How to convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac.
Three honest methods — from the built-in one-off to bulk conversion by rename.
Your iPhone shoots HEIC to save space; the rest of the world still runs on JPG. macOS can convert without any extra software — it's just slow at scale. Here's each method and when it's the right one.
1Preview (built in — fine for one photo)
- Open the HEIC in Preview.
- File → Export…, set Format to JPEG and pick a quality.
- Save. Repeat for every photo — which is the catch.
Perfect for a single photo; painful for a folder.
2Quick Action (built in — good for a handful)
- Select the HEIC files in Finder.
- Right-click → Quick Actions → Convert Image.
- Choose JPEG and a size; converted copies appear alongside.
Handles batches, but buries the options in a submenu and always makes copies you'll clean up later.
3Rename with RenameTo (bulk, in place)
- Select all the photos in Finder — a whole shoot if you like.
- Rename to .jpg (Finder's multi-rename or one by one) and press Return.
- Each photo converts in place; the original is backed up before processing.
The fastest at any scale, and the only method where the files end up named and placed exactly where you want them.
RenameTo treats the extension you type as the instruction: photo.heic renamed to photo.jpg simply becomes a JPG, right where it lives. No export dialogs, no duplicate copies to tidy up.
Questions? Answers.
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