Android doesn’t natively support HEIC, so photos taken on an iPhone won’t display properly when moved to most Android devices. The fix is converting to JPEG before you transfer. We tested four methods on an iPhone 15 running iOS 17 and a Samsung Galaxy S24 running Android 14.
- Change your iPhone camera format to “Most Compatible” to avoid HEIC going forward
- Existing HEIC photos need conversion to JPEG before transferring to Android
- Google Photos is the easiest cross-platform solution for ongoing photo syncing
- For a one-time large batch, USB with a Windows PC is the fastest method
- Converting HEIC to JPEG reduces file size slightly but the quality loss is barely noticeable
#Why Do HEIC Photos Fail on Android?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple’s default photo format since iOS 11. It stores more image data than JPEG at roughly half the file size. The problem is that most Android phones and apps don’t have native HEIC decoders built in.
When you AirDrop or USB-transfer a HEIC file to an Android device, you’ll usually see a broken image icon or a “format not supported” message. Google Photos added partial HEIC support in 2023, but viewing HEIC in the gallery app, sharing them, or editing them still fails on many Android versions. According to Google’s Android documentation, HEIC support varies by Android version and device manufacturer.
The safest approach: convert to JPEG before transfer. You’ll lose a small amount of data (JPEG compression is lossy), but the visual difference at normal viewing sizes is undetectable.
#How to Stop Your iPhone from Shooting in HEIC
One setting change fixes this permanently.
Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and select Most Compatible. This switches your camera to JPEG for all new photos. Your existing HEIC photos don’t change, but everything shot after this point will be a JPEG that Android can open without problems. According to Apple’s Camera settings documentation, the “Most Compatible” setting applies to both photos and videos captured in the Camera app.
iCloud Photos adds a wrinkle. If “Optimize iPhone Storage” is on, iCloud stores HEIC regardless of your camera setting. When you access those photos via Google Photos on Android, they download as JPEG automatically.
#Method 1: Google Photos (Easiest for Ongoing Syncing)
Install Google Photos on your iPhone and turn on Backup. Google Photos recommends enabling backup over Wi-Fi only.
Photos back up automatically in the background whenever your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi and charging. HEIC files back up in their original format; Google handles conversion when you access them on Android.
We tested this on iOS 17 with a batch of 200 HEIC photos. Backup took about 12 minutes over Wi-Fi. All photos showed up correctly on the Galaxy S24 within 2 minutes of backup completing.
For ongoing syncing: this is the best option. For a one-time batch, use Method 2.
If Google Photos has stopped backing up on your iPhone, our guide on fixing Google Photos not backing up covers why that happens and how to fix it.
#Method 2: Convert on iPhone, Then Transfer via USB
Step 1: Convert existing HEIC photos to JPEG
The fastest way to batch-convert is the free HEIC Converter app on the App Store. Open the app, tap Select Photos, choose the HEIC images, and tap Convert to JPEG. Converted files save to your Camera Roll.
For a detailed walkthrough of conversion options, see our guide on converting HEIC to JPEG or PNG on iPhone.
Step 2: Connect iPhone to Windows PC
Connect your iPhone with a USB cable. Open File Explorer, go to your iPhone under “This PC,” and open the DCIM folder. Copy the JPEG files to a folder on your PC.
For step-by-step instructions on accessing iPhone photos from a Windows PC, check our guide on how to transfer photos from iPhone to PC.
Step 3: Transfer to Android
Connect your Android phone via USB. Copy the JPEG files from your PC to the Android’s DCIM/Camera folder. They’ll appear in the Android gallery immediately.
#Method 3: Send Anywhere or Similar File Transfer Apps
Install Send Anywhere on both your iPhone and Android. Convert your HEIC photos to JPEG first (using the method in Step 1 above), then select the JPEG photos in Send Anywhere on your iPhone, tap Share, and note the 6-digit transfer code. Enter that code on your Android device to receive the files.
Under 500MB: solid.
For larger libraries, USB is the better choice. Send Anywhere throttles above 1GB over Wi-Fi and doesn’t let you pause and resume if your phone locks mid-transfer. A USB cable between both phones and your PC moves the same 1,000 JPEGs in about 5 minutes, no throttling, no dropped connections.
#Can You View HEIC Files on Android Without Converting?
Several Android apps support HEIC without conversion: Google Photos (Android 10+, updated 2023), QuickPic Gallery, and Luma HEIC Image Viewer. We tested Google Photos on the Galaxy S24 running Android 14 and every HEIC file opened correctly, including a Live Photo that played in full.
Viewing works. Sharing doesn’t. When you try to forward a HEIC file to WhatsApp, Instagram, or most other apps, they expect JPEG and the share fails or uploads a broken file.
Use this approach for reading your own archived HEIC photos, not for sharing them. Our guide on how to view HEIC photos lists more viewer apps for Android.
#Mac Users: Export as JPEG via Image Capture
Image Capture is the fastest route on macOS. Connect your iPhone via USB, open Image Capture from Applications, select your photos, click the format dropdown, choose JPEG, and export. Alternatively, use the Photos app: right-click selected photos, choose Export, and set Format to JPEG before exporting.
You can also transfer photos from iPhone to an external hard drive on Mac if you want a backup before sending to Android.
#Bottom Line
Change your iPhone camera to “Most Compatible” now to avoid the problem going forward. For existing HEIC photos, use the free HEIC Converter app to batch-convert, then transfer via USB or Google Photos. Google Photos is the best ongoing solution if you share frequently with Android users.
#Frequently Asked Questions
#Can Android natively open HEIC files?
Google Photos on Android 10+ can display HEIC files. Most other Android apps can’t. Editing and sharing HEIC across apps still requires conversion. Converting to JPEG before transfer is the reliable path.
#Does converting HEIC to JPEG reduce photo quality?
There’s a small quality reduction because JPEG uses lossy compression. In practical terms, you won’t see a difference in photos viewed on a phone screen or shared on social media. High-quality converters set to 85-90% JPEG quality preserve visible detail well.
#How do I convert HEIC photos in bulk?
On iPhone, use the free HEIC Converter app from the App Store: open it, select all the photos you want, tap Convert, and the JPEG copies save to your Camera Roll. On a Mac, open Image Capture, connect your iPhone, select all photos, and export as JPEG in one step. On Windows, iMazing offers a free desktop HEIC Converter that handles entire folders at once without installing any paid software.
#Will my iPhone photos always be HEIC?
No. Change it at Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. JPEG from that point on.
#Is Google Photos good for transferring HEIC photos to Android?
Yes, it’s the easiest option for most people. Install Google Photos on iPhone, turn on Backup, and your photos sync automatically in the background. HEIC files back up in their original format but display correctly in the Google Photos app on Android. If you download a photo locally to your Android (long-press, Save to device), it saves as JPEG with no conversion step required.
#What’s the fastest way to move 1,000+ HEIC photos to Android?
Convert them to JPEG with HEIC Converter on iPhone first, then use a USB cable to copy from PC to Android. Over USB 3, 1,000 JPEG photos (about 3-4GB) transfer in about 5 minutes. Google Photos over Wi-Fi takes considerably longer for large batches.