How to Compress HEIC Files

Reduce HEIC file sizes for email attachments, web uploads, or freeing up storage — without sacrificing more quality than necessary.

Quick Answer

HEIC files are already highly compressed. For further size reduction, convert to JPG with our free tool and use the quality slider: set it to 0.75–0.85 for the best balance of size and quality. A 4 MB HEIC photo typically becomes a 1.5–2 MB JPG at quality 0.8 — with no visible quality difference for viewing or printing.

Understanding HEIC File Sizes

HEIC is already one of the most compressed photo formats available. A typical iPhone 15 Pro photo in HEIC format is 3–6 MB, compared to 6–12 MB if saved as JPG. So if you're starting from HEIC, you're already working with a compressed file.

However, there are scenarios where you need to reduce file size further:

Email providers limit attachments (Gmail: 25 MB, Outlook: 20 MB)
Website upload limits (many limit images to 2–5 MB per file)
Messaging apps compress images — sending a smaller file preserves quality
Freeing up iCloud storage or local device storage
Preparing images for web pages where load speed matters

Method 1: ConvertHEIC Quality Slider (Recommended)

Our free converter lets you choose exactly how much compression to apply when converting HEIC to JPG.

Open ConvertHEIC.org

Visit ConvertHEIC.org in any browser — works on Mac, Windows, Android, iPhone. No sign-up or installation required.

Upload your HEIC files

Drag and drop files or click to browse. You can upload multiple HEIC files at once, or even a ZIP file containing HEIC photos.

Set the quality slider

The quality slider controls the JPG compression level. See the guide below for recommended settings based on your use case.

Download compressed files

Download individual JPG files or click Download All to get a ZIP with all compressed images.

Quality Slider Reference Guide

1.0 (Maximum)

6–10 MB

Archival, professional editing

No compression artifacts

0.9 (High)

3–5 MB

Printing, high-quality sharing

Visually perfect

0.8 (Good)

1.5–3 MB

General sharing, web upload

Imperceptible on screen

0.7 (Medium)

0.8–1.5 MB

Email, messaging

Very slight on 100% zoom

0.6 (Low)

0.4–0.8 MB

Thumbnails, web previews

Noticeable on close inspection

Method 2: Reduce File Size at Capture (iPhone Settings)

The most efficient way to manage HEIC file sizes is to adjust camera settings before shooting — preventing large files rather than compressing them after.

Lower Camera Resolution

Go to Settings → Camera.
Tap Record Video (for reference) or look for Photo Capture Outside the Frame settings.
On iPhone 14 Pro and later: go to Settings → Camera → Formats and disable ProRAW & Resolution Control or set to 12MP instead of 48MP.

Shooting at 12MP instead of 48MP reduces HEIC file sizes from 15–25 MB to 3–5 MB with no visible quality loss for normal viewing.

Disable Live Photos

Live Photos add a short video clip to every HEIC file, nearly doubling its size. Tap the Live Photos button (concentric circles) in the Camera app to disable it, or go to Settings → Camera → Preserve Settings to keep it off permanently.

Method 3: Mac Preview — Export with Custom Quality

Mac's built-in Preview app reads HEIC files natively and lets you export with a quality slider — useful if you're already on a Mac and want to keep everything local.

Open your HEIC file in Preview.
Go to File → Export (not "Export as PDF").
Set Format to JPEG.
Drag the Quality slider to your target (around 70–80% for size reduction).
Click Save.

For batch compression in Preview: select multiple HEIC files in Finder, right-click → Open With → Preview. Then File → Export Selected Images → JPEG → adjust quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I compress HEIC without converting to JPG?

On iPhone and Mac, you can re-encode HEIC at lower resolution (changing camera settings or exporting at smaller dimensions). However, most compression tools work by converting to JPG, which gives you the most control over the output quality/size ratio.

How small can I make a HEIC photo?

At JPG quality 0.6, a typical 12MP iPhone photo compresses to around 400–800 KB. At quality 0.3 (heavy compression), you can get under 200 KB, but compression artifacts become clearly visible. For most use cases, quality 0.7–0.8 is the sweet spot.

Does compressing HEIC affect metadata (EXIF data)?

ConvertHEIC.org preserves standard EXIF metadata (date, camera model, GPS if present) in the output JPG. Some third-party compression tools may strip metadata — check the tool's documentation if this matters to you.

Is there a free way to batch compress HEIC files?

Yes — ConvertHEIC.org supports batch HEIC upload (including ZIP files containing HEIC photos). Set the quality slider once and all files are converted at that quality. On Mac, Preview's 'Export Selected Images' also handles batch compression for free.

Why is my HEIC file larger than expected?

iPhone 14 Pro, 15, 15 Pro, and later models shoot at 48MP by default, producing 15–25 MB HEIC files. Earlier iPhones shoot at 12MP, giving 3–5 MB files. Check Settings → Camera → Formats to see and change your resolution settings.