Windows 10 and 11 cannot open iPhone HEIC files out of the box without Microsoft Store add-ons. If you cannot or will not install system extensions, converting them to standard JPGs in a browser tab fixes File Explorer thumbnails and the Photos app immediately.
Windows does not include the codec needed to read iPhone HEIC photos by default. Double-clicking a photo in the Windows Photos app triggers a prompt to visit the Microsoft Store, and File Explorer shows blank icons instead of picture thumbnails.
Microsoft splits support across two separate Store packages. You need both the free HEIF Image Extensions and the paid HEVC Video Extensions just to view a standard iPhone photo in native Windows apps.
Converting the files to JPG in your browser bypasses the OS entirely. Because a browser-based converter brings its own decoder inside the tab, it creates standard 8-bit JPGs that every Windows program since Windows 95 can open natively.
When you copy photos off an iPhone onto a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, you usually get a folder full of .HEIC files. Instead of showing previews of your pictures, Windows File Explorer displays generic icons. If you double-click one, the Windows Photos app opens a dark window and tells you that you need an extension to use this file.
This happens because HEIC is a container format that compresses image data using the HEVC (H.265) video standard. To avoid paying patent licensing fees for every copy of Windows sold, Microsoft leaves the decoder out of a fresh Windows installation and pushes the cost onto the user via the Microsoft Store.
Going down the official Microsoft route to view your own photos is surprisingly awkward. Even if you are willing to pay for the codec, several common roadblocks get in the way:
.HEIC file extension.| Method | Fixes Explorer Thumbnails | Works in Legacy Apps | Requires Install or Store |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store Extensions | Yes, for HEIC files | No, only Store/OS apps | Yes, requires Store + payment |
| Third-party Desktop Viewer | Only if set as default | No, keeps file as HEIC | Yes, requires administrator rights |
| Browser Conversion to JPG | Yes, on the new JPGs | Yes, standard 8-bit JPG | No, runs inside any open tab |
You might wonder how Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox can convert a HEIC file when Windows itself cannot read it. In fact, those browsers cannot display a raw HEIC image in a normal webpage either.
Instead, the converter on this site loads its own self-contained HEIC decoder compiled to WebAssembly. When you drop your iPhone photos into the browser window, the tab reads the raw file bytes directly from your hard drive, decodes the 10-bit or 8-bit HEVC image data in memory, and writes out a standard 8-bit JPG. Your files never leave your computer, and Windows never has to know what a HEIC file is.
.HEIC files..jpg files back to your folder.As soon as the JPGs hit your hard drive, Windows File Explorer will generate picture thumbnails immediately, and Paint, Photos, and old desktop software will open them without complaint.
Skip the Microsoft Store and keep your files off remote servers. Head to the HEIC to JPG converter, drop your iPhone photos into the tab, and get normal JPG files that work everywhere on Windows. If you want to know how to stop your phone from creating these files during future USB transfers, read our other guides.
Your photos are decoded in your own browser — open the converter and see.
First published: 21 October 2026