How to Switch from HEIC to JPG on iPhone

HEIC is a technical marvel. The ability to store images at half the file size of a JPG with no noticeable differences in visual quality is mind-blowing. But there is a catch. It’s been over two years since Apple first implemented this on the iPhone, but cross-platform compatibility is still hit and miss.

This is why switching from HEIC to JPG is necessary at some point.

Apple’s iOS automatically converts HEIC images to JPG in two ways. When transferring them to an incompatible device or sharing images with other apps (Mail, Notes, etc.). Either way, you should run into a few niggles.

For example, I use Google Photos as my primary photo backup solution. Although it supports HEIC format, it does not offer any way to re-download them in JPG format. This means that I often have to manually convert HEICs to JPGs on my computer.

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to get your iPhone to take photos in the old JPG format. Let’s take a look at how you can do this.

Switching from HEIC to JPG

To switch from HEIC to JPG, you need to configure the camera capture format using the iPhone’s Settings app. There are two camera capture settings to choose from: High Efficiency and Most Compatible. The first will take photos in HEIC, while the second will take photos in JPG.

If you switch to Most Compatible, this will also enable your camera to capture video using the old H.264 compression standard. Otherwise, it would shoot in the newer HEVC video format that uses the H.265 compression standard. This is something to keep in mind as there is no way to just change the way you take photos without affecting the videos.

Stage 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Camera. Then tap Formats from the Camera settings list.

Sstep 2: Under Camera Capture, tap Most Compatible.

This much. Your iPhone will now capture photos directly in JPG format, while videos will be saved in MOV format using H.264 encoding (instead of H.265). You can change the formats at any time by visiting the Settings app.

Switching from HEIC to JPG — Fact Sheet

As you just learned, the transition from HEIC to JPG is pretty easy. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Let’s break them down below.

1. Old Photos Stay The Same

Switching from HEIC to JPG will not convert your existing photo library on your iPhone. Only the photos you take after the transition will be affected. The same goes for videos.

There are two ways to convert your existing library. Export them to a PC or Mac with the automatic transfer setting enabled (iPhone Settings > Photos > Export to Mac or PC > Auto). Or you can use third-party HEIC to JPG conversion tools downloaded via the App Store.

2. Fills Local Storage Faster

Capturing photos and videos in JPG and H.264 can consume significant storage space. If your iPhone doesn’t have a lot of space to start with, expect it to fill up quickly. As a general rule, expect twice the storage required for both photos and videos compared to HEIC and HEVC formats.

For videos, you can also check the Record Video screen (iPhone Settings > Camera > Record Video) to determine the area they will occupy if you shoot in any of the formats.

3. Consumes More iCloud Storage

If you fill up your iPhone’s internal storage and shoot in older photo and video formats, your iCloud storage will fill up faster. This happens when you turn on iCloud Photos. And considering that you have to pay to get over 5GB of storage, that can be a bit of a hassle.

I recommend using a third-party cloud storage solution like Google Photos to counter this effect with its unlimited photo and video storage offerings. You can also check out my iCloud alternative photo storage guide for other backup services.

4. Fewer Quality Settings

While you’ll have access to all the default photo quality settings when shooting in JPG format, there are a few limitations when it comes to video. When you select the Most Compatible setting, you cannot shoot 4K videos at 60fps or slow motion 1080p videos at 240fps.

Most likely this is a restriction to stop your iPhone from consuming too much storage space needed when storing videos using H.264 encoding.

5. Technically Lower Than HEIC

The resulting photos may look marginally better when you switch from HEIC to JPG. This happens because of the lower compression associated with the JPG format. I haven’t noticed any notable quality difference yet.

But HEIC’s crazy compression algorithm aside, it includes support for a much wider color gamut and additional depth data, unlike the JPG format. If you want to edit your photos on a display with a wider color gamut, you’ll miss out on those details by switching from HEIC to JPG.

Don’t Change For Him

Switching from HEIC to JPG is easy and absolutely guaranteed due to compatibility issues you will encounter. However, I would recommend not switching just for the sake of it. This is because HEIC brings a number of advantages over JPG such as using less storage space and being technically advanced.

Apple installed it as the default setting for a reason. If your photos are going to stay in the Apple ecosystem only, sticking with HEIC is highly recommended as there is no reason to switch.

Next: Having problems backing up your photos to iCloud? Check out this troubleshooting guide and quickly fix problems.