How to Convert HEIC to PNG: Complete Guide

HEIC files from your iPhone will not open in most web apps, design tools, or older image editors. Converting to JPG solves that problem for photos, but JPG discards transparency and applies lossy compression. When you need lossless quality or transparent backgrounds, PNG is the correct target format.

This guide covers five methods for converting HEIC to PNG, starting with the fastest option.

When to Choose PNG Over JPG

PNG is the right target format in specific situations. Use it when your HEIC files contain transparency, when you need pixel-perfect accuracy for editing, or when the destination requires lossless image data.

Common scenarios where PNG is the better choice:

• Screenshots and text-heavy images -- lossy JPG compression blurs sharp text edges
• Graphics, logos, and illustrations -- flat-color artwork stays crisp with lossless compression
• Images with transparent backgrounds -- PNG preserves alpha channels; JPG does not support transparency at all
• Source files for further editing -- lossless PNG prevents generational quality loss from repeated saves
• Web development assets -- icons, UI elements, and overlays require transparency support

For everyday photographs where file size matters and transparency is not needed, converting HEIC to JPG produces smaller files. For a detailed format comparison, see the HEIC vs PNG guide.

Method 1: Use HEICify (Browser-Based, Any Device)

The fastest way to convert HEIC to PNG is with HEICify's HEIC to PNG converter. It runs entirely in your browser, requires no installation, and never uploads your files to a server.

Steps:

1. Open HEICify HEIC to PNG converter in any modern browser
2. Drag and drop your HEIC files onto the page, or click to browse and select them
3. Select PNG as the output format
4. Click Convert
5. Download your converted PNG files

Why this method is recommended:

• No installation required -- works in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge on any operating system
• Private by design -- all conversion happens locally using Web Workers. No files leave your device
• Batch support -- drop 50 files at once and convert them all simultaneously
• Lossless output -- PNG conversion preserves every pixel from the original HEIC
• Free -- no account, no file limits, no watermarks

This is the method to use when you need PNG files immediately on any platform.

Method 2: Use Mac Preview (macOS)

Preview on macOS handles HEIC natively and can export directly to PNG without additional software.

Single file:

1. Double-click the HEIC file to open it in Preview
2. Click File in the menu bar
3. Click Export...
4. In the Format dropdown, select PNG
5. Choose a save location and click Save

Multiple files at once:

1. Select all HEIC files in Finder
2. Right-click and choose Open With > Preview
3. Press Cmd+A to select all images in the sidebar
4. Click File > Export Selected Images...
5. Click Options at the bottom of the save dialog
6. Set Format to PNG
7. Choose a destination folder and click Choose

PNG export in Preview has no quality slider because PNG is always lossless. Every pixel is preserved exactly as it appears in the original HEIC file. Preview is a solid option for Mac users who need to convert a handful of files without opening a browser.

Method 3: Use Windows Photos or Paint (Windows 10/11)

Windows does not support HEIC natively, but installing free extensions from the Microsoft Store enables HEIC viewing and conversion.

First, enable HEIC support:

1. Open the Microsoft Store
2. Search for HEIF Image Extensions and install it (free)
3. Search for HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer (this exact name is the free version -- the standard "HEVC Video Extensions" costs about $1)
4. Restart your computer if prompted

Convert using Paint:

1. Right-click the HEIC file and open it with Paint
2. Click File > Save as > PNG picture
3. Choose a location and save

Convert using Photos app:

1. Right-click the HEIC file and open it with Photos
2. Click the three-dot menu
3. Select Save as or Save a copy
4. In the file type dropdown, select PNG
5. Choose a location and save

Paint and Photos both handle one file at a time. For batches of 5 or more files, HEICify's browser-based converter is significantly faster because it processes multiple files in parallel with no per-file save dialogs.

Method 4: Use the Command Line (ImageMagick or libheif)

For developers, system administrators, or anyone processing large volumes of HEIC files, command-line tools offer scriptable batch conversion with full control over output parameters.

Using ImageMagick:

ImageMagick is a widely available open-source image processing toolkit. It supports HEIC input when compiled with libheif or when libheif is installed on the system.

Single file conversion:

magick input.heic output.png

Batch convert all HEIC files in a directory:

for file in *.heic; do magick "$file" "${file%.heic}.png"; done

Using libheif directly:

libheif provides the heif-convert utility, which is purpose-built for HEIC conversion and often faster than ImageMagick for this specific task.

Single file:

heif-convert input.heic output.png

Batch conversion:

for file in *.heic; do heif-convert "$file" "${file%.heic}.png"; done

Installation:

| OS | ImageMagick | libheif | | --- | --- | --- | | macOS | brew install imagemagick | brew install libheif | | Ubuntu/Debian | sudo apt install imagemagick | sudo apt install libheif-examples | | Windows | Download from imagemagick.org | Build from source or use MSYS2 |

Command-line tools are overkill for converting a few photos. They are the right choice when you need to process hundreds or thousands of files, integrate conversion into automated pipelines, or run headless on a server.

Method 5: Use Google Photos (Online)

If your HEIC photos are already backed up to Google Photos, you can download them as PNG through the web interface.

Steps:

1. Open photos.google.com in your browser
2. Select the photo you want to convert
3. Click the three-dot menu in the top right
4. Select Download

Limitations to be aware of:

• Google converts to JPG by default, not PNG. To get PNG, you may need to use Google Takeout and specify PNG as the download format
• This only works for photos already uploaded to Google Photos
• Google may apply compression depending on your storage plan settings
• You cannot control output format or quality for individual downloads
• Batch exports through Google Takeout can take hours to prepare

Google Photos is convenient if your photos are already in the cloud, but it gives you the least control over the output format. For reliable HEIC-to-PNG conversion, a dedicated tool like HEICify provides more predictable results.

Method Comparison

| Method | Best For | Platform | Batch Support | Privacy | Output Control | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | HEICify | Quick conversion, any device | Any (browser) | Yes | Files stay on device | Full | | Mac Preview | Mac users, small batches | macOS | Yes | Local | Format only | | Windows Photos/Paint | Windows users, single files | Windows 10/11 | No | Local | Format only | | Command line | Developers, large batches | macOS, Linux, Windows | Yes (scripted) | Local | Full | | Google Photos | Photos already in Google cloud | Any (browser) | Limited | Cloud-based | Minimal |

Understanding the File Size Trade-Off

Converting HEIC to PNG produces significantly larger files. This is not a flaw in the conversion -- it is a fundamental difference in how the two formats compress data.

HEIC uses the HEVC codec to apply lossy compression, discarding image data that the human eye is unlikely to notice. PNG uses lossless compression, preserving every single pixel exactly.

| Source HEIC Size | Approximate PNG Output | Size Increase | | --- | --- | --- | | 2 MB (12 MP photo) | 15-20 MB | 7-10x | | 3 MB (16 MP photo) | 20-30 MB | 7-10x | | 500 KB (screenshot) | 2-4 MB | 4-8x | | 100 KB (graphic with transparency) | 150-300 KB | 1.5-3x |

The increase is most dramatic for photographs because photo pixels contain complex, non-repeating color data that lossless compression cannot reduce efficiently. For graphics with flat colors and sharp edges, the size increase is much more modest.

If file size is a concern and you do not need transparency or lossless quality, converting to JPG produces files that are 5-10x smaller than PNG.

Tips for Getting the Best Results

• Keep your HEIC originals. Always convert copies. HEIC files are smaller and serve as efficient archival copies of your photos.
• Use PNG only when its features are needed. For photographs destined for social media, email, or web publishing, JPG is the more practical format. Reserve PNG for images requiring transparency, lossless accuracy, or text clarity.
• Check transparency before converting. Not all HEIC files contain transparency data. If your HEIC is a standard photograph with no alpha channel, converting to PNG gives you a much larger file with no benefit over JPG.
• Batch convert when possible. Processing 30 files one at a time through Paint takes 15 minutes. Dropping them all into HEICify takes 30 seconds.
• Name your output files clearly. When maintaining both HEIC originals and PNG copies, use consistent naming conventions like photo-001.heic and photo-001.png to keep pairs matched.

Summary

Converting HEIC to PNG preserves full image quality with lossless compression and maintains transparency data that JPG cannot store. The trade-off is larger file sizes, typically 7-10x bigger than the HEIC originals for photographs.

For the fastest conversion on any device, use HEICify's HEIC to PNG converter. It runs entirely in your browser, handles batch conversion, and never uploads your photos to a server. Mac users can also use Preview, Windows users can use Paint after installing HEIF extensions, and developers can script bulk conversions with ImageMagick or libheif.

Choose PNG when you need transparency, lossless quality, or pixel-perfect accuracy. For everything else, JPG conversion produces smaller, more practical files.