Windows HEIC conversion guide
How to Convert HEIC to PNG on Windows 10 & 11
You can convert HEIC to PNG on Windows 10 or Windows 11 without installing a desktop converter. FileOnTap decodes the HEIC file locally in your browser. If you prefer a Windows app, install the required HEIF support first and then save or export the image as PNG from a compatible editor.
Use FileOnTap HEIC to PNG. The converter runs in your browser, so you do not need to upload the photo to a conversion server.
Option 1: Convert HEIC to PNG in your browser
This is the simplest route when Windows Photos cannot open the HEIC file or the required codec is not installed. FileOnTap uses its own browser-side HEIC decoder, so the conversion does not depend on Windows having native HEIC support.
- Open HEIC to PNG in your browser.
- Choose or drag in the
.heicor.heiffile. - Wait for the local conversion to finish.
- Download the generated PNG file.
The current converter processes one file at a time. Standard HEIC and HEIF still images are supported, while Live Photo video content is not exported.
Option 2: Add HEIC support to Windows first
Windows 10 and Windows 11 can open many HEIC and HEIF files after the required image components are installed. Microsoft provides HEIF image support through the Microsoft Store, and some HEIC files may also require HEVC support depending on how the image was encoded.
After installing the needed support, close and reopen the app before testing the image again. If Windows Photos still reports an unsupported format, the problem may be codec availability, the specific HEIC encoding, or the application rather than the filename itself.
Option 3: Save the image as PNG from a Windows editor
Once Windows can decode the HEIC image, open it in a compatible image editor and save or export a PNG copy. For example, if Paint opens the HEIC successfully on your system, use its Save as workflow and choose PNG as the output format.
This method depends on Windows being able to decode the source HEIC first. If Paint or Photos cannot open the file, the browser-local FileOnTap method avoids that dependency.
Why convert HEIC to PNG on Windows?
PNG can be useful when a graphics application, upload form, design workflow, or image-processing tool requires PNG input. The converted PNG stores the decoded image pixels without another lossy JPEG encoding step.
For ordinary photographs, the drawback is size. PNG files can be much larger than HEIC or JPG. If you only need a widely compatible photo for email, uploads, or older software, HEIC to JPG is often the smaller and more practical choice.
Why not just rename .heic to .png?
A filename change does not convert the image data. Renaming photo.heic to photo.png leaves the file encoded as HEIC, so software expecting a real PNG may reject it. You need a real decode-and-encode conversion step.
What if Windows cannot open the original HEIC?
If opening HEIC files is the underlying problem, see How to Open HEIC Files on Windows 10 & 11. That guide explains Windows Photos, HEIF/HEVC support, and when conversion is the simpler workaround.
Keep the original HEIC after converting
A PNG copy may not preserve every EXIF field, depth value, or Apple-specific photo feature. Keep the source HEIC if you might need the original metadata or want an archival copy of the photo.