Why your iPhone photos won’t open anywhere
Since iOS 11 (2017), iPhones save photos as HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) by default. It stores images with the HEVC video codec, making files roughly half the size of an equivalent JPG — great for your phone's storage, terrible for compatibility. Windows needs paid codecs to open it, many upload forms reject it, and most non-Apple software simply refuses.
The fix is a one-time conversion to JPG (maximum compatibility) or WebP (smaller, modern). PixSquash decodes the HEIC on your device and re-encodes it — your photos never touch a server, which matters when they're personal photos.
HEIC, JPG or WebP?
| Format | File size | Opens everywhere? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEIC | Smallest | Apple devices, little else | Staying on your iPhone |
| JPG | Medium | Yes — everything | Uploads, forms, sharing, printing |
| WebP | Small | All modern browsers & apps | Websites and modern workflows |
Batch-convert a whole camera roll
There is no file count limit — drop fifty vacation photos at once and download the results as a single ZIP. Because conversion runs on your own device, a batch that would take minutes of upload time elsewhere finishes in seconds here. If the files need to hit a size limit too (visa applications, listings), use compress to 100 KB or 500 KB instead — they accept HEIC directly.