Convert HEIC to PNG Online — Free
Convert HEIC to PNG online — direct, lossless, browser-based. Ideal when you'll edit the photo further or need a pixel-perfect master copy. No upload, no signup.
How to convert HEIC to PNG
- 1
Add your HEIC file
Drop or select a .heic file. Files up to 50MB process locally in your browser — nothing uploaded.
- 2
Run the conversion
Your HEIC is decoded by a WebAssembly HEIC decoder (libheif-wasm) running inside a Web Worker, then exported as lossless PNG with DEFLATE compression. HEIC's decoded pixels are preserved exactly — no re-compression loss beyond the HEIC's original encoding.
- 3
Download your PNG
One click saves the result as a .png file. Your original file stays on your device.
Why convert HEIC to PNG?
HEIC compression is lossy, but once decoded the pixel data is fixed — PNG captures it without further loss, which matters if you'll edit the photo in Photoshop, Lightroom, or Affinity. JPG would add a second round of lossy compression on top of HEIC's; PNG doesn't. It's the right choice when you want a lossless master copy for editing or archiving.
Common HEIC to PNG use cases
- Preparing an iPhone HEIC photo for multi-step retouching in Photoshop, Affinity, or GIMP without cumulative quality loss
- Producing a PNG master copy of an iPhone photo for layering in Figma, Sketch, or a graphic design file
- Archiving important iPhone photos in a truly lossless format for long-term storage (PNG is better for archival than JPG)
- Converting HEIC for tools or workflows that strictly require PNG input and can't handle JPG (certain color-sensitive design pipelines)
What file size to expect
A 12-megapixel iPhone HEIC (typically 1.5-2.5 MB) becomes a PNG of roughly 25-45 MB. That's a 10-20× increase because PNG is lossless and photos have fine color variation that DEFLATE can't compress efficiently. If storage matters more than editing headroom, use HEIC → JPG instead.
Technical notes: HEIC → PNG
HEIC stores 10-bit color per channel and wide color gamut (Display P3 on newer iPhones). When decoded to the Canvas, this is tone-mapped to 8-bit sRGB — some gradient smoothness and wide-gamut reach is lost in the mapping even before PNG encoding. The PNG itself is truly lossless once the pixel data hits it. Apple-specific metadata (Live Photo movie, Portrait depth maps, spatial audio for Live Photos) is dropped. The WebAssembly decoder (~1.5MB) downloads once and caches.
Compatibility and browser support
PNG is universally supported across every modern OS, browser, photo viewer, and design tool since the late 1990s. The HEIC decoder runs as WebAssembly in any browser that supports WASM (all modern browsers since 2017). First conversion downloads the decoder; subsequent ones are instant.
HEIC vs PNG
| HEIC | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Very small (efficient codec) | Larger (lossless) |
| Quality | Lossy | Lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes |
| Browser / app support | Apple ecosystem, limited elsewhere | Universal |
| Best for | iPhone photo storage | Screenshots, logos, graphics with transparency |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why PNG instead of JPG?
PNG is lossless — choose it when you'll edit the image further or want a pixel-perfect master copy without compounded compression loss. JPG adds a second round of lossy compression on top of HEIC's.
Will the PNG be huge?
Yes — a PNG of a 12-megapixel iPhone photo is typically 25-45 MB, 10-20× larger than the HEIC. PNG can't compress photo-like content efficiently.
Is there a faster alternative?
For smaller files use HEIC → JPG (3-5 MB output) or HEIC → WebP (300-700 KB at web quality). Only pick PNG if you need lossless.
Does transparency or alpha matter here?
iPhone HEICs don't have alpha channels. The output PNG has a solid background matching the source.
Will wide color gamut (P3) survive?
No — Canvas converts to 8-bit sRGB, which is narrower than HEIC's 10-bit P3. For color-critical work, use a desktop tool like sips on macOS or ImageMagick with explicit color profile handling.
Live Photos?
The movie component is a separate .MOV file stored alongside the HEIC on iPhone. Only the still HEIC frame converts here.