HEIC Convert
Quick Answer
For bulk HEIC conversion: on Mac, use the built-in sips terminal command (converts 100+ files per minute). On Windows, use ImageMagick with a PowerShell loop. For batches under 50 files, the HEIC to JPG Converter Chrome extension is the easiest option with no command line needed.
📋 Table of Contents
📋 Table of Contents
Whether you're migrating a year's worth of iPhone photos, processing a client's event gallery, or converting a media library from HEIC to JPG for web use — bulk conversion tools save enormous amounts of time compared to converting files one by one.
This guide covers the fastest methods for bulk converting any number of HEIC files, from dozens to thousands.
Which Tool to Use Based on Volume
| File Count | Recommended Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1–20 files | Chrome Extension | No commands, easiest for occasional use |
| 20–100 files | Chrome Extension or Preview (Mac) | Both handle this comfortably |
| 100–500 files | macOS Preview or sips | Hardware-accelerated, fast enough |
| 500–5,000 files | macOS sips or ImageMagick | Command-line speed essential |
| 5,000+ files | ImageMagick with parallel processing | Multi-core parallelization needed |
Quick Batches Under 50 Files?
Use the Chrome extension — select multiple HEIC files and convert them all with one click.
Add HEIC to JPG ConverterMac: sips Command (Fastest Built-In Tool)
Basic batch convert (current folder):
cd /path/to/your/heic/files
mkdir -p jpgs
for f in *.heic *.HEIC; do
[ -f "$f" ] && sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "jpgs/${f%.*}.jpg"
done
With quality control:
for f in *.heic *.HEIC; do
[ -f "$f" ] && sips -s format jpeg -s formatOptions 92 "$f" --out "jpgs/${f%.*}.jpg"
done
Recursive (subfolders too):
find /path/to/photos -name "*.heic" -o -name "*.HEIC" | while read f; do
dir=$(dirname "$f")
base=$(basename "${f%.*}")
sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "$dir/$base.jpg"
done
Speed on Mac: sips uses macOS's native HEVC hardware decoder (available on M1/M2/M3 Macs and Intel Macs with T2 chip). This means hardware-accelerated conversion — typically 100–300 photos per minute, far faster than software-only decoding.
Windows: ImageMagick (Most Powerful)
Install ImageMagick:
winget install ImageMagick.ImageMagick
Or download from imagemagick.org.
Batch convert current folder (PowerShell):
$input = "C:\Photos\HEIC"
$output = "C:\Photos\JPG"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $output | Out-Null
Get-ChildItem -Path $input -Filter "*.heic" | ForEach-Object {
$out = Join-Path $output ($_.BaseName + ".jpg")
magick $_.FullName -quality 92 $out
Write-Host "Converted: $($_.Name)"
}
Recursive batch convert (all subfolders):
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Photos" -Recurse -Filter "*.heic" | ForEach-Object {
$outDir = $_.DirectoryName + "\jpgs"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $outDir | Out-Null
magick $_.FullName -quality 92 ($outDir + "\" + $_.BaseName + ".jpg")
}
Parallel processing (much faster for 500+ files):
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Photos" -Filter "*.heic" | ForEach-Object -Parallel {
magick $_.FullName -quality 92 ($_.DirectoryName + "\" + $_.BaseName + ".jpg")
} -ThrottleLimit 8
The -ThrottleLimit 8 uses 8 parallel jobs simultaneously. Adjust based on your CPU core count.
Linux: Command Line
Install dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian):
sudo apt install imagemagick libheif-dev
Batch convert:
for f in /path/to/photos/*.heic; do
magick "$f" -quality 92 "${f%.heic}.jpg"
done
Parallel processing with GNU Parallel:
find /path/to/photos -name "*.heic" | parallel magick {} {.}.jpg
Preserving Folder Structure
For large photo libraries with complex folder structures, you may want to preserve the original folder hierarchy in the output:
# Mac: Preserve folder structure
SRC="/Volumes/Photos/HEIC"
DST="/Volumes/Photos/JPG"
find "$SRC" -name "*.heic" | while read f; do
rel="${f#$SRC/}"
out="$DST/${rel%.heic}.jpg"
mkdir -p "$(dirname "$out")"
sips -s format jpeg -s formatOptions 92 "$f" --out "$out"
done
Performance Benchmarks
| Tool | 100 files | 1,000 files | Setup Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| sips (M2 Mac) | ~45 sec | ~7 min | None (built-in) |
| sips (Intel Mac) | ~90 sec | ~15 min | None (built-in) |
| ImageMagick (Windows, sequential) | ~3 min | ~30 min | Install ImageMagick |
| ImageMagick (Windows, 8 parallel) | ~45 sec | ~8 min | Install ImageMagick |
| Chrome Extension | ~8 min | Not recommended | None (browser extension) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I bulk convert hundreds of HEIC files to JPG?
For large batches (100–10,000+ files), use command-line tools: macOS sips for Mac, or ImageMagick for Windows/Mac/Linux. These process entire folders with a single command. For smaller batches (under 50 files), the HEIC to JPG Converter Chrome extension provides a GUI-based batch conversion with no command-line experience required.
How fast can bulk HEIC conversion be?
MacOS sips and ImageMagick can convert 100–200 HEIC files per minute on a modern computer (hardware-accelerated). For 500 files, expect 3–5 minutes. Browser-based conversion (Chrome extension) is slower — roughly 3–8 seconds per file — making it better for smaller batches of under 50 files.
Can I bulk convert HEIC files in subfolders recursively?
Yes, with command-line tools. On Mac with find:
find /path -name "*.heic" | while read f; do sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "${f%.heic}.jpg"; done. On Windows with PowerShell: Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter "*.heic" | ForEach-Object { magick $_.FullName ($_.FullName -replace ".heic",".jpg") }Does bulk HEIC conversion preserve the original files?
Yes — both the Chrome extension and most command-line tools create new JPG files without deleting the originals. Always specify a separate output directory to keep your HEIC originals intact and organized.
