HEIC to PNG or HEIC to JPG: which one do you need?
Both formats open everywhere, but they serve different goals. PNG is lossless, so it is the better master copy when you plan to edit, crop several times or layer graphics on top. JPG is lossy and far smaller, which suits quick sharing.
| Your plan | Better output |
|---|---|
| Editing in Photoshop, GIMP, Canva or Figma | PNG |
| Adding captions, arrows or stickers | PNG |
| Sending by email or chat | JPG |
| Uploading to a form with a size limit | JPG |
If you only want to share or upload a picture, the HEIC to JPG converter gives you much lighter files.
Why the PNG is bigger than your HEIC photo
HEIC uses modern lossy compression that is very efficient for camera photos. PNG uses lossless compression, which works best on graphics with flat areas of color. Real photos have grain and fine texture, so they do not shrink much as PNG.
As a result, a PNG made from an iPhone photo is often several times larger than the HEIC original. That is expected. No detail was added, the file simply keeps every pixel without throwing anything away.
When the editing is done, you can make the final version lighter. Run it through Compress PNG, or export a JPG copy for sharing.
A simple workflow for editing iPhone photos
- Copy the HEIC photos to your computer by cable, AirDrop or a cloud folder.
- Convert them here to PNG and keep those files as your working copies.
- Edit, crop or annotate the PNG in your favorite app. Saving it again and again will not add blur.
- Export the finished image to the format the destination needs.
Keep the original HEIC files too. They still hold the capture details, such as date and location, which the PNG copies leave out.
Only need part of the picture? Trim it with Crop Image before you start editing. A smaller canvas keeps the PNG lighter and your editor faster.
