How to Convert HEIC to PNG Without Uploading (Free)

HEIC photos are great for saving storage space on your iPhone — until you need to share one with a Windows user, upload it to a website, or open it in an older editor. Then you get the dreaded "file format not supported" message.

The standard advice is to upload your photos to a free online converter. But that means sending your personal photos — family, kids, ID documents, screenshots — to a stranger's server. If that makes you uncomfortable, good news: converting HEIC to PNG doesn't require uploading anything. It can happen entirely on your own device.

Why uploading photos is a bad idea

Most free online converters work the same way: your file goes up to a server, gets converted there, and you download the result. The problems:

• Your photos leave your device. Once uploaded, you have no control over how they're stored, cached, or logged.
• Metadata travels with them. iPhone HEIC files often contain EXIF data, including GPS coordinates.
• It's slow in bulk. Uploading dozens of photos on a slow connection is painful.

Option 1: FileOnTap — convert in your browser, nothing uploaded

FileOnTap is a free HEIC to PNG converter that runs the entire conversion locally in your browser using WebAssembly. Your photos never leave your computer — no upload, no server, no queue, no account.

Here's how:

1. Open FileOnTap's HEIC to PNG converter.
2. Drag and drop your .heic files onto the page.
3. Wait a few seconds while the conversion runs in your browser.
4. Download the PNG files.

It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and even your phone's browser. Free, no watermark.

Disclosure: I'm the developer of FileOnTap — I built it precisely because I didn't want my own photos uploaded to random servers.

Option 2: macOS Preview (built-in, Mac only)

On a Mac you don't need any tool at all:

1. Open the HEIC file in Preview.
2. Go to File → Export.
3. Choose PNG as the format and click Save.

Fully offline and free, but it converts one file at a time and doesn't help on Windows.

Option 3: Windows Photos with the HEIF extension (Windows only)

On Windows 10/11, install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Then:

1. Open the HEIC file in the Photos app.
2. Click … → Save as and choose PNG.

Free and offline, but it requires a Microsoft Store install and only works on Windows.

Which should you pick?

• Want it done in seconds, on any device, without installing anything or uploading your files? → FileOnTap.
• On a Mac converting a single photo? → Preview is fine.
• On Windows and fine with installing a Store extension? → HEIF Image Extensions + Photos.

The key takeaway: you don't need to hand your private photos to a server just to change their format. Local conversion is faster, safer, and free.