Works with .heic and .heif photos
HEIC and HEIF files from an iPhone or iPad are accepted. Add the photo, leave PDF as the output and you get a .pdf file back with the picture on a single page.
HEIC to PDF Converter
Add a HEIC photo and get a one-page PDF back. One photo makes one PDF, and the file can be far larger than the photo.
To convert heic to pdf, add the photo, keep PDF as the output format and download the result. In our test a 163 KB iPhone-style heic became a one-page pdf of 36.9 MB, because the picture is stored uncompressed inside the PDF. Each photo gets its own PDF; we saw no option to merge several into one.
Transfers use HTTPS, and files converted on the free tier are deleted after 24 hours, so the result is not a long-term archive. Quality depends on the source file, so open the PDF file once before you share it.
Need more PDF options? Open the PDF Converter hub.
FromHEICLossyTransparency
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container)
The still-image format iPhones have used by default since iOS 11. It wraps HEVC-compressed pictures in the HEIF container, usually smaller than a JPG of the same picture, and can also hold deeper colour, depth maps and image sequences.
ToPDFLossless
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A fixed-layout document format published as ISO 32000. Each page records the exact position of every character, image and line, usually with the fonts embedded, so it displays and prints identically in any reader and is awkward to edit.
A synthetic 4032 × 3024 px HEIC test photo, 163 KB, converted on indox.org
- HEICthe original, 3024 × 4032 px when upright
- 163 KB
- PDFfrom indox, one page, about 226× larger
- 36.9 MB
- PDF, gzip -9same PDF squeezed by a general compressor
- 385 KB
Why use indox to convert HEIC to PDF?
No app, no account for a single file
The conversion runs on indox servers, so it works from Windows, a Mac, an Android phone or an iPhone browser. In our test we converted anonymously, with no sign-up and no limit message.
Upright result for iPhone-style rotation
HEIC stores a portrait photo rotated and marks the turn with a HEIF rotation property. We tested a file with that property and the page came out upright. A file with only an EXIF rotation tag came out sideways, which is covered below.
Size and page format stated up front
This page gives what we measured: the page size follows the pixel size of the photo, and the PDF can be hundreds of times larger than the HEIC. You see both before you convert.
What happens to your HEIC
Stays
- Your original HEIC, which is not touched
- The picture, upright for a file with the HEIF rotation property
- The pixel size: 3024 × 4032 px in our test
- The picture's look at normal viewing size
Changes
- Pages: one photo makes one PDF page
- File size: 163 KB became 36.9 MB in our test, about 226 times larger
- Compression: the PDF stores the picture as raw 8-bit RGB
- Page size: set from the pixels at 300 ppi, 10.08 × 13.44 inches in our test
- Colour profile: none is embedded
- Live Photo motion and burst frames are not included
How do I convert HEIC to PDF online?
- 1
Add your HEIC photo
Drop the file on the box or choose it from your device. Keep the original HEIC: the PDF cannot be turned back into the same photo file.
- 2
Confirm PDF, then start the conversion
Check that PDF is the output format, then start. In our test it took 9.5 seconds from the click to Completed, including the upload.
- 3
Download the PDF and check it
Save the PDF, open it and check the file size and which way up the page is before you email or upload it.
What do I get from indox's HEIC to PDF converter?
You hand over a HEIC photo and take away a PDF page for a form, a claim portal or a print shop that will not take HEIC. The page also tells you what the PDF will weigh and look like, so you know before you convert whether it fits the job.
- One PDF for each HEIC photo you add
- Nothing installed on Windows, Mac or a phone
- Size, page format and rotation behaviour measured and stated
- Your original HEIC is left as it was
What are the limits for HEIC to PDF?
Size
The upload box shows the live size limit before you add a file. Signing in raises it; a paid plan does not change it.
Formats
HEIC in, PDF out. Pick another output on the converter if you need a different format.
Privacy
Files are encrypted in transit over HTTPS and processed on indox infrastructure.
Deletion
Free-tier files are kept for 24 hours after the job finishes, then deleted automatically.
Limits worth knowing
- One photo makes one PDF. The upload list shows each HEIC as its own row with its own PDF, and we saw no control to merge photos. For a multi-photo document, convert each one and join the PDFs in a PDF tool.
- The PDF is not compressed. Our 163 KB HEIC gave a 36.9 MB PDF. A 12-megapixel photo comes to roughly 36 MB this way, which many email systems and upload forms refuse.
- You cannot choose a page size, margins or quality. The page follows the pixel size at 300 ppi, so a 12-megapixel photo makes a page of about 13 × 10 inches.
- A HEIC that has only an EXIF rotation tag, without the HEIF rotation property, came out sideways in our test. iPhones normally use the HEIF property, but we tested our own generated files, not an iPhone photo.
- We did not test landscape, 10-bit, Display P3 or HDR photos, so we cannot say how they look in the PDF.
When the result is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The PDF is far larger than the photo | The picture is stored uncompressed inside the PDF | Recompress it in a PDF tool, or use HEIC to JPG if a JPG is accepted |
| The page is sideways | The HEIC had an EXIF rotation tag but no HEIF rotation property | Rotate the page in a PDF tool, or turn the photo upright first |
| You wanted one PDF for several photos | Each photo is converted to its own PDF | Convert each photo, then join the PDFs in a PDF merge tool |
| The page is not A4 or Letter | The page size follows the photo's pixels at 300 ppi | Scale to fit when you print, or place the image on a page of your choice |
| A form rejects the PDF | The file is over the form's size limit | Make it smaller as above, or try JPG to PDF with a JPG copy |
What do the free and paid plans add?
Free
- All converters
- Daily credit refresh
- Email support
Basic
- Access to all features
- AI Extract
- Priority conversions
- Email support
Highest priority
Premium
- Everything in Basic
- Highest priority queue
- Priority support
Pay-As-You-Go
- No subscription
- Credits never expire
- Opt-in auto-refill
- Access to all features
Which conversions are close to HEIC to PDF?
HEIC vs PDF: what is the difference?
| Compared on | HEIC | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A photo format from Apple's camera, using HEVC compression | A fixed-layout document format that can hold images and text |
| Pages | One picture, or a sequence of them, per file | Any number of pages in one file |
| Size for the same photo | Small; 163 KB in our test | 36.9 MB in our test, stored without compression |
| Where it opens | iPhones, Macs, recent Android; Windows needs an extra codec | Practically every device, browser, form and print shop |
| Typical use | Taking and keeping photos on a phone | Forms, claims, print jobs and records |
Who can use a HEIC to PDF converter?
When to use it
- Sending a photographed form or receipt to an office that accepts PDF only.
- Putting one iPhone photo into a print job as a PDF.
- Attaching a photographed document to an application as a one-page PDF.
- Making a PDF from a HEIC on a computer that cannot open HEIC.
Where can I read more about converting files?
Sources
- HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format), ISO/IEC 23008-12Library of Congress
- PDF (Portable Document Format) FamilyLibrary of Congress
- About HEIF and HEVC media on iPhone and iPadApple Support
Facts checked on November 4, 2026
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HEIC to PDF FAQs
How do I convert HEIC to PDF for free?
Open the converter, add your HEIC photo, keep PDF as the output and download the file. In our test a single file needed no account and no software on the computer.
Can I put several HEIC photos in one PDF?
Not with this converter as we found it. Each photo is its own row and its own PDF, and we saw no merge control. Convert the photos one by one and join the PDFs with a PDF merge tool.
Why is my PDF so much bigger than the HEIC?
HEIC is a compressed format, and our PDF stored the picture as raw 8-bit RGB. The result was 36.9 MB from a 163 KB photo. The same PDF compressed with gzip came to 385 KB, so the size comes from storage, not from extra detail.
How do I make the PDF smaller?
Run it through a PDF tool that recompresses images, or choose HEIC to JPG if the form accepts a JPG. We did not test a compressor here, so check the result.
What page size does the PDF have?
The page matches the photo at 300 pixels per inch. Our 4032 × 3024 px photo gave 13.44 × 10.08 inches. It is not A4 or Letter, and we saw no setting to change it.
Why is my PDF sideways?
A phone stores the photo in its sensor orientation and records a turn. This converter applied the HEIF rotation property correctly in our test, but a file with only an EXIF tag came out sideways. Rotate the page in a PDF tool, or fix the photo first.
Does the PDF lose quality?
Very little. The picture in our PDF matched an independent decode of the HEIC at 49.5 dB PSNR, a high figure that means the differences are tiny. No colour profile was embedded.
Is a HEIF file the same as a HEIC file?
HEIC is the Apple form of HEIF, an image container standardised as ISO/IEC 23008-12 that holds HEVC-compressed pictures. Both extensions are accepted here and the output is a PDF.
Can I convert HEIC to PDF on an iPhone, Mac or Android phone?
Yes. The converter works in the browser on any of them, so there is nothing to install. Add the photo, convert it and save the PDF.
Will a Live Photo keep its motion in the PDF?
No. A PDF page holds a still picture, so the PDF shows one image and no motion.