JPG to PNG: How to Convert on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac

To convert JPG to PNG, open the image and save or export it as PNG. Windows Paint, Mac Preview and the iPhone Files app do this for free, one image or a few at a time. The PNG will be larger, and it will not restore lost quality or add transparency. For big batches, use Filo.

Key Takeaways

• Converting JPG to PNG changes the file container, not the picture. It restores no quality and adds no transparency.
• In my test on three sample photos, the PNGs were 5 to 9 times larger than the JPGs, with identical pixels.
• Built-in options exist on iPhone (Files app, iOS 16 or later), Windows (Paint) and Mac (Preview or Finder). I could not verify a built-in converter on Android.
• JPG has no transparency channel. For a transparent PNG you must remove the background separately.
• For 50 or more photos at once, Filo converts on your device. It is free, needs no account and uploads nothing.

A client asks for your 60 product photos as PNG. Your editor exported JPG, and opening each one in Paint, choosing Save as and repeating 60 times will cost you an afternoon. This guide covers every built-in method first, then the fastest route for a batch.

Free on iOS and Android, no account: App Store · Google Play

What Changes When You Convert JPG to PNG

JPG is a lossy format, and PNG is lossless. MDN says JPEG suits photographs and has no alpha channel. It says PNG supports full alpha transparency and suits screenshots, diagrams, logos and line art. The Library of Congress confirms PNG compression is lossless and that the alpha channel is optional.

Lossless storage does not undo the loss already in your JPG. The converter copies each decoded pixel into the new file. Compression artifacts stay exactly as they were.

I tested this with three sample photos from the open-source scikit-image library, using Pillow 12.3 in Python. I saved each as a JPG at quality 90 and 75, converted it to PNG, and compared the results.

One small test on three images; your ratio will vary with image content and JPG settings.

So convert to PNG when a site, client or editing workflow requires it. Keep the JPG when you only want to share a photo, because the PNG will cost far more storage and bandwidth.

How to Convert JPG to PNG on iPhone

Use the Files app. Quick Actions includes a Convert Image option on iOS 16 and later, according to TechPP's guide.

1. Save the photo to Files first if it lives in Photos (Share, then Save to Files).
2. Touch and hold the image, then tap Quick Actions, then Convert Image.
3. Choose PNG as the format and pick a size. Original keeps the pixel dimensions.

You can select several images in a folder and convert them together. The original stays, and the converted copy is a new file.

How to Convert JPG to PNG on Android

Guiding Tech reports that Google Photos and Samsung Gallery re-save edited images as JPG, not PNG. You need an app or a web tool for this one.

On Android, a converter app is the practical route. Filo converts JPG to PNG in a few taps, free, with no account. Get it on Google Play

How to Convert JPG to PNG on Windows

Paint handles one image at a time, per Windows Central:

1. Open Paint, choose File, then Open, and select your JPG.
2. Choose File, then Save as, and pick PNG.
3. Name the file and click Save.

Paint saves a new PNG and leaves the JPG as it was. It converts one image per pass, so it suits a handful of files, not dozens.

How to Convert JPG to PNG on Mac

Preview can export several images at once. Apple's Preview guide gives these steps:

1. Open the image in Preview and choose File, then Export.
2. Click the Format menu and choose PNG.
3. Name the file and click Save.

For a batch, open the files in one Preview window and select them in the sidebar, then follow the same steps.

Finder also has a shortcut. Control-click the image, choose Quick Actions, then Convert Image, per Apple's Quick Actions page. Apple's page names .jpeg and .png as example output formats 

JPG to PNG Transparent: What Conversion Cannot Do

A converted PNG is not transparent. JPEG has no alpha channel, so a JPG has no transparent pixels to carry over. The white or colored background stays as solid pixels.

To get a transparent PNG, remove the background in an image editor or a background-removal tool, then export as PNG. Filo converts the file format. It does not remove backgrounds.

How to Convert JPG to PNG in Filo

If you only do this once, the built-in methods above are fine. If you need to convert dozens of photos, or you would rather not upload client images to a web tool, do it on your phone. Filo batch processes 50 or more files at once.

1. Open Filo on iOS or Android and tap Image Converter [VERIFY UI LABEL].
2. Select your JPG photos. Tap several to batch them.
3. Choose PNG from the output format list.
4. Tap Convert.
5. Save the PNGs to your device or share them.

Conversion takes seconds, and the files never leave your phone. Web converters ask you to upload each file instead. Adobe Express's free tool, for example, takes uploads up to 40 MB. Filo is free on iOS and Android with no account or sign-up. It is supported by ads, which need a connection. The conversion itself runs offline. It has 4.8 stars and 100,000+ downloads.

Convert 50 photos in one go. App Store · Google Play

Need the other direction? See PNG to JPG. Phone photos in HEIC? Start with HEIC to JPG.

FAQ

Conclusion

JPG to PNG conversion changes the format, not the picture. Use Paint, Preview or the iPhone Files app for a few images. For a whole folder, or for photos you would rather not upload, Filo converts them on your phone. Free on iOS and Android, no account. App Store · Google Play