How to Open HEIC Files on Android — Convert iPhone Photos

Someone sent you iPhone photos and your Android phone can't open them. They're HEIC files — Apple's photo format. Here's the 30-second fix, no app needed.

Convert HEIC to JPG on Any Android Phone

1. Open Chrome (or any browser) on your Android phone
2. Go to the free HEIC to JPG converter
3. Tap to select your HEIC files from Downloads or Files
4. Tap Convert — JPGs save to your Downloads folder

No app. No signup. No upload. Runs in your browser on your device.

Android HEIC Support by Version

Android Version	HEIC Support	Notes
Android 8 and older	✗ None	Must convert to JPG
Android 9	~Partial	Google Photos can view, most apps cannot
Android 10	~Partial	Better support, still gaps in third-party apps
Android 11+	~Good	Most apps handle HEIC, some exceptions
Samsung One UI 2.0+	~Good	Gallery app supports HEIC
Pixel (any Android 10+)	~Good	Google Photos handles HEIC well

Even on Android 11+, some apps (file managers, messaging apps, social media) still choke on HEIC. Converting to JPG guarantees every app works.

Why This Happens

Apple uses HEIC because it's a better compression format — same quality at half the file size compared to JPG. But Apple developed it primarily for their ecosystem. Android added support gradually, and third-party apps are even slower to adopt it.

The gap is closing, but for now, converting to JPG is the path of least resistance when moving photos between iPhone and Android.

Related Photo Tools

• HEIC to JPG — convert format
• Compress Image — shrink photos for sharing
• Resize Image — resize for social media
• Image Converter — JPG, PNG, WebP, and more