HEIC to ARW Converter

About HEIC

HEIC (High-Efficiency Image Container) is the default photo format on every iPhone and iPad since iOS 11, released in 2017. Apple adopted it to replace JPEG after nearly four decades — not for aesthetic reasons, but for pure efficiency. A 12-megapixel photo that takes 3.5 MB as a JPEG typically occupies just 1.5–2 MB as HEIC, with no visible difference in quality.

The compression comes from HEVC (H.265), the same video codec that makes 4K streaming practical on mobile connections. HEVC analyzes the image in chunks and encodes spatial patterns more efficiently than JPEG's block-based DCT algorithm. The result is 10-bit color depth — compared to JPEG's 8-bit — which means smoother gradients and more accurate shadow and highlight detail, particularly in portrait and landscape photography.

HEIC also functions as a container, not just a codec. A single .heic file can hold a burst sequence, a Live Photo (the still frame plus the short video clip), or a portrait-mode photo with its depth map intact — all in one file. JPEG cannot do any of this.

The compatibility problem

HEIC's efficiency comes at a cost: it requires hardware support and licensed software to decode. Windows does not open HEIC files natively. Most Android devices cannot display them. Chrome, Firefox, and Edge do not render HEIC in the browser. The majority of websites, online forms, and file-upload services expect JPEG or PNG. Print labs, stock photo sites, Google Drive's web viewer, Facebook, Instagram, and Microsoft Office all work with JPEG — not HEIC.

If you've ever emailed an iPhone photo to a Windows user and had them tell you it won't open, or tried to upload a photo and gotten a "file type not supported" error, HEIC is why.

What happens during HEIC to JPG conversion

Converting HEIC to JPEG is a decode-then-re-encode process. The HEVC-compressed data is decoded to a raw pixel grid, then re-encoded using JPEG's algorithm. Both formats are lossy, so this is technically a second lossy compression step. In practice, at quality settings of 82% or higher, the difference is imperceptible — even at full zoom on a high-resolution monitor. If you need to compare, open the original HEIC on an iPhone or Mac and the converted JPEG side-by-side; at typical sharing sizes, they are visually identical.

EXIF metadata — including the date, camera settings, and GPS coordinates — is preserved in the conversion unless you explicitly strip it. The primary still frame is extracted and converted. Live Photo motion clips, depth maps, and HDR metadata are not carried into the JPEG; JPEG has no container for them.

File size after conversion

A 2 MB HEIC photo typically becomes a 3–5 MB JPEG at 85% quality. This isn't a flaw in the converter — it's the fundamental difference in codec efficiency. HEIC is the more compact format. Converting to JPEG expands the file because JPEG needs more bytes to represent the same visual data. If final file size matters, consider converting to AVIF instead: AVIF is an open-standard successor to HEIC with comparable compression and broad browser support in 2024 and beyond.

The GPS and privacy consideration

iPhones embed precise GPS coordinates in every photo's EXIF data by default. When you convert HEIC to JPEG, that location data transfers to the new file. If you're uploading converted photos to a public website, a social media profile, or a forum, anyone who downloads the image and reads its EXIF data can see exactly where it was taken — your home, your workplace, your children's school.

Before sharing converted photos publicly, strip the EXIF location data. After conversion, run the JPEG through at-use.com's EXIF metadata remover to clear GPS tags before uploading anywhere public.

When to keep HEIC

If you live entirely within Apple's ecosystem — shooting on iPhone, editing on Mac, storing in iCloud Photos, viewing on Apple TV — HEIC is the right choice. Apple's apps handle it natively, you preserve more visual data in less storage, and Live Photos stay intact. Convert when you need to cross the boundary: sharing with Windows or Android users, uploading to a website, submitting to a print lab, using in a presentation, or archiving in a format that will open on any device in ten years.

About ARW

ARW (Alpha Raw Workflow) is the proprietary RAW file format used by Sony Alpha cameras: the A6x00 series (APS-C mirrorless), the A7 series (full-frame mirrorless, I through IV), A7R, A7S, A7C, A9, A1, and the cinema line (FX3, FX30, ZV-E1). ARW files store uncompressed or losslessly compressed sensor data — typically 12 or 14 bits per channel — before any in-camera processing such as Creative Style profiles, Active D-Range Optimiser (DRO), or sharpening is applied. Like all RAW formats, ARW captures the complete sensor output at full dynamic range, providing maximum latitude for exposure and color correction in post-production.

The compatibility tradeoff is the same as any proprietary RAW format. ARW files require Sony Imaging Edge (formerly PlayMemories), Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, or a compatible RAW editor to open. Browsers, email clients, social platforms, and most general-purpose applications cannot display ARW natively. Converting to JPG produces a universally compatible output.

When ARW to JPG is the right call

Delivering shots to clients, posting to Instagram or X, uploading to a content management system, sending previews by email, or submitting to a stock library that requires JPG — all require a compatible format. This converter provides a fast path from ARW sensor data to a shareable JPG, PNG, or WebP without a full post-processing workflow.

About this conversion

ufraw-batch decodes the ARW sensor data using default auto white balance and a linear tone curve. Imagick handles the output format (JPG, PNG, or WebP). The conversion produces a neutral, flat render without Sony's Creative Style profiles (Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, etc.) or DRO processing. The result does not replicate what the camera's in-camera JPEG engine would produce. For camera-matched output, export from Sony Imaging Edge or Adobe Lightroom with your chosen Creative Style applied.

File size note

Sony ARW files range from 12–50+ MB depending on sensor resolution and in-camera compression setting (uncompressed, lossless compressed, or lossy compressed RAW). Files from high-resolution bodies — the A7R IV (61 MP uncompressed) and A7R V (61 MP) — routinely exceed the 20 MB upload limit. Set the camera to compressed or lossy RAW to reduce file sizes, or export a reduced-resolution JPEG from Imaging Edge, then use this converter for format-only conversion.