What each format is
JPG, formally JPEG, dates from the early 1990s. It compresses photographs with a lossy method and has been supported by essentially every device, browser and program since.
HEIC is a file using the HEIF container and HEVC (H.265) video compression. Apple made it the default camera format with iOS 11, so most modern iPhone photos are HEIC.
Key differences
- File size: HEIC usually stores a photo in less space than JPG at similar visual quality.
- Colour: HEIC can hold wider colour and more than 8 bits per channel; standard JPG is 8-bit.
- Extras: HEIC can contain several images, depth data and transparency. JPG holds one opaque image.
- Compatibility: JPG opens almost anywhere. HEIC needs OS or app support, and most web browsers cannot display it.
- Licensing: HEVC involves patents, which is one reason support is uneven outside Apple platforms.
When to convert HEIC to JPG
Convert when you must share or upload a photo and the receiving side cannot read HEIC: job applications, government portals, older Windows PCs, some printers and many websites.
You do not need to convert for storage on an iPhone or Mac. Keep the HEIC original and convert copies when needed.
What you give up
Converting to JPG is lossy, so a little detail goes, and the file often grows because JPG is less efficient. Wide-gamut colour is squeezed into standard sRGB, and extras such as depth information are dropped. For ordinary viewing the result looks the same.