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HEIC to WebP Converter

HEIC is what iPhones shoot by default, and almost nothing outside Apple opens it reliably. Converting to WebP gives you files roughly 25–35% smaller than JPG at the same visual quality — ideal for websites. HEVC carries patent licensing, and that has kept native support thin outside Apple. Windows needs a paid codec extension from the Microsoft Store, Android support is inconsistent, and no browser displays HEIC — so uploads to web forms tend to fail outright. Images going onto a website, where the 25–35% saving over JPEG is bandwidth and Core Web Vitals rather than an abstraction. Drop your files below; everything runs locally through the Canvas API, with no upload, no size limit and no account. Check where the result has to open before you commit to a batch — every current browser reads WebP, but desktop and office software is patchier, so it is a format to publish in rather than to hand to somebody.

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Private: files never leave your device

What an HEIC file actually is

HEIC is a HEIF container holding HEVC-compressed stills. It stores roughly the same visible quality as JPEG in about half the space, and it can hold extras a JPEG cannot: depth maps, edit history, and the paired frames behind Live Photos.

Every iPhone since iOS 11 in 2017 shoots HEIC by default. Files reach other people through AirDrop, direct copies off the device, or an iCloud download that skips Apple's automatic conversion — which is why the problem usually appears at the moment of sharing.

What you get from WebP

WebP output uses lossy compression with a quality control, but unlike JPEG it can keep an alpha channel at the same time — one format for photographs and for graphics with transparency.

Every current browser reads WebP; Safari joined in version 14 in 2020, which was the last real holdout. Desktop applications are patchier, so it is a format to publish in rather than to archive in.

What changes when you convert HEIC to WebP

Both formats are lossy, so this is a re-encode rather than a copy: the HEIC is decoded to pixels and those pixels are compressed again as WebP. Detail the original already discarded cannot come back, and the second pass removes a little more. One generation at a sensible quality is not something you will notice, and WebP's efficiency means the result usually lands close to or below the original's size — a rare case where re-encoding does not cost you space.

There is no transparency to preserve — HEIC files do not carry an alpha channel, so every pixel is opaque to begin with. Converting to a format that supports transparency does not create any; it only means you could add it later in an editor.

Going from HEIC to WebP keeps you in modern-codec territory rather than falling back to JPEG, so file sizes stay closer to what the iPhone produced. The trade is where the result can be used: HEIC fails almost everywhere outside Apple, and WebP succeeds almost everywhere inside a browser — but neither is a safe bet for someone else's desktop software, which is what JPG is for.

Frequently asked questions

Is this HEIC to WebP converter really free and private?

Yes. Conversion happens entirely in your browser using the Canvas API — your iPhone HEIC photos are never uploaded to a server, there is no file limit, no watermark and no sign-up.

Can I convert multiple HEIC files at once?

Yes — drop any number of files and they convert in one batch. Use "Download all" to save the results as a single ZIP.

Why does my iPhone save photos as HEIC?

Apple uses HEIC because it halves file size at the same quality. To make your iPhone shoot JPG directly, go to Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible.

Does converting HEIC to WebP lose quality?

Both formats are lossy, so this is a re-encode rather than a copy: the HEIC is decoded to pixels and those pixels are compressed again as WebP. Detail the original already discarded cannot come back, and the second pass removes a little more. One generation at a sensible quality is not something you will notice, and WebP's efficiency means the result usually lands close to or below the original's size — a rare case where re-encoding does not cost you space.

Will a WebP file open on every device?

In a browser, yes — every current browser has supported WebP since Safari 14 in 2020. Outside the browser it is less certain: older desktop editors, some print workflows and a number of CMS uploaders still reject it. Use WebP for the web and JPG or PNG for anything you are handing to someone else.

Can I stop my iPhone producing HEIC in the first place?

Yes — Settings, then Camera, then Formats, then Most Compatible makes the camera shoot JPG directly. You trade roughly double the file size for files that open anywhere without a conversion step.

Related conversions

JPG → WebPPNG → WebPHEIC → JPGHEIC → PNGHEIC → ICOAVIF → WebP

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