Insurance claim portals usually want one PDF per incident, not a camera roll of HEIC files — and iPhones save photos as HEIC by default. So the damage photos you took at the scene can be refused by the upload form, usually with a vague "invalid file type" error, right when you are trying to get the claim filed.
- Photograph first, convert second
Do not let conversion slow down the documentation. Take all the photos you need at the scene first — wide shots, close-ups of the damage, and any serial numbers or labels. You can sort out formats afterwards; you cannot recreate the scene later.
- Keep the HEIC originals
Do not overwrite your originals. Convert copies for the claim and keep the HEIC masters. If the adjuster later asks for a clearer version of one photo, you want the original, not a copy of a copy.
- Do not just rename them to .pdf
Renaming changes the extension, not the contents. The file will still be HEIC data, and the portal will still reject it. Worse, a renamed file can look like a valid PDF in your file list while failing on the adjuster's side.
- Convert copies to PDF for the claim
If you need a claim PDF quickly, you can convert HEIC photos to PDF for insurance claims entirely in the browser: the conversion happens on your own device, nothing is uploaded, and no account is needed. Put the photos in incident order, one incident per PDF, and check the PDF preview before submitting — confirm every page is the right way up, fully legible, and in the order the claim describes.
- A quick pre-submit checklist
- Every damage photo is in the PDF, in order
- No page is upside down or cut off
- The file opens on a second device before you submit
- The HEIC originals are still saved somewhere safe
Disclosure: I'm the developer of FileOnTap.
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