Switch the camera to JPG
- Open Settings.
- Tap Camera, then Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible.
From now on, new photos are saved as JPG and new videos use H.264, the most widely supported video format. To go back, choose High Efficiency.
What changes when you switch
- Photos you've already taken stay HEIC. The setting only affects new ones.
- Files are bigger. JPG photos take up roughly twice the space, so your storage and iCloud fill up faster.
- Some camera options need High Efficiency. Certain video settings, such as recording 4K at 60 frames per second, are only available with High Efficiency. Your iPhone tells you when that's the case.
- Videos are still .MOV files. Most Compatible changes the video inside to H.264, which nearly everything plays, but the file extension stays .MOV. See MOV vs MP4 if you need MP4 files.
Keep HEIC, but get JPGs on your computer
If you'd rather keep the space savings, you can have your iPhone convert photos only when you copy them to a computer.
- Open Settings → Apps → Photos (on older iOS versions, Settings → Photos).
- Under Transfer to Mac or PC, choose Automatic.
Photos then arrive on your computer as JPG when you import them by cable.
Convert the HEIC photos you already have
Open the HEIC to JPG converter in your phone's or computer's browser, choose the photos and download the JPGs. Nothing is uploaded; the conversion runs on your device.