Snap a picture on a recent iPhone and it usually lands as a HEIC file. Apple likes the format because it squeezes a photo into roughly half the size of a JPEG at similar quality. Trouble starts the moment you try to use that file somewhere else, since a lot of Windows programs, older editors, and web uploads still choke on HEIC. Turning it into a PNG solves the compatibility problem, and you can do it without paying for anything.
PNG or JPEG: pick the right target first
Before converting, decide what you actually need. PNG is lossless, so it preserves every pixel and handles sharp edges, screenshots, and graphics beautifully. That fidelity comes at a price, because a PNG of a normal photo can be several times larger than the original HEIC. For everyday snapshots you plan to share or store, JPEG is often the smarter target. Reach for PNG when you need perfect quality, transparency, or a file that will be edited repeatedly.
The free way built into Windows
Windows 10 and 11 can open and convert HEIC on their own once you add Microsoft's free HEIF Image Extensions from the Store. After that small step, the Photos app and Paint both read HEIC directly.
- Install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store (search for it by name).
- Right-click your HEIC file and open it with Paint.
- Choose File, then Save as, and pick PNG as the format.
- Name the file and save it wherever you like.
Paint handles a single image in seconds and costs nothing. Its weakness shows up with volume, because saving fifty or five hundred phone photos one at a time turns into a tedious afternoon.
Online converters and the catch nobody mentions
Plenty of websites promise instant HEIC to PNG conversion, and for a single throwaway image they are quick. Weigh what you give up, though. Every file you drop into a browser converter gets uploaded to a company you know nothing about, and a HEIC straight from your camera still carries EXIF metadata: the date, the camera model, and often the GPS coordinates of where you stood. Family photos, documents, or anything private really should not take a detour through a stranger's server just to change format.
Converting a whole library at once
Batch conversion is where the free one-at-a-time routes fall apart. If you have pulled hundreds of HEIC files off a phone and want them all as PNG, a proper photo manager saves real time and keeps the job on your own machine. That is the gap Memora is built for. Made for Windows 10 and 11, it imports HEIC, HEIF, and AVIF alongside JPEG and RAW, and it exports to the common formats including PNG, JPEG, TIFF, WebP, and BMP with your EXIF data preserved.
Everything happens on your computer. Memora indexes, views, and exports entirely on-device, your photos are never uploaded, and there is no analytics or tracking baked into the app. Once the initial setup finishes it runs offline. Point it at the folder full of HEIC files and it reads them in place without moving or altering the originals, which matters when the source is an irreplaceable camera roll. Batch Export, the feature that turns a large HEIC set into PNG in one pass, is part of the paid Pro license, so check the format support details and the pricing page to see whether it fits how you work.
Which method should you use?
- One or two files, no fuss: install the HEIF extension and save as PNG from Paint, free and immediate.
- A quick single conversion on a device you cannot install software on: an online tool works, but never for private or sensitive photos.
- A large HEIC library you also want to browse, search, and keep organized: a local manager like Memora converts in bulk while your files stay on your PC.
A note on quality and metadata
Converting HEIC to PNG does not degrade the image, since PNG is lossless and simply repackages the pixels. Watch the file size, because those PNGs will be noticeably bigger. Keep an eye on metadata too: some quick converters strip EXIF, so if the capture date or location matters to you, use a method that carries it across. Whichever route you choose, hang on to the original HEIC files until you have confirmed the PNGs look right and open where you need them.
The bottom line
For a handful of images, Windows already gives you a free HEIC to PNG converter once the HEIF extension is installed. Save the online tools for non-private files, and think twice before uploading anything personal. When the job is a whole camera roll rather than a single photo, a local-first manager that batch-exports on your own machine will finish faster and keep your library private at the same time.