Quality guide
Convert HEIC to JPG without noticeable quality loss
What actually happens to your photo in the conversion, which settings to use, and when JPG is the wrong target format.
Honest answer: HEIC to JPG cannot be mathematically lossless, because JPEG is a lossy format. What you can do is make the loss invisible: start from the original HEIC, export once at a high quality setting (90–95), keep the resolution unchanged, and keep the colour profile intact.
Convert your HEIC photos to JPG now
Open the HEIC to JPG converterFree, no signup. Processing happens in your browser.The four things that decide quality
| Factor | What it controls | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Source file | How much detail exists before you start | Convert the original HEIC, never a screenshot or a photo already re-shared through an app |
| Quality setting | How aggressively JPEG discards fine detail | 90–95 is the practical sweet spot; above 95 files grow fast for no visible gain |
| Resolution | Pixel dimensions | Keep it unchanged. Never "resize while converting" unless you need a smaller file |
| Colour profile | How colours are interpreted | Keep the embedded profile (iPhone photos are usually Display P3). A dropped profile is the most common cause of "washed out" conversions |
Start with the original HEIC file
Every extra export removes detail before your conversion even starts. A photo that has been through a messaging app, resized by an email client, or captured as a screenshot is already a lower-quality source. Use the file straight from the camera roll or the photo library.
Use a high JPEG quality setting
JPEG quality is a 1–100 scale that trades file size for detail:
| JPEG quality | Typical use | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 95–100 | Archival, printing | Largest files, negligible visible gain over 95 |
| 90–95 | Photos you may print or edit again | No visible loss at normal viewing sizes — the usual choice |
| 80–89 | Web, email, social uploads | Smaller files, fine for screen use |
| Below 75 | Thumbnails, quick previews | Visible blocking in gradients, skies and low light |
In Preview the Quality slider is relative rather than numbered; for sips use -s formatOptions 90, and for ImageMagick use -quality 90.
Convert once, then share copies
The most common way people damage photo quality is not the first conversion — it is the fifth. Each open-and-save cycle recompresses the file and adds artifacts. The workflow that avoids it:
| Good workflow | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Original HEIC → one high-quality JPG export → share copies of that JPG | Screenshot → shared copy → repeated JPG saves |
Resolution and compression are different things
Resolution is the number of pixels in the image. Compression controls how those pixels are stored. A JPG can keep exactly the same pixel dimensions as the HEIC and still lose a small amount of fine detail through compression. That is why "the photo is the same size on screen but the file looks softer" is normal, and why resizing down during conversion is a much bigger loss than the compression itself.
When JPG is the wrong format
- Screenshots, diagrams, logos and text-heavy images. JPEG is poor at sharp edges and flat colour, and can add visible ringing around text. PNG is lossless and usually smaller for these images.
- Images you will edit repeatedly. Convert to PNG, TIFF or keep the HEIC and export a JPG only for the final delivery.
- Transparency. JPEG has none. If the image needs a transparent background, use PNG.
- Print at large sizes. Keep the HEIC (or a PNG/TIFF export) as the master and use the JPG for sharing.
Check the result before deleting anything
- Open the JPG at 100% zoom and compare it with the original side by side.
- Look at the difficult areas: faces, text, sharp edges, smooth gradients such as skies, and shadows in low-light photos.
- Check the colours, especially reds and skin tones, if the conversion was done by a tool that may drop the colour profile.
- Check the metadata if the date, camera details or location matter to you.
- Keep the original HEIC. Always. It is your master copy and the only way to re-export later.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert HEIC to JPG without losing quality?
Not losslessly — JPEG is a lossy format. At a quality setting of 90–95, with the resolution unchanged and the colour profile kept, the difference is not visible in normal photos.
Why is the JPG file bigger than the HEIC?
HEIC compresses photos more efficiently at the same visual quality. A high-quality JPG often uses two to three times the storage. That is expected, not a sign that something went wrong.
What is the best JPEG quality setting?
90–95 for photos you might print or edit again, and 80–89 for images that will only be viewed on screen. Above 95 the files grow quickly with no visible benefit.
Does converting to JPG lose the photo's location and date?
Not with macOS built-in tools or ImageMagick, which carry EXIF data into the JPG. Some browser converters strip metadata, so check one file if the date or location matters.
Why does my converted photo look washed out?
The colour profile was dropped. iPhone photos are usually captured in Display P3, and if the JPG has no profile, software assumes sRGB and the colours shift. Re-convert with a tool that preserves the profile, such as Preview or sips.
Is PNG better than JPG for iPhone photos?
For photographs, no: PNG files would be several times larger with no visible quality advantage. PNG wins for screenshots, text, graphics and anything needing transparency.
Can converting increase image detail?
No. A new format cannot restore detail that is not present in the source file. It can only preserve what is there or lose some of it.