Convert HEIC to PNG

Chrome and Firefox don't ship a HEIC decoder, so the tool above can't read the file on this browser. That's a limitation of the browser, not of img-compress — here's what actually works instead.

Why can't I use the tool here?

Reading a HEIC file depends on a licensed video codec (HEVC) that Chrome and Firefox don't ship, for patent-licensing reasons outside img-compress's control. Two ways around it:

iPhoneExport straight from Photos

Open the photo on the iPhone that took it, tap Share → Save to Files — iOS hands you a JPEG copy. If you specifically need PNG (for a lossless file, or an upload form that requires it), run that JPEG through img-compress's JPG to PNG converter next. To stop hitting this at all, go to Settings → Camera → Formats and switch to "Most Compatible."

Mac / iPhoneOpen this page in Safari

Safari reads HEIC natively, so opening this same page there gets you straight to a working PNG converter, no extra step.

Why PNG instead of JPG here?

PNG keeps every pixel from the decoded HEIC exactly as it was, with no further compression loss — useful if you're about to edit the photo further, or a platform specifically asks for a lossless upload. JPG is the better default for a photo you're just posting or sending somewhere, since it's smaller with no visible difference; this converter is for the narrower case where PNG is actually the requirement.

The Safari-only limitation is the same one that affects HEIC to JPG: Chrome and Firefox never licensed the HEVC codec HEIC photos are compressed with, so they can't read the file at all, regardless of which format you're converting it to.

Why won't my iPhone photos upload? →How to open a HEIC file on Windows →

Where a PNG will actually open

A PNG of a decoded HEIC photo is dramatically larger — often five to ten times the original file. PNG stores every pixel exactly, and a photograph is millions of pixels that don't repeat, which is the one thing lossless compression cannot do much with.

If you only need the photo to open somewhere, JPG is the better conversion and this one is overkill. The case for PNG is narrower: something downstream specifically demands a lossless file, or you're about to edit and don't want a second round of lossy compression baked in before you start.

Editors and design tools that expect a lossless source
Upload forms that take PNG but reject HEIC
Windows, with no HEIF or HEVC extensions installed
Workflows where you'll add transparency later

Starting an edit from an iPhone photo

This is the one case where PNG genuinely beats JPG here. Every time a JPG is opened, changed and saved again it goes through another lossy pass, and those passes accumulate visibly over a few rounds. A PNG doesn't, so it's a safe working format while you're still making changes.

Export back to JPG or WebP once you're finished. Keeping the final image as a PNG just ships a file several times larger than it needs to be to whoever views it.

Transparency isn't why you'd do this

PNG supports transparency and HEIC photos don't have any, so converting cannot add it. You'll get a fully opaque PNG — the format's capability isn't the same as the image gaining one.

If you need a transparent background you need an editor that can cut one out. No format conversion produces transparency that wasn't in the source.

FAQ

Why is the PNG so much bigger than the HEIC?

Because it stores every pixel exactly instead of compressing them away. HEIC uses modern lossy compression tuned for photographs; PNG uses lossless compression that works well on flat colour and poorly on photographic detail. A five- to ten-fold increase is normal, not a sign anything went wrong.

Should I just convert to JPG instead?

Usually, yes. If the goal is simply that the photo opens on a Windows PC or uploads to a site that rejects HEIC, JPG does that at a fraction of the size with no visible difference. Choose PNG only when something specifically requires a lossless file.

Why does this only work in Safari?

Reading a HEIC file needs the HEVC codec, which Chrome and Firefox never licensed for patent reasons outside our control. Safari ships it, so the same page works there. It's a browser limitation, not something img-compress can work around.