then click the download button. If you're offered a choice of versions, pick Most Compatible and you get a JPG. The other choices, Unmodified Originals and Highest Resolution, usually give you HEIC again.

This works well for a few photos. If you select a lot of them at once and still end up with HEIC files, convert them on your computer as described below.

Already Have a Folder of HEIC Files?

A search for "HEIC to JPG" brings up plenty of websites that convert photos for free. They work, but you upload your family photos to a stranger's server, many convert only a few files at a time, and the pages are often full of ads. Keep in mind that iPhone photos usually record where they were taken, so the location goes along with the upload.

A program on your own computer avoids all that. Our Compressa runs on Windows and Mac and opens iPhone photos by itself, without the Microsoft Store add-ons. Drag the photos or the whole folder into the window, set Format to JPEG and click Compress All. Your HEIC files stay where they were, and the JPG copies are saved next to them or in a folder you choose.

Two details are useful for photos you plan to send. Compressa keeps the date the photo was taken but leaves out the location, unless you ask it to keep it. And if the photos are only for an email, the Email preset makes them small enough to send several at once. For printing, use JPEG without the preset so the photos stay full size.

For the first 7 days Compressa works without any limits, so a big family archive can be done in one go. After that, the free version converts up to 30 photos a day.

The Bottom Line

HEIC photos aren't damaged, they're just in a format Windows doesn't always read. The simplest fix is a one-time change on the iPhone, so new photos arrive as JPG. For the photos already on your computer, download them from iCloud as Most Compatible or convert the whole folder at once. Whatever the photos are for, a JPG copy will open just about anywhere.