How to convert HEIC photos to PDF
Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos in HEIC — a modern format that produces files about half the size of a JPG at the same quality. The catch is that HEIC isn't supported in browsers or on most non-Apple devices, which is why every web tool that asks for an image rejects your phone photos. This guide explains how to turn HEIC photos into a PDF you can actually share, and the easiest way to stop the problem from happening at all.
- Use the iPhone Files app (no extra app needed). Open Files, navigate to the photos, long-press one and tap Select. Tap the others. Tap the three-dot menu → Create PDF. iOS converts the HEICs to PDF pages on the fly. The result lives in Files and can be shared anywhere.
- Share to convert to JPG, then upload. Select the photos in the Photos app, tap Share, and pick "Mail" or "WhatsApp" — both convert HEIC to JPG when sending. Save the JPGs back, and use any browser-based image-to-PDF tool (including ours) to combine them.
- On Mac: Preview app. Open the HEICs in Preview, select all in the sidebar, then File → Print → PDF dropdown → Save as PDF. Preview converts and combines them in one step. Works without any download.
- Stop HEIC from happening (optional). Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. From now on, your iPhone saves new photos as JPG. You lose the size advantage of HEIC but every web tool accepts the photos directly.
Your files stay on your device
All processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. We never upload, store or look at your files.
When this comes up
Sending receipts to your accountant
You snapped 20 receipts on your iPhone. The accountant's portal rejects HEIC. Use Files → Create PDF, share the single PDF, done — no per-image conversion needed.
Uploading documents to a government portal
Most municipal portals accept PDF only. Photograph the documents, combine them via Files → Create PDF, and upload one file under the portal's size limit. Works on iPhone without a desktop.
Sharing a photo album with non-Apple users
Android phones and Windows laptops can't open HEIC out of the box. Convert the album to PDF and you guarantee everyone can view it in their email or browser without installing anything.
Submitting a class assignment from your phone
Photographed handwritten pages → Files → Create PDF → upload to the learning platform. The conversion happens on-device, so even slow internet doesn't get in the way.
Common HEIC pitfalls
A web tool says "unsupported file type"
It's the HEIC format. Either use the iPhone Files app's built-in Create PDF (no upload needed), or share the photos via Mail/WhatsApp first — those auto-convert to JPG, which is supported everywhere.
The converted PDF is huge
iPhone photos are 4-8 MB each. A 20-photo PDF can easily be 100 MB. Use Files → Create PDF first, then run the result through a PDF compressor, or take the photos at lower resolution by tapping the resolution toggle in Camera.
Photos appear rotated in the PDF
The rotation flag in the HEIC file isn't always honoured. Open the photo in the Photos app, tap Edit → rotate to the correct orientation → Done, then re-create the PDF. The fix sticks because the rotated version is now the source.
Colours look washed out in the PDF
iPhone photos use the wide-gamut Display P3 colour space; some PDF viewers show them in sRGB and the saturation drops. Open the photo in Photos → Edit → tap any filter and back to Original to re-encode in sRGB before creating the PDF.
The PDF only contains one photo
You probably tapped Create PDF on a single photo. Long-press → Select, tap each photo to add a tick, then use the three-dot menu → Create PDF. The order in the selection determines the page order.