They can’t open the photo. Check HEIC before you resend

You sent an iPhone photo to a friend, dropped it into email, or uploaded it to a signup form — and they bounce it: won’t open, or the page says this file type is not supported. The picture is usually fine. Apple just saved it as HEIC, a container Windows, many browsers, and most portals still refuse.

First decide if it is HEIC. If yes, convert to JPG in the browser. Only then ask whether the form also wants 200KB.

Is this file actually HEIC?

Don’t re-export ten times until you know what you are holding:

• The name ends in .heic or .heif — that is the format, not a broken download.
• It came from an iPhone camera roll, AirDrop, or “Mail Drop,” and the other side is on Windows or a web form.
• Preview is a blank icon, or the portal lists only JPG / PNG / PDF as allowed types.
• The extension is already .jpg / .jpeg and it still won’t open — that is corruption or a wrong upload, not this guide.

Turn it into JPG on this device

Open Convert Format and treat this as a format fix, not a repair:

1. Drop the HEIC file — or several. Batch is supported. Keep each image around 20MB or under.
2. Set the output to JPG. Default quality is enough for chat and most forms. You are changing the container so other people can open it.
3. Convert and download. One file downloads directly; a set can zip. Send or upload the JPG, not the original HEIC.

Open Convert Format →

Already on iPhone or Mac? Photos / Preview can export JPEG, and Windows can install a HEIF extension so Explorer previews the file. Those are fine if you already work there. They are not required for a one-off send — and they are a weaker default for an ID shot you do not want leaving the device.

JPG in hand — still blocked?

A successful convert only proves the format. The next error is usually a different rule:

• The form still says “under 200KB” or “file too large” — follow the target-KB walkthrough, or open Compress Image and set that number.
• The portal wants one PDF, not a folder of JPGs — stack pages with the merge guide. Convert HEIC first; the merge tool does not take HEIC.
• The frame is a chat or ID scan with a phone number still visible — redact the screenshot before you send the JPG.
• The page also caps width — resize after you have a JPG, then compress if needed.

Wrap-up

Won’t-open and “unsupported format” are compatibility problems, not a ruined photo. Confirm HEIC, convert to JPG locally — batch is fine, one file at a time stays under about 20MB — and only then chase a KB cap. ID shots stay on the device. Send the JPG you just made, not the HEIC that bounced.