How to Convert Images on Mac with Right-Click

You took photos on your iPhone and now have dozens of .heic files that nothing can open. Or you need to convert a batch of PNGs to JPEG for a website. Opening each file in Preview and exporting one at a time is painful.

Here are two ways to convert images on macOS: the complex Automator approach and the instant SaneClick approach.

Option 1: The Hard Way (Automator)

Free, built-in, but tedious to set up.

  • 1
    Open Automator and create a "Quick Action"
  • 2
    Set "Workflow receives" to "image files" in "Finder"
  • 3
    Drag in "Change Type of Images" action
  • 4
    Choose your target format (JPEG, PNG, etc.)
  • 5
    Decide if you want to copy or replace originals
  • 6
    Save, name it, and enable in System Settings > Extensions
  • 7
    Repeat the whole process for every other format you need

Result: One workflow per format. No quality control. No batch feedback.

Option 2: The Sane Way (SaneClick)

Pre-built scripts for every conversion you need.

  • ✓
    HEIC to JPEG: Right-click iPhone photos, convert instantly
  • ✓
    Convert to PNG: Any image to PNG with one click
  • ✓
    Convert to JPEG: Optimized at 85% quality by default
  • ✓
    Batch support: Select 100 files, convert all at once
  • ✓
    Smart filtering: Conversion options only appear for image files
Get SaneClick — $6.99

The Formats SaneClick Handles

SaneClick's image scripts work with JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, GIF, BMP, and WebP. The "HEIC to JPEG" script targets iPhone photos specifically, while "Convert to PNG" and "Convert to JPEG" handle everything else. All conversions use macOS's built-in sips engine — no third-party tools required.

Why Not Just Use Preview?

Preview can export one image at a time: File > Export, pick format, pick quality, pick destination, click Save. Do that 50 times for a folder of iPhone photos and you'll understand the problem. SaneClick lets you select all files, right-click, and convert the entire batch in seconds.

Conclusion

If you convert one image a year, Preview works fine. If you regularly deal with HEIC files from your iPhone or need to batch convert images for the web, SaneClick turns a multi-step chore into a single right-click.