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How to convert HEIC to PDF on Windows

By DeckleUpdated

To convert HEIC to PDF on Windows, open HEIC to PDF in your browser, drag the HEIC photos onto the page, put them in order, choose a page size and choose Create PDF. Deckle decodes the photos in the browser, so Windows does not need the HEIF extension installed. Each photo becomes one page of a PDF that any PDF reader can open, and the photos themselves are not changed.

HEIC to PDF
Illustrated document pages containing a chart, photograph and text.
Illustration · a document can contain more than its visible pages.

How to convert HEIC to PDF on Windows with Deckle

  1. Copy the photos from your iPhone to the PC, or download them from iCloud or email.
  2. Open HEIC to PDF in Microsoft Edge, Chrome or Firefox.
  3. Drag the .heic or .heif files from File Explorer onto the page, or choose Select files. The decoder downloads the first time you convert a HEIC file.
  4. Under Images to include, check the ticks and set the order with the up and down arrows.
  5. Press the rotate button on any photo that is on its side.
  6. Under Page size, choose Fit inside A4 for a document, or Match each image to keep each photo's own size.
  7. Choose Create PDF and download the file.

The result screen confirms how many pages the PDF has, one per ticked photo.

Why HEIC files cause trouble on Windows

HEIC is the format iPhones use for photos when Settings > Camera > Formats is set to High Efficiency, as Apple explains in Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices. Windows Photos needs extra extensions to open it, and many upload forms do not accept it. A PDF opens in Edge, Acrobat and any document portal.

Windows browsers often report no file type for a .heic file. Deckle identifies the photo from its contents instead, so it is accepted rather than rejected as an unsupported type.

In the browser, the list may show a format tile instead of the photo, because most browsers other than Safari cannot display HEIC. The conversion still works. HEIC to PDF has no page preview, so compare the PDF with your phone's photos after converting.

What happens to the photos

PDF cannot store HEIC data, so each photo is saved into the PDF as a high-quality JPEG (quality 90). The difference is not visible at normal zoom. Camera and location metadata from the HEIC file are not carried into the PDF, which is useful for photos of documents. A HEIC file holding several images, such as a sequence, is refused before you start. A photo over 16 megapixels, such as a 24- or 48-megapixel iPhone photo, is scaled down to 16 megapixels with its proportions kept, and the review lists it before you convert. Only images above 64 megapixels are refused.

For more on the format, see how to convert iPhone HEIC photos to PDF.

Open HEIC photos in Windows Photos

If you only want to view HEIC photos on the PC, Microsoft explains in Photos app Video Editor error: Can't view this file type what to install:

  1. Install HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. It is free.
  2. Install HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft lists it at $0.99 and says you need both, even if you only plan to use photos.
  3. Restart the Photos app.

The same page suggests other routes: let the iPhone convert the photos to a more common format when it transfers or emails them, or upload them to OneDrive. None of these makes a PDF, so you still need a converter for that.

Stop new photos arriving as HEIC

Apple's page Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices describes two iPhone settings that decide what reaches your PC:

  • Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible makes the camera save new photos as JPEG. Photos you have already taken stay HEIC.
  • When you import over USB, the iPhone may convert photos to JPEG on the way. Turning on Keep Originals in the Photos settings stops that, so leave it off if you want JPEGs on the PC.

JPEG photos go into JPG to PDF, which copies them into the PDF without re-encoding.

Tips

  • Use Fit inside A4 for documents. Photos of letters and forms come out at a normal page size.
  • Check rotation afterwards. Compare the pages with the photos and fix any sideways one with the rotate button before converting again.
  • Use JPG to PDF if the photos are JPEG. If your iPhone sent JPGs, use JPG to PDF; see how to convert JPG to PDF on Windows.
  • Combine with other files. Merge the photo PDF with other documents in Merge PDFs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert HEIC to PDF on Windows without installing anything?

Yes. HEIC to PDF decodes the photos in your browser. No extension or app is needed.

Does converting HEIC lose quality?

Slightly. Each photo is re-encoded as a quality-90 JPEG, which looks the same at normal zoom.

Will the PDF show where the photos were taken?

No. Camera and location metadata are not copied into the PDF.

Why does the list show a tile instead of a thumbnail?

Most browsers other than Safari cannot display HEIC. The photos still convert.

Related tools

Sources