Convert HEIC photos to WebP without uploading them
iPhones and iPads save photos as HEIC to save space, but the format isn’t accepted by many websites and tools. This converter turns HEIC and HEIF files into WebP, a modern format that loads fast and keeps files small — ideal for websites, blogs, and anywhere page weight matters.
How it works
The tool decodes each HEIC/HEIF photo in your browser using a WebAssembly decoder, then re-encodes the pixels as lossy WebP at the quality you choose with the slider. WebP uses more efficient compression than JPG, so for the same visual quality the file is usually a quarter to a third smaller. The quality value controls the trade-off: a higher number preserves more detail at a larger size, a lower number compresses harder. Each result shows its file size and a download link; nothing is uploaded.
Why WebP specifically?
WebP was developed by Google and is now supported natively by all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and most modern image editing apps. The core advantage over JPG is compression efficiency: WebP uses a more sophisticated prediction model that typically produces files 25 to 35 percent smaller than an equivalent JPG at the same visual quality. For a website or blog with many photos, that size reduction translates directly to faster page loads and better Core Web Vitals scores.
WebP also supports transparency (alpha channel), which JPG does not. This makes it suitable for product shots, logos, and illustrations where a transparent background matters — not just for photos.
Example at a glance
Converting a typical iPhone photo at quality 80:
- Input:
IMG_5530.HEIC— about 2.0 MB - Output:
IMG_5530.webp— about 0.4 to 0.6 MB (roughly 70–80% smaller, web-ready)
The savings come from two compounding effects: HEIC itself is already efficient relative to uncompressed, but WebP’s different compression algorithm recodes the pixels more efficiently for web delivery.
Format comparison
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEIC | Lossy, very small | Yes | iPhone storage |
| WebP | Lossy, small + web-native | Yes | Websites, sharing, apps |
| JPG | Lossy, widely compatible | No | Universal sharing, print |
| PNG | Lossless, larger | Yes | Maximum quality, editing |
Choosing the quality level
The quality slider runs from 1 (maximum compression, smallest file) to 100 (minimum compression, largest file):
- 85–95 — excellent quality, minimal visible difference from the original. Good for portfolio images and high-quality content.
- 75–84 — the sweet spot for most web use. Strong compression with no visible artefacts at normal screen sizes.
- 60–74 — noticeably smaller files. Acceptable for thumbnails, preview images, and content where speed trumps quality.
- Below 60 — heavy compression. Works for tiny previews and low-quality placeholders.
Everything runs locally in your browser — your photos are never uploaded, stored, or seen by anyone, so it is both faster and private by design. Batch-convert multiple HEIC files in a single session and download each WebP individually.