How to Turn iPhone Photos (HEIC) into a PDF
iPhones save photos as HEIC, a format many websites and computers don't accept. Learn what HEIC is and how to turn those photos into a PDF or JPG without extra apps.
You take a photo of a document with your iPhone, try to upload it to a website, and get an error: "file type not supported". Or you send pictures to a colleague with a Windows PC and they can't open them. In both cases the culprit is usually HEIC, the photo format iPhones use by default. This guide explains what HEIC is and how to turn those photos into a PDF quickly.
What is HEIC?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is a modern image format based on HEIF. Apple adopted it in 2017 because it stores photos at roughly half the size of a JPEG with the same visible quality. That saves a lot of space on your phone and in iCloud, which is why it's the default for the iPhone camera ("High Efficiency" in the camera settings).
The downside is compatibility. Many upload forms only accept JPG, PNG or PDF; some Windows computers need an extra extension to display HEIC; and older software doesn't recognise it at all. Newer iPhones often convert photos to JPEG automatically when you share them, but not in every situation, for example when you pick files through a website's upload button or copy them to a computer by cable.
Option 1: Convert HEIC photos straight into a PDF
The quickest route is to skip the conversion step entirely. Image to PDF accepts HEIC and HEIF files. If your browser can display them natively, as Safari can, they are used directly; otherwise they are converted to JPEG inside the page first. Either way, nothing is uploaded.
- Open Image to PDF in Safari or any other browser on your iPhone, or on your computer.
- Tap "Choose Photos" and select the pictures from your photo library or the Files app.
- Drag the pictures into the right order and rotate any that are sideways.
- Choose the page size (A4 or US Letter, or "Fit to Image Size"), the orientation and the margin.
- Keep "Merge all images into a single PDF file" ticked for one document, then tap "Download as PDF".
If the photos show paper documents, use Scan to PDF instead. It accepts HEIC files in the same way, but also whitens the background and sharpens the text, so the result looks like a real scan and the file is smaller.
Option 2: Make the iPhone save JPEG instead
If you regularly need JPG files, you can change the camera format. On your iPhone, open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be saved as JPEG from then on. Photos you have already taken stay in HEIC. The trade-off is that JPEG photos take up more storage space.
There is also a setting for transferring photos to a computer: Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic converts photos to a compatible format when you copy them by cable.
Where do I find the PDF on my iPhone?
After you tap download, Safari shows a download icon in the address bar. The file is saved in the Files app, usually under On My iPhone → Downloads or iCloud Drive → Downloads, depending on your settings. From there you can share it, attach it to an email or upload it to a website. In the upload dialog of a website, choose "Browse" or "Choose File" rather than "Photo Library" to reach the Files app.
Troubleshooting
- "The selected images could not be read": this can happen with unusual HEIC variants, for example some photos with depth or HDR data. Set the camera to "Most Compatible" and take the picture again, or export it as JPEG from the Photos app (share, then "Save to Files" after choosing a compatible format).
- The photo appears rotated: use the rotate button on the photo card before downloading.
- Live Photos: only the still image is used; the short video part is ignored.
- The PDF is too large: Image to PDF already limits each photo to 2000 pixels on its longest side. For document photos, Scan to PDF with the "Smallest" size gives even smaller files.
Privacy when converting photos
Photos on your phone often contain personal details: documents, faces, locations. Many "HEIC to JPG" or "HEIC to PDF" websites upload your pictures to convert them. Here the conversion runs entirely in your browser, using an open-source decoder that is loaded only when a HEIC file needs converting. Your photos stay on your device from start to finish.