Key takeaways
- iCloud.com has three download options: Unmodified Originals ("format as captured or imported"), Highest Resolution ("typically HEIC or H.265") and Most Compatible ("JPEG or MP4/H.264"). Open More Download Options to pick one. You can select up to 1,000 items at a time. Apple does not say what format or packaging a multi-item download uses.
- OneDrive's iOS app uploads HEIF in the original format, and Microsoft's only documented route to JPG uploads is the iPhone's own Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. OneDrive lists HEIC among the images it previews, with a 100 MB limit for thumbnails and previews.
- Dropbox has a real setting: in camera uploads, Save HEIC Photos as. It is not retroactive. Dropbox previews .heic on dropbox.com up to 100 MB or 50 megapixels, but its mobile-app list of previewable images omits it.
- Box lists heic as a previewable type (500 MB limit) and documents no conversion. None of OneDrive, Dropbox or Box documents a "download as JPG", so convert on your computer.
- Uploading converted JPGs creates new items, not replacements: Apple says photos uploaded to iCloud.com are added to iCloud Photos. Convert into a separate folder.
On this page
- Does iCloud Photos keep HEIC as HEIC?
- How do I download HEIC as JPG from iCloud?
- Can I upload HEIC to iCloud Photos?
- Does OneDrive support HEIC, and can it convert to JPG?
- Does Dropbox support HEIC, and how do I upload JPG instead?
- Does Box support HEIC?
- Why do I have both a HEIC and a JPG of the same photo?
- Do HEIC photos take less cloud storage than JPG?
- How do I convert a whole cloud library to JPG without uploading it anywhere?
- Which download option or fix should I use?
- What the services do not document
Does iCloud Photos keep HEIC as HEIC?
Yes, as far as Apple documents it. Set up and use iCloud Photos (opens in a new tab) says photos and videos "are stored in iCloud in their original formats at full resolution" and lists HEIF, JPEG, RAW, PNG, GIF, TIFF, HEVC and MP4. The page says HEIF, not HEIC; HEIC is the HEIF-with-HEVC flavour an iPhone writes (see HEIC vs HEIF). Apple's sync troubleshooting page (opens in a new tab) lists the same types as supported.
With Optimise Storage on, your device keeps smaller versions while iCloud holds the full-resolution original. If you then try to convert files on that phone or Mac, you may be converting a small stand-in, not the original. Download the originals first (next section). Apple does not document any setting that converts photos to JPG as they upload.
How do I download HEIC as JPG from iCloud?
On iCloud.com, choose the Most Compatible download option. Apple's download page (opens in a new tab) describes it as "JPEG or MP4/H.264". Apple's iCloud.com guide (opens in a new tab) says that by default photos "are downloaded in the most compatible format for the device you're currently using" and does not say what that is on a Windows PC or an Android phone, so pick the option yourself.
- 01
Open iCloud.com/photos and select photos
Sign in with your Apple Account. On a Mac or PC, hold Command (Mac) or Ctrl (PC) to select several. On an iPhone or iPad, tap Select first. Apple allows up to 1,000 items at a time.
- 02
Open More Download Options
On a computer, click the More button, then More Download Options. On an iPhone or iPad, tap More, then More Download Options.
- 03
Choose Most Compatible, then Download
Most Compatible is the JPEG option. Check the extensions of what arrives: Apple does not document how a multi-item download is packaged or whether every item follows your choice.
| Option | What Apple says | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Unmodified Originals | "format as captured or imported" | You want the exact files, HEIC included, to archive or edit. |
| Highest Resolution | "best quality for your device; typically HEIC or H.265" | You are staying on Apple devices and want full quality. |
| Most Compatible | "JPEG or MP4/H.264" | The photos are going to something that rejects HEIC. |
Source: Apple Support, Download iCloud photos and videos (page published 10 April 2026). Checked 12 October 2026.
From iCloud for Windows
Apple's Set up Photos in iCloud for Windows (opens in a new tab) stores photos in C:\Users\[username]\Pictures\iCloud Photos\Photos and says: "Optionally, select Download High-Efficiency format photos and videos or Download HDR videos" (iCloud for Windows 14.2 or later). It does not say what you get when the box is unticked, so check the extensions after a sync. Photos show as thumbnails in File Explorer until you double-click one to download it (Apple (opens in a new tab)). If HEIC thumbnails stay blank, see HEIC thumbnails not showing.
From the Photos app on a Mac
In Photos, go to Settings > iCloud and choose Download Originals to this Mac (Apple (opens in a new tab)). Then select photos and choose File > Export > Export [number] Photos, and set Photo Kind to JPEG, which Apple describes as creating "small files suitable for use with websites and other photo apps" (Apple (opens in a new tab)). Our Mac guide covers the other Mac routes.
Can I upload HEIC to iCloud Photos?
Yes. From an iPhone, iPad or Mac, turning on iCloud Photos uploads the library automatically. From a computer, iCloud.com lets you upload "photos and videos in multiple formats" to your personal library, albums and shared albums, then select the files and click Upload (Apple (opens in a new tab)). That page names no formats, so whether a given .heic is accepted from a browser is not documented there; Apple's list of supported types does include HEIF.
Does OneDrive support HEIC, and can it convert to JPG?
OneDrive stores HEIC and previews it on the web; Microsoft documents no conversion on its side. Upload HEIF and HEVC photos and videos to OneDrive (opens in a new tab) says "OneDrive for iOS uploads High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) photos in their original format, instead of uploading them as JPG", to preserve quality and save storage space, and adds that some iOS devices no longer offer the option to save images as JPG. You can view HEIF and HEVC files on the OneDrive website in any browser.
- Preview: Microsoft's preview list (opens in a new tab) names HEIC and HEIF among images. OneDrive.com shows thumbnails or previews only if the image is under 100 MB (about 12000 x 8000 pixels).
- JPG on upload: the only route documented is the iPhone's Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible (Microsoft (opens in a new tab)). It affects new photos only and, Microsoft notes, is missing on some devices.
- JPG on download: not documented. Selecting several items downloads one .zip, with stated limits of 250 GB per file and 10,000 files (Microsoft (opens in a new tab)).
- Camera roll upload on iOS is one-way and to one account at a time, and Microsoft says "OneDrive cannot upload photos optimized for iCloud", with the fix of turning iCloud Photos off in iOS Settings > Photos (Microsoft (opens in a new tab)). If you use iCloud Photos, check that guide before relying on OneDrive for the same library.
Downloaded HEIC files can still fail to open on Windows without the Store codecs; see open HEIC on Windows. OneDrive files that show a blue cloud are online-only: Microsoft says a file "doesn't download to your device until you open it" (Files On-Demand (opens in a new tab)), so make a folder available offline before converting it.
Does Dropbox support HEIC, and how do I upload JPG instead?
Dropbox supports HEIC, and its camera uploads have a setting that saves JPG instead. Dropbox's HEIF page (opens in a new tab) (updated 3 March 2025) says Dropbox supports photos stored in HEIF (.heic) and that, with camera uploads on, you can set HEIF files to upload as JPG. It does not state which is the default.
- 01
Turn on camera uploads
The setting is not shown until camera uploads are enabled.
- 02
Open the setting
Dropbox's steps are: open the Dropbox app, tap the person icon, tap the gear icon, tap Camera Uploads, then select Save HEIC Photos as. Its camera uploads page describes different menu paths on iOS and Android, so look for the same label if yours differs.
- 03
Read the caveats
The option appears only if the device has a HEIF or HEVC file. Dropbox warns that "converting a file to JPG will remove some features of HEIF files" and that changing it "won't affect files that were already uploaded".
For a phone you connect to a computer, Dropbox points to the iPhone's own Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC, where Automatic imports the JPG or non-HEVC version and Keep Originals imports the HEIF. For preview, the desktop list (opens in a new tab) (updated 27 August 2026, paid users) includes .heic up to 100 MB or 50 megapixels. The mobile-app list (opens in a new tab) (updated 12 June 2025) omits .heic from its images, but says "all files supported by your device preview in the Dropbox app". Dropbox documents no JPG download.
Does Box support HEIC?
Box previews it. Box's list of file types supported in Content Preview (opens in a new tab) includes 'heic' (not 'heif') under Images, for files up to 500 MB, in the web and mobile apps. Its developer documentation lists .heic with thumbnails (opens in a new tab). Neither page says what Box does to a HEIC when it is uploaded or downloaded, and we found no Box setting that converts to JPG, so treat Box as store-and-preview only.
Why do I have both a HEIC and a JPG of the same photo?
Usually because something made a copy and the cloud kept both. The causes the help pages support:
- You uploaded a converted copy. iCloud adds uploads as new items.
- You changed the setting late. Dropbox says its HEIC setting does not touch files already uploaded, so a folder can hold both kinds.
None of the pages we read says what a service does when IMG_1234.HEIC and IMG_1234.JPG meet in one folder. Different extensions are different files, so we expect both to be kept, but that is our inference, not documentation. The safe pattern is to convert into a new folder and upload the JPGs there.
Do HEIC photos take less cloud storage than JPG?
Usually, a little. Microsoft gives "save storage space" as the reason OneDrive uploads HEIF unchanged but states no figure, and Apple, Dropbox and Box state none. In our own test of 25 photos, a HEIC matching a JPEG saved at quality 85 needed a median 82% of its bytes, so the JPEG was about a fifth larger; it ranged from 0.47x to 1.33x for photographs, so a few came out larger as HEIC. Keeping both formats of a library roughly doubles what it uses.
How do I convert a whole cloud library to JPG without uploading it anywhere?
Bring the originals onto your computer, convert them there, and put the JPGs where you need them. Our converters decode the file in your browser tab with WebAssembly and save the result to your disk; nothing is sent to a server, which matters when the folder is a family archive or a set of ID photos. You can confirm it by watching your browser's network panel during a run.
- 01
Get the originals on the computer
iCloud: Download Originals to this Mac, the iCloud for Windows folder, or iCloud.com with Unmodified Originals. OneDrive: mark the folder as always kept on the device, or select files on the web and download the .zip. Dropbox and Box: use the desktop app or the web download. Unzip any archive.
- 02
Drop the folder on the batch converter
Open the batch converter in a desktop browser and drag the folder in. It picks up every .heic and .heif, subfolders included. Choose JPG, PNG or WebP.
- 03
Work in runs of 50
A run takes up to 50 files or 500 MB, and a single file over 100 MB or 100 megapixels is rejected. A damaged file is listed in an error report and the rest still convert.
- 04
Upload the JPGs to a new folder
Do not overwrite the HEICs. Our converters keep the capture date by default and leave GPS out unless you switch it on, so the JPGs sort by when they were taken, but they do not carry every EXIF field. Keep the HEICs if you want the full metadata.
Try it here
Convert a downloaded HEIC to JPG
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Which download option or fix should I use?
| Situation | Do this | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| JPGs from iCloud.com | More Download Options > Most Compatible. | Check the extensions; packaging of multi-item downloads is not documented. |
| A site rejects the HEIC you downloaded | Convert it with HEIC to JPG. | See HEIC upload not supported for what each site accepts. |
| No more HEIC from an iPhone | Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. | New photos only; larger files; missing on some devices per Microsoft. |
| Dropbox camera uploads as JPG | Camera Uploads > Save HEIC Photos as. | Not retroactive; some HEIF features are lost. |
| A folder in OneDrive, Dropbox or Box | Download it, then the batch converter. | No JPG download is documented by any of the three. |
What the services do not document
- Apple: the format and packaging of a multi-item download from iCloud.com; which formats the iCloud.com uploader accepts; what iCloud for Windows downloads when its High-Efficiency box is unticked; whether iCloud.com shows a HEIC preview in every browser.
- Microsoft: any JPG option on OneDrive download; whether the OneDrive web uploader or Windows PC folder backup converts HEIC; thumbnails for HEIC in File Explorer on Windows 11 (the preview page mentions Windows 10 Files On-Demand only).
- Dropbox: which format camera uploads use by default; a JPG option on download; whether manual uploads honour the HEIC setting.
- Box: any conversion on upload or download; HEIF as a previewable type (only 'heic' is listed).
- All four: how duplicates behave when a HEIC and its converted JPG sit side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Try it yourself
Related reading
- HEIC in Google Photos, Drive, Docs and Messages
- Why iPhone photos are HEIC, and how to change it
- HEIC vs JPG: file size and quality, measured
- Open HEIC on Windows 10 and 11: what works
- Convert HEIC to JPG on Mac: every built-in way
- HEIC upload not supported
- HEIC thumbnails not showing
- Why a HEIC file won't open
Sources
- Set up and use iCloud Photos — Apple Support, checked
- If your iCloud Photos aren't syncing or syncing with iCloud is paused — Apple Support, checked
- Download iCloud photos and videos — Apple Support, checked
- Upload and download photos on iCloud.com — Apple Support, checked
- Set up Photos in iCloud for Windows — Apple Support, checked
- Download and view iCloud Photos on your Windows computer — Apple Support, checked
- Export photos, videos, slideshows and memories in Photos on Mac — Apple Support, checked
- Upload HEIF and HEVC photos and videos to OneDrive — Microsoft Support, checked
- Convert an HEIC image file (OneDrive) — Microsoft Support, checked
- File types supported for previewing files in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams — Microsoft Support, checked
- Automatically save photos and videos with OneDrive on iOS — Microsoft Support, checked
- Download files and folders from OneDrive or SharePoint — Microsoft Support, checked
- Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows — Microsoft Support, checked
- Photos app Video Editor error: Can't view this file type — Microsoft Support, checked
- Support for HEIF (.heic) and HEVC photo and video files — Dropbox Help Center, checked
- What types of files can I preview in Dropbox? — Dropbox Help Center, checked
- What types of files can I preview in the Dropbox mobile app? — Dropbox Help Center, checked
- How to use camera and mobile device uploads — Dropbox Help Center, checked
- Viewing Different File Types Supported in Box Content Preview — Box Support, checked
- Supported File Types (representations API) — Box Developer Documentation, checked
How we research and correct: editorial policy.
Written by the heic.fyi team · Last updated: · Spotted an error? Tell us.