HEIC to BMP Converter
A piece of older software, a classroom assignment or a custom script needs a bitmap, and your photo is a HEIC from an iPhone. This page converts the photo to a standard 24-bit BMP in your browser tab. The file is written locally and is never uploaded.
How to convert HEIC to BMP
- Add your HEIC files by dropping them, clicking the drop zone or pasting.
- The output format is already set to BMP. Adjust quality or size if you need to.
- Press Convert and compare the original and new size for each file.
- Download each file or all of them as a ZIP.
When to convert, and when not to
- A legacy program or device accepts only BMP.
- You want simple, uncompressed pixel data for your own code or coursework.
- You are testing how software handles different file types.
- Do not convert for sharing, storing many pictures or posting online. BMP files are large because they have no compression.
What changes
- The HEIC is decoded, then written as 24-bit BMP with no compression.
- Expect a much bigger file than the HEIC. The size depends on the pixel dimensions, not on the content.
- BMP has no transparency here, and a photo normally has none anyway; the background colour is only used if there are transparent pixels.
- Orientation is applied, but shooting date and location are not copied.
- Only the first image in the file is converted.
A plain pixel file
A BMP stores red, green and blue values for every pixel, row by row. No clever compression is involved, which is why simple programs can open it and why the file is bulky.
A photo taken with a modern phone has many pixels, so a BMP made from it is heavy. Check the size in the list before you copy a lot of them around.
A typical case is software that was written long ago and still reads only a few file types. Giving it a bitmap lets you keep using the tool without changing it.
Some older tools also expect specific dimensions. If you know the limits, set a maximum width and height before you convert, and the converter keeps the proportions so the picture is not stretched.
Reducing the pixel dimensions first
Since the size of a BMP follows directly from width times height, shrinking the picture is the only way to shrink the file. The resize options let you scale by percent or set a maximum width and height.
If your target software expects a particular size, set the maximum to that value and the proportions will be kept.
Since two copies of the picture exist in memory during decoding and writing, it is wise to resize very large photos first. A smaller image completes sooner and is less likely to stop on a phone.
A converted bitmap can be turned into smaller formats again later, but that adds another round of compression if the target is lossy. If you need both, convert from the HEIC each time.
Phone memory and batches
Decoding a HEIC and then building an uncompressed bitmap takes memory twice. On a phone, handle a few pictures per run, and keep the tab open until the list shows every file as done.
The HEIC decoder is fetched only when you add a HEIC file, so nothing extra downloads when you convert other types.
After downloading, open the BMP in the program you built it for and check that the colours and the orientation look right.
Privacy: your files stay on your device
- The tool decodes, resizes and encodes your pictures with your browser. The files are never sent to a server.
- To check it yourself: open the browser developer tools (F12), open the Network tab, convert a file, and look for any request that carries your image. You will see none.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the BMP so large?
BMP is uncompressed, so size depends on the pixel dimensions.
Can I make it smaller?
Reduce the width and height with the resize options before converting.
Does the BMP have transparency?
No. It is a 24-bit bitmap without an alpha channel.
Is the photo rotated correctly?
Yes, the stored orientation is applied.
Are photos uploaded?
No, the work stays in your browser.
Do I need BMP for printing?
Usually not. Print services accept JPG and PNG, and those files are far smaller than a bitmap.
Why would a photo converter offer BMP at all?
Some older software, devices and coursework still ask for it. BMP is simple to read, even though the files are large. For anything else, choose JPG or PNG.