HEIC to PNG Converter

Why Convert HEIC to PNG Instead of Keeping It as HEIC?

HEIC is Apple’s default photo format, built on the same patent-licensed HEVC compression used for 4K video, and most non-Apple software either can’t open it or needs an extra plugin to try. PNG is a lossless, license-free format that opens in essentially any image editor, with no extra software required.

Common Situations Where You Need a HEIC to PNG Converter

This comes up most when an iPhone photo needs to go into a design tool like Photoshop or GIMP for editing, since those programs generally expect a standard format like PNG or JPG rather than HEIC. It’s also common when a photo needs a transparent background added — a step that starts with a format PNG can actually hold.

What Is a HEIC File, and Why Does It Cause Problems?

HEIC is the file extension Apple uses for photos in the HEIF format, chosen because it stores more detail than JPG in a smaller file size using HEVC’s patent-licensed video compression. That efficiency works well inside Apple’s own ecosystem, but the licensing is exactly why so much non-Apple software never added support for it.

How ToolFlexy’s HEIC to PNG Converter Works

Drag and drop your HEIC or HEIF photo into the converter and download a lossless PNG, with no sign-up and no watermark. The conversion happens directly in your browser, so your original photo is never uploaded to a server.

Does Converting HEIC to PNG Lose Any Quality?

No — PNG is lossless, so it preserves exactly the detail present in the HEIC file at the moment of conversion. Keep in mind the PNG will be a noticeably larger file than the HEIC was, since you’re trading HEIC’s efficient compression for PNG’s universal compatibility.

Tips for the Best Results When You Convert HEIC to PNG

If file size matters more than lossless quality for your use case, JPG will give you a much smaller, still widely compatible result. Use PNG specifically when you plan to edit the photo further or need it to support transparency down the line.

HEIC to PNG: Expect a Noticeably Bigger File

HEIC’s HEVC-based compression is significantly more efficient than PNG’s lossless method, so converting from HEIC to PNG typically multiplies the file size several times over, even though no visual detail is added or lost in the process. This is simply the cost of moving to a format that essentially every image editor and older piece of software can open.

If the large file size becomes a problem, converting instead to our HEIC to JPG converter keeps the result much smaller while still working almost everywhere. Apple’s HEIC format and its relationship to the broader HEIF standard is explained on Wikipedia.

As a concrete example, a 2 MB HEIC photo from an iPhone can turn into an 8 to 12 MB PNG once converted, since you’re moving from one of the most efficient common formats to one of the least. This is worth knowing before converting a large batch, since storage can fill up quickly.

Apple’s own Photos app can export directly to JPG or PNG without third-party software, which is worth knowing if you only need to convert one or two photos occasionally.

If you’re clearing out a whole camera roll export, the batch option converts up to 100 HEIC photos in one pass, all processed locally without ever leaving your device.

This is also the safer choice before archiving a photo long-term, since PNG’s lossless, openly documented format is unlikely to become unreadable the way some proprietary formats eventually do.

Looking for a different format? Browse all of our free online file converters in one place.