Preserve EXIF When Converting HEIC → JPG (2025)

August 17, 2025•7 min read•Quality & Workflow

Conversions often strip metadata. Here are the exact ways to keep capture date, orientation, and GPS while converting HEIC to JPG.

Fastest: Keep EXIF on macOS

Open images in Preview → File → Export… → Format: JPEG → Quality: 80–90%.
Ensure “Include metadata” is checked (default in recent macOS).
Batch: select multiple in Finder → Quick Actions → Convert Image (preserves date/orientation).

Windows: ImageMagick + ExifTool

Install ImageMagick with HEIC support and ExifTool.

Convert and copy metadata:


magick input.heic -quality 85 output.jpg
exiftool -TagsFromFile input.heic -overwrite_original output.jpg

Batch example (PowerShell):


$files = Get-ChildItem -Filter *.heic
foreach ($f in $files) {
  magick "$($f.FullName)" -quality 85 "$($f.DirectoryName)\$($f.BaseName).jpg"
  exiftool -TagsFromFile "$($f.FullName)" -overwrite_original "$($f.DirectoryName)\$($f.BaseName).jpg"
}

Linux/CLI: heif-convert + ExifTool


heif-convert input.heic output.jpg
exiftool -TagsFromFile input.heic -overwrite_original output.jpg

Web Converters: Know the Trade‑offs

Many online tools strip metadata for privacy and smaller downloads. If you must keep EXIF, verify the tool’s policy or convert locally. If you prefer privacy, stripping EXIF is a feature.

Need universal JPGs fast?

Convert HEIC → JPG in the browser. Files are cleaned up automatically.

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