Turn HEIC files into JPEG XL
Turn your HEIC into a JPEG XL. HEIC is what an iPhone saves photos as by default. Your file never leaves your computer.
How to convert HEIC to JPEG XL
- 1 Drop your HEIC .heic or .heif file onto the page, or click to browse for it.
- 2 Set the quality, or leave the default, which keeps the file small without anything showing.
- 3 Convert. The work happens on your own machine, so how long it takes depends on your computer and the file.
- 4 Download the JPEG XL, or add more files and do the whole set in one go.
Why convert HEIC to JPEG XL
- Excellent quality for the file size, whichever mode you use.
- Can recompress existing JPEGs losslessly and reverse the process.
- Keeping a perfect copy where PNG would be too large.
- HEIC: most browsers and Windows installs cannot open it without extras.
HEIC compared with JPEG XL
How the two formats differ on the things that decide whether a conversion is worth making.
| Property | HEIC | JPEG XL |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .heic | .jxl |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy or lossless |
| Colour depth | Up to 10 bits per channel | Up to 32 bits per channel, HDR |
| Typical file size | Smaller | Depends on mode |
| Introduced | 2015 | 2021 |
| Developed by | MPEG / Apple | JPEG Committee |
Quality and what changes
JPEG XL stores the same content under a different set of rules, so what matters here is compatibility rather than picture quality. Convert once from the best source you have rather than through a chain of intermediate files.
- HEIC files can be read here but not created, so conversions run one way only.
- HEIC files with a depth map or Live Photo data keep only the main still image.
- One JPEG XL limitation to keep in mind: few editors and operating systems open it without a plugin.
Questions about HEIC to JPEG XL
Is my HEIC file uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole thing runs inside the browser tab you already have open. Your HEIC is read straight from your own disk, converted on your machine and handed back as a JPEG XL. Nothing is sent anywhere, nothing is stored and there is no account.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no server-side limit because no server sees the file. The real ceiling is your device memory, since the input and the output both have to fit in the tab. A few hundred megabytes is usually fine on a desktop machine and considerably less on a phone.
Can I convert several HEIC files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are processed one after another, then offered as separate JPEG XL downloads or as a single ZIP. Speed depends on your own processor rather than on a queue.
Does the converter work offline?
Yes, after the page has loaded once. The engine is cached by the browser, so you can disconnect, reload and keep converting. That falls out of doing the work locally rather than being a separate mode you switch on.