When you click a picture on your iPhone/iPad, it captures it in either JPG or HEIF format. On the other hand, if you take a screenshot, it’s saved as a PNG file. Or, if you download it from any social media or messaging service, it could be in any of the popular image file formats used worldwide.

different methods to convert images on iphone and ipad

However, most apps and websites you’ll ever use support a few specific file formats. As a result, if you wish to use them, you must first convert your images into one of the compatible image formats before you can even get started.

Fortunately, there are several ways to convert images between different formats on the iPhone and iPad. We’ll go over all of these methods in this guide, so you can pick the one that suits your requirements and preference.

Method 1: Convert an Image on iPhone/iPad Using the Files App

With iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Apple’s updating its Files app to include several new features and functionalities. One such is the ability to convert images, thanks to the introduction of the Convert Image quick action.

Convert Image supports image conversion in three image formats: JPG, PNG, and HEIF. It also gives you multiple options for image size, so you can pick one based on your image quality preference.

Using the Convert Image quick action is also easy. Select the image you want to convert into another format and run the Convert Image quick action. Next, pick your preferred output format and image quality, and Convert Image will convert the image for you.

If you’d like to learn more about this method, we’ve covered it in detail in here.

Method 2: Use a Shortcut to Convert Image on iPhone/iPad

Apple’s Shortcuts app is a powerful tool that simplifies many tedious tasks on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac by letting you automate them. It requires you to either create a shortcut yourself or download one from the internet, which you can then run manually or schedule based on your preference.

Converting images, resizing images, and combining images are some of the image-specific operations that Shortcuts can simplify for you. For the purpose of this guide, we’ll be creating a shortcut ourselves to convert the image.

Follow the steps below to get started:

  1. Launch the Shortcuts app.
  2. Hit the plus (+) button in the top-right corner.
    creating a new shortcut in the shortcuts app
  3. Click the New Shortcut text at the top, hit Rename, and give a name to this shortcut. Hit Done to save.
  4. Hit the Add Action button.
    adding a new action in the shortcut
  5. Click the search bar, search for the Select Photos action, and tap it to add it to your shortcut. Click the action again, and toggle on the Select Multiple option.adding select photos action to the shortcut
  6. Click the search bar at the bottom and look up the Convert Image action. Click it to add it to the shortcut.
    adding the convert image action to the shortcut
  7. Tap on JPEG in the Convert Image action and select the Ask Each Time option from the menu. This will make the shortcut dynamic and let you decide the output format each time you run it.
    changing the output variable for the convert image action
  8. Hit the search box again, search for the Save to Photo Album action, and click on it to add it to your shortcut.
    adding the save to photo album to shortcut
  9. By default, the Save to Photo Album action saves the images to the Recents folder. However, you can tap on it to pick another folder to save the converted image. Additionally, you can also create a dedicated photo album in the Photos app and select it in the Save action to use it instead.
  10. Finally, hit Done to save the shortcut.

Now, whenever you want to convert an image, open it, hit Share, and select the shortcut you just created in the Share menu. The shortcut will then ask you to pick the target image format. Select one, and when prompted to adjust the quality, use the slider to set the image quality. Next, you’ll be asked if you want to preserve or remove metadata; pick an option appropriately, and the shortcut will convert the image for you.

converting an image on iphone using shortcut

Alternatively, you can head into the Shortcuts app and run the shortcut from there.

Method 3: Convert Images on iPhone/iPad Using a Third-Party Image Converter

Although the Files app method is pretty straightforward and effective at converting images, it only supports three image formats. Similarly, the Shortcuts method, despite supporting so many output formats, requires some setup and isn’t as intuitive.

So, in the event that neither method fits your needs, you can use a third-party image converter to convert images. The App Store has several such apps that you can download. However, we recommend using the Image Converter app. It’s available for both iPhone and iPad, is fast, and supports a bunch of file formats.

Download Image Converter: iPhone | iPad

Follow these steps to convert an image using the Image Converter app:

  1. Launch Image Converter on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. If the photos you want to convert are in the Photos app, select Photos. Alternatively, if they’re in the Files app, select Files.
    importing images into the image converter app
  3. Next, choose the photos you want to convert.
  4. Select the output format on the next screen. Similarly, adjust the photo quality based on your preference.
    selecting output format and photo quality
  5. Hit the Convert button to convert the image.
  6. Click Save to save the image.
    saving converted image in the image converter app

Method 4: Use Online Image Converter to Convert Images on iPhone/iPad

Much like the online image converter, you can also use an online image converter to convert images on your iPhone or iPad. Such tools are easy to use and don’t require you to install an app on your device, which is helpful for those running low on internal storage.

Among several options available, Simple Image Converter is a flexible one. It lets you convert images into different file formats, including PDF. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Open your favorite web browser and visit Simple Image Converter.
  2. Click the Select Image button, tap on Photos Library or Choose File to pick the image you want to convert from the Photos app or the Files app, respectively. Once selected, hit Choose to import the file.
    importing images to simple image converter
  3. Tap the dropdown button for Select new format and pick your desired output file format for the image.
    selecting output format in simple image converter
  4. Finally, hit the Convert to X button to convert the image, where X is your preferred output format.

After the conversion is finished, hit the Download Image button to download the image to your device.

downloading converted images in simple image converter

If the file doesn’t download directly—and opens instead—hit the Share button and choose Save to Files or Save Image to save it to Photos or Files, respectively.

Choose the Right Method to Convert Images on iPhone/iPad

Of all the methods we’ve discussed in this guide, each one has its own advantages, so you need to pick one based on your requirements and preference.

In our opinion, using the Files app’s built-in converter works best for most use cases. It’s easy to use and offers multiple image size options, so you don’t have to compromise on image quality. However, it only supports three image formats. So, if you want to convert images into more formats, you should use the Shortcuts app method instead.

As for third-party image conversion tools (apps and online services), we recommend using them wisely, as your images are essentially ending up on someone else’s servers, which poses a risk to your privacy.

FAQs About Converting Images on iPhone and iPad

Yes. Your iPhone can take a JPG instead of HEIC. However, by default, it's set to capture images in HEIC. So, if you wish to change it to JPG, follow these steps:

  1. Launch iPhone Settings.
  2. Scroll down and select Camera.
  3. Tap on Formats and select Most Compatible.

JPEG and JPG are essentially the same file formats. It's just that JPG became more popular after since earlier versions of the Windows operating system required using a three-character-long extension for files name.

If you have a JPEG file and wish to convert it to JPG, you can do it using any of the methods listed in the guide above.

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