HEIC to PNG Converter Online
iPhones save photos in HEIC by default. That works fine on Apple devices, but the moment you try to upload one to a website, drop it into Figma, or send it to someone on Windows, things break.
This tool converts your HEIC or HEIF file into a PNG in seconds. No account needed, no watermark, nothing to install.
Quick answer
HEIC is Apple's default photo format. PNG is lossless, transparent-friendly, and accepted everywhere. Upload your file, click convert, download the PNG. The tool tries to run in your browser so your photos stay on your device.
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. Apple introduced it in iOS 11 as a replacement for JPG. The idea was simple: store more photo detail in a smaller file.
A typical iPhone photo in JPG is 4–6 MB. The same shot in HEIC is usually 2–3 MB. For a phone with 64 GB of storage, that difference adds up across thousands of photos.
The downside is compatibility. HEIC is Apple-first. Windows doesn't open it without a paid codec from the Microsoft Store. Many web apps reject the extension outright. Design tools like Figma or older versions of Photoshop won't touch it. Apple's own support page recommends converting when you share photos outside the Apple ecosystem.
What is PNG?
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics. It's been around since 1996 and runs on virtually every device, browser, operating system, and app that handles images.
The key property is lossless compression. When you save a PNG, no pixel data is discarded. Every color, every edge, every fine detail from the original stays intact. JPG discards some data on each save to keep file sizes down. PNG doesn't.
PNG also supports transparency. If you have a logo or a UI screenshot that needs a transparent background, PNG handles that cleanly. JPG can't.
The tradeoff: PNG files are larger. A lossless photo from a 12 MP iPhone camera can be 8–15 MB as a PNG. Fine for editing and design. For emailing vacation photos, JPG is the smarter pick. MDN's image format guide covers the full technical breakdown.
Why convert HEIC to PNG?
Most people run into one of these:
- A website or form rejects the file because it doesn't recognize .heic.
- A colleague on Windows can't open the photo you sent.
- An upload fails in Canva, Notion, Google Slides, or a similar app.
- The image needs to go into a Word document or PowerPoint deck.
- The design workflow requires PNG for clean edges and transparency.
- A product listing or web form only accepts PNG or JPG.
PNG solves all of these. Every major browser, operating system, and app accepts it. Converting once means the file works everywhere.
How to convert HEIC to PNG
The process takes 5–10 seconds depending on file size.
- Upload your HEIC or HEIF file. Drag it into the box above, or click to browse your device. Both .heic and .heif extensions work.
- Click "Convert to PNG". The tool starts processing immediately.
- Preview the result. Check the output before downloading.
- Download the PNG. Click the download button. The file saves to your device.
- Convert another file. Click reset and repeat for the next image.
The converter runs in your browser when possible. If your browser supports it, the conversion happens locally and nothing leaves your device. If not, the tool sends the file to a secure backend, processes it in memory, and returns the PNG. Files are not stored after conversion.
HEIC vs PNG
Here's what actually differs between the two formats.
| Property | HEIC | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Small (2–3 MB typical) | Larger (8–15 MB typical) |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes (limited app support) | Yes (full support) |
| Windows support | Requires paid codec | Built-in everywhere |
| Browser support | Partial (Safari only) | All browsers |
| Editing support | Moderate | Excellent |
| Best for | Storing photos on iPhone | Graphics, editing, web, design |
HEIC is the better choice when storage space on your phone matters. PNG is the better choice when you need a file other people can open and use without friction.
PNG vs JPG: which to use after converting from HEIC?
Both are widely supported, but they serve different jobs.
Use PNG for screenshots, text-heavy graphics, logos, UI mockups, or anything that needs a transparent background. PNG keeps sharp edges sharp. JPG blurs them slightly.
Use JPG for normal photographs where file size matters. Profile photos, blog images, email attachments — JPG works fine there. If you need the JPG version, use our HEIC to JPG Converter. The output is significantly smaller.
Does converting HEIC to PNG lose quality?
No. PNG is lossless, so no pixel data is discarded during conversion. The PNG output contains exactly the same visual information as the HEIC source.
HEIC itself uses lossy compression, so some data was already discarded when your iPhone saved the original photo. Converting to PNG doesn't lose anything further — it locks in whatever was in the HEIC. The PNG file will be larger. That's expected.
Privacy and file safety
The converter tries browser-side processing first. When that works, your file never leaves your device. No upload, no server, nothing transmitted.
When the browser can't handle the file, it's sent to a backend server over HTTPS, converted in memory, and the PNG is returned. No copy is saved. You can verify this in your browser's developer tools under the Network tab.
Common problems and fixes
File won't upload
Check that the extension is .heic or .heif. Files renamed with a different extension fail silently. Also check the file size: the limit is 25 MB. If a file exceeds that, compress or resize it first, then convert.
Converted PNG is very large
Normal. PNG is lossless, so detailed camera photos expand significantly. Run the PNG through an image compressor, or switch to JPG if size matters more than lossless quality.
Target website still rejects the file
Check the site's exact requirements. Some sites have a pixel dimension limit, not just a format requirement. Use an image resizer to match the exact dimensions they need.
Other tools you might need
- HEIC to JPG — smaller file sizes for photos that don't need lossless quality.
- PNG to JPG — compress heavy PNG graphics into lighter JPEG files.
- Image Compressor — shrink any image file size without visible quality loss.
- Image Resizer — change pixel dimensions to match upload requirements.
- WebP to PNG — convert modern WebP images into standard PNG.