On Linux, HEIC support is a coin flip: some distros ship libheif, most don't, and package-manager roulette isn't fun when you just need JPGs.
Skip the dependency hunt
Instead of apt install experiments, you can convert HEIC to JPG on Linux right in your browser:
- Open the converter in Firefox or Chrome
- Drop in your HEIC files — batch supported
- Download the JPGs, done
The decoding runs in JavaScript locally, so it works identically on Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, or a Raspberry Pi — no root, no packages, no PPAs.
Why not just install libheif?
You can, and for scripting it's great. But for a one-off batch of iPhone photos from a friend or client, a zero-install browser tool is faster and leaves no system changes behind. And unlike most online converters, this one never uploads your files — conversion happens on your own machine.
Disclosure: I'm the developer of FileOnTap. If you handle other people's photos, the "no upload" property is worth more than any feature list.
Top comments (0)