HEIC to JPEG Converter for macOS — With Full Metadata Preservation

macOS Swift HEIC +3 more
HEICConverter macOS app — batch conversion with metadata preservation

The Problem

Since a recent macOS update, iPhones and iPads save photos exclusively in HEIC format. While HEIC is efficient, it creates problems the moment you leave the Apple ecosystem — many photo book services, online print shops, and Windows-based workflows simply don’t support it.

The obvious solution is to use one of the many free online converters. But they all share the same critical flaw: they change the file’s creation and modification date to today’s date.

This might sound minor, but it breaks your entire photo library organisation. If you have photos from multiple cameras — each with different file naming conventions — the only reliable way to sort them chronologically is by file date. Once those dates are overwritten, that order is gone.

The Solution

I built a native macOS app that solves exactly this problem. HEICConverter converts HEIC to JPEG at maximum quality while:

  • Preserving all EXIF, GPS, and camera metadata
  • Setting the file’s creation and modification date to the original EXIF date — not today’s date
  • Mirroring the original folder structure in the output directory
  • Processing up to 16 files in parallel (configurable)
  • Providing flexible file naming options

Features

Flexible naming schemes:

  • Keep original filename (IMG_1234.jpg)
  • Date prefix (2024-03-15_IMG_1234.jpg)
  • Sequential numbering (Photo_001.jpg)
  • Custom pattern with placeholders ({date}, {time}, {original}, {nr})

Duplicate handling: Skip, overwrite, or automatically add a suffix (_1, _2 …).

Conversion log: A conversion_log.txt in the output folder with the status of every file.

Clean cancellation: The current file finishes converting before the process stops.

Requirements

  • macOS 13.0 Ventura or newer
  • No external dependencies (uses native ImageIO and UniformTypeIdentifiers frameworks)

Download & Source Code

The app is free and provided as-is.

The compiled app is available as a free download on the Downloads page.

Why I Built This

As someone who works extensively with photos for sampling sessions and studio documentation, keeping files organised by date is essential. When I couldn’t find a converter that respected the original file dates, I built one.

It’s a small tool — but it solves the problem cleanly. That’s the kind of thing I enjoy building.