WINDOWS PHOTO HELP · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16, 2026

How to open HEIC files on Windows

Try opening the file in Windows Photos first. If codec support is missing, install the Microsoft HEIF and HEVC extensions that your PC needs. Alternatively, make a JPG copy for apps that do not accept HEIC. Opening the original and converting it are two different solutions.

Option 1: open the original in Windows Photos

Right-click the HEIC file, choose Open with, and select Photos. If it displays correctly, no conversion is needed.
If Photos requests an extension, open the Microsoft Store and look for HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions, published by Microsoft Corporation. HEIC photos can need both even though one extension has “Video” in its name.
Check the Store’s requirements and current price before installing. Some PCs already have support; HEVC may require a purchase. Do not assume every Windows installation includes it.
Close and reopen Photos after installation, then try the original file again.

Microsoft’s extension guidance documents this approach for Photos on Windows 10. App screens and installed support can differ on Windows 11; follow the current Store listing for your device. For Photoshop specifically, Adobe also documents installing both Windows codecs.

Option 2: create a JPG copy for compatibility

Conversion is useful when a website, email recipient, or other app specifically needs JPG. It changes the file you share; it does not install HEIC support across Windows.

Open PicPropper’s HEIC to JPG tool and select the photo. The site’s decoder runs in your browser, without requiring the Windows Store codecs.
Leave the size limit off for ordinary conversion, or use HEIC to JPG under 2MB when that is your destination’s actual limit.
Convert, download the JPG, and open the downloaded file to check orientation, colors, and detail. Keep your HEIC original.

Selected images stay on your device during PicPropper conversion. The copy contains the primary still image in 8-bit color; source GPS/EXIF metadata, HDR gain maps, depth data, and associated video are not retained. JPG is lossy. Use PNG conversion when the destination needs PNG, accepting potentially larger files. See the privacy details.

Another option if you have access to a Mac

Apple’s Photos or Preview can export a HEIF image as JPEG or PNG through File → Export. Apple describes this in its media compatibility guide. You can then transfer the exported copy to the PC.

If the photo still will not open

Only one file fails: try another HEIC from the same source. Copy the failing original again and check it opens on the source device; a conversion tool cannot repair every incomplete or damaged file.
Photos opens it but another app does not: that app may have separate format requirements. Check its support documentation or supply a JPG copy.
The Store is restricted: ask your organization’s administrator about approved codecs. Use conversion only if your organization permits the tool.
You renamed it to .jpg: restore the correct extension and use a real export or conversion. Renaming does not change the file’s contents.

For format basics, read what a HEIC file is. For choosing what to keep or share, see HEIC vs JPG.