CopyTrans HEIC 2.0.3.0

CopyTrans HEIC is a free add-on that makes Windows show iPhone HEIC photos like ordinary pictures and turns them into JPGs with a right-click.

It is for anyone who copies photos off an iPhone or iPad and gets blank icons or a "can't open this file" message instead of pictures.

CopyTrans no longer offers this standalone installer on its own site, because its HEIC tools now ship inside CopyTrans Studio, so the 2.0.3.0 build here is the simple way to get just the HEIC part.

Why Windows Shows Blank Icons for iPhone Photos

HEIC is the photo format iPhones and iPads have used by default since iOS 11. It stores a picture at roughly half the size of a JPG of similar quality, which is why your phone fits so many shots.

Windows does not read it out of the box. Microsoft's own fix needs two add-ons, the free HEIF Image Extensions for the file itself and an HEVC decoder for the picture inside it.

The free route to that decoder is HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer, while the Store edition costs a small fee. CopyTrans HEIC brings its own decoder, so you can skip both pieces.

What CopyTrans HEIC Actually Does

There is no program window to learn. It works in the background, inside File Explorer and the apps you already use.

• Thumbnails - HEIC photos show real previews in File Explorer, the same way JPGs do.
• Viewing - double-click a photo and it opens in Microsoft Photos or another viewer that relies on Windows to read images.
• JPG conversion - right-click one photo or a selection of up to 100 and choose Convert to JPEG. The copies land in the same folder.
• Photo details kept - the date taken, location and other camera details stay in the converted files.
• Printing and Office - print HEIC photos directly, or insert them into Word and other Office apps from Office 2010 onwards.
• Offline - everything happens on your PC, so nothing is uploaded to a website.

How to Install It and Convert Your First Photo

1. Unzip the download. The 2.0.3.0 file is a zip archive, so extract it first and run the setup file inside.
2. Close Photos and run the setup. Follow the prompts - there is nothing to choose and no account to make.
3. Open a folder of HEIC photos. Thumbnails should appear straight away - if not, sign out of Windows and back in so File Explorer refreshes.
4. Right-click and choose Convert to JPEG. On Windows 11 the entry may sit under Show more options.

Which File to Download

CopyTrans lists Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11 as supported, so the standalone build also covers older PCs that newer apps have left behind.

CopyTrans HEIC or CopyTrans Studio?

CopyTrans Studio is the company's newer iPhone manager for Windows 10 and 11, and it is now where CopyTrans puts its HEIC features. Viewing HEIC there is free, but unlimited HEIC to JPG conversion is part of the paid Premium upgrade.

If all you want is thumbnails and free right-click JPGs, the standalone build here is the lighter choice. Pick Studio if you also want to copy photos, music and contacts off the phone, and for full backups and bulk transfers 3uTools is a free alternative.

A paid Pro edition also exists for businesses, adding PNG and PDF output and silent installs across many PCs.

The Microsoft Route, If You Prefer It

Some people would rather use Microsoft's own parts, especially on a work PC. The HEIC Image Extension page walks through that two-piece setup, and it also makes iPhone videos play, which CopyTrans HEIC does not.

Windows 11's rebuilt Photos app is reported to open HEIC on its own, as our news story on Photos opening HEIC with nothing extra to install explains. File Explorer thumbnails and other apps still need an add-on such as this one.

If photos stay blank whichever route you choose, our guide on why iPhone HEIC photos won't open on Windows covers the other causes.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

• You need iPhone videos too. Files ending in .mov are HEVC video, not HEIC photos, and VLC plays them with no extra codec.
• You convert hundreds of photos at once. XnConvert handles whole folders, resizes in the same pass and exports PNG as well as JPG.
• You want to convert iPhone videos as well. iMazing Converter is free and turns HEIC photos into JPG and HEVC videos into H.264.
• You only want to look at photos. ImageGlass opens HEIC in its own window without changing anything in Windows.
• Your PC is locked down. If you cannot install system add-ons, set the iPhone to Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible, and it saves new photos as JPG.

For a codec that works like this one, WIC for HEIC is another free option, and the image viewers category lists more programs that read HEIC.

Quick Questions

Download CopyTrans HEIC 2.0.3.0 and see how it handles your iPhone photos, or tell us how you got on if you have used it before.