How to convert HEIC to PNG
This HEIC to PNG converter works in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. There is nothing to install and no account to make. Converting HEIC to PNG takes four steps:
- Add your HEIC files. Click Choose HEIC files, drag them onto the box, or paste them with Ctrl+V. On an iPhone, the button opens your photo library and the Files app.
- Pick the output. PNG is selected. You can switch to JPG or WebP, and set a longest side if you want smaller pictures; Original size keeps every pixel.
- Watch the list. Each .heic to PNG conversion starts the moment it arrives and shows its progress, then the new size and file size.
- Download. Save each PNG on its own, or download all of them as one ZIP file. On a phone, Save to Photos puts them straight into your photo library.
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is the format iPhones and iPads use for photos since iOS 11. It stores the picture in a High Efficiency Image File Format container with HEVC compression, so a HEIC photo is about half the size of the same photo as a JPG. The catch is support: Apple devices open HEIC without thinking twice, many other places do not.
If you want the whole story (what HEIF and HEVC are, why Apple chose them and which apps can open them), read what a HEIC file is. For converting, all you need to know is that a HEIC to PNG conversion turns a photo that only some apps understand into a file every app understands.
Why convert HEIC to PNG?
PNG is one of the oldest and most widely supported image formats. When a HEIC image will not open, upload or edit, the safest fix is to convert it to PNG. Three common reasons to convert HEIC to PNG:
Windows and older software cannot open HEIC
Windows 10 and 11 need extra extensions from the Microsoft Store before Photos or Paint can show a HEIC file, and many older programs, printers' tools and office apps never learned the format at all. Convert HEIC to PNG and the result opens in all of them, from Paint to Photoshop to PowerPoint, with no extension to install.
Websites and forms reject HEIC
Job applications, school portals, marketplaces and many content management systems only accept JPG, PNG or GIF. Chrome, Edge and Firefox cannot display HEIC either, so even a site that accepts the upload may show a broken image. Converting HEIC to PNG first avoids both problems.
Editing without losing quality
PNG is lossless: every time you open and save it, the pixels stay exactly the same. That makes PNG the better working copy when you plan to crop, annotate, add text or cut out a background. A JPG loses a little detail every time it is saved again.
PNG or JPG: which format should you choose?
Both formats open everywhere. The difference is how they compress the picture, and therefore the file size.
- Choose PNG for editing, screenshots, graphics with text, and anything you will save again later. PNG keeps every pixel exactly, and it can store transparency.
- Choose JPG for pictures you only want to share, email or upload. A JPG of an iPhone picture is usually 3 to 6 times smaller than the PNG, and at quality 92 you will not see a difference.
- Choose WebP for pictures on your own website. It is smaller than JPG at the same quality, but some older apps and editors still cannot open it.
| HEIC | PNG | JPG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| File size | 1.5–3 MB | 15–25 MB | 3–5 MB |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes | No |
| Opens on Windows | With extensions | Yes | Yes |
| Shows in Chrome | No | Yes | Yes |
Why is the PNG larger than the HEIC?
HEIC uses lossy compression that is very efficient for camera images; PNG is lossless and was designed for graphics. A 12 MP iPhone photo that takes 2 to 3 MB as HEIC usually becomes a 15 to 25 MB PNG. That is normal, and nothing has been added: the PNG simply stores every pixel without throwing detail away. If the size matters more than lossless editing, use HEIC to JPG instead, or set a smaller longest side.
Batch convert HEIC to PNG
Pictures rarely come one at a time. Export an album from an iPhone or receive a folder from a colleague and you may need to convert dozens of .heic files. Add up to 50 at once: they are converted one after another in a background worker, so the page stays responsive while the list fills up, even with large 48 MP images.
When the list is done, Download all saves every PNG in one ZIP file, with the original file names and a .png extension (IMG_0042.HEIC becomes IMG_0042.png). Changed your mind about the format or size? Change the setting and the whole list is converted again; there is nothing to upload a second time.
Private by design: your photos are never uploaded
Most online converters upload your pictures to their server, convert them there and send them back. This HEIC to PNG converter does the opposite. The page loads an open-source HEIC decoder (libheif, compiled to WebAssembly) into your browser, and every file is decoded and saved as PNG on your own device. No request to our server or anyone else contains your pictures or their names.
Converting locally is also faster: there is no upload, no queue on someone else's server and no download of the result, so you convert a whole batch in seconds on a recent phone or computer.
Location and camera data are removed
iPhone pictures carry EXIF metadata: the date, the camera model and, if location services were on, the GPS coordinates of where you took the picture. Every PNG this tool creates is a new file that contains only the pixels, so none of that is carried over. That is useful before you post a photo publicly or send it to someone you do not know well. The original HEIC on your device is not changed.
What the HEIC to PNG converter keeps
A good HEIC PNG conversion should look exactly like the photo on your iPhone. Here is what you get:
- Full resolution. A 4032 × 3024 HEIC becomes a 4032 × 3024 PNG unless you choose a smaller size. Phones with a low canvas limit save the largest size they can and say so.
- The right way up. The rotation stored in the HEIC is applied, so portrait photos stay portrait.
- The main photo. Burst shots and collections can hold several images in one HEIC; the converter saves the main one (the photo you see in Photos) and tells you how many others the file holds.
- Colors as you see them. iPhone HDR pictures are saved as their standard version, which is what most screens and apps show.
Convert HEIC to PNG on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
This converter runs the same way everywhere, which is the quickest option on any system. Each system also has its own, slower way to convert HEIC to PNG: Paint on Windows once the HEIF extension is installed, Preview's Export command or the Convert Image quick action on a Mac, and the Files app on an iPhone. The guide on how to convert HEIC to PNG walks through each one step by step, including batch converting on Windows.
HEIC to PNG questions
Is this HEIC to PNG converter free?
Yes. There is no account, no daily limit, no watermark and no paid tier. You can convert up to 50 files at a time and start a new batch as often as you like.
Are my pictures uploaded to a server?
No. The files are converted in your browser with a decoder that runs on your device, and nothing is sent to us or anyone else. You can even disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded and keep converting. Details are in the privacy policy.
Does it lose quality when you convert HEIC to PNG?
No more than opening the photo does. PNG is lossless, so the PNG holds exactly the pixels decoded from the HEIC, at the same resolution. The only thing that changes is the file size, which grows because PNG does not compress photos as tightly.
How do I convert many HEIC files to PNG at once?
Select them all in the file picker (or drag the whole selection onto the box), up to 50 at a time. Each one is converted in turn, and Download all saves them as one ZIP file.
Can I convert HEIC to PNG on my iPhone?
Yes. Open this page in Safari, tap Choose HEIC files, pick images from your library or the Files app, and wait for the list to finish. Then tap Save to Photos to put the PNGs in your photo library, or Download to save them in Files.
Does the PNG keep the EXIF data and location?
No. The PNG is a new file with only the pixels, so the date, camera details and GPS location from the HEIC are not included. Keep the original HEIC if you need that information.
What about .heif files and photos from Android phones?
HEIF is the same container format, and many Samsung and other Android phones can save pictures as .heif or .heic. You convert them the same way. The converter opens both, and also .hif files from some cameras.
Why does my file show an error?
The message next to the file says what went wrong. Usually it is not a HEIC image, is damaged, or is too large for the browser's memory; very large photos convert more reliably in a desktop browser.