GoblinConvert Images turns HEIC photos from an iPhone, or PNG, JPEG, TIFF, WebP and other image files, into PNG or JPG copies. Use it when a site or an app won't take HEIC. Everything happens on your Mac, and the originals are never changed.
Convert images#
- Open the converter. Any of these work:
- Right-click Goblin's menu bar item and choose Image & PDF Tools›Convert Images….
- Open Settings›Capture›General and press Convert Images… under Image Conversion.
- Ask Goblin: "open HEIC converter".
- Drop images on the window, or press Choose Files… and pick them. They appear in a list.
- Next to Convert to, choose PNG or JPG.
- For JPG, drag Quality (10 to 100 percent; 90 percent to begin with). It doesn't apply to PNG.
- Under Save to, press Choose Folder… and pick where the copies should go.
- Press Convert to PNG (or Convert to JPG). A progress bar shows Converting 2 of 5…. Press Stop to cancel; the files already finished stay saved.
- When it finishes, a check mark appears beside each image. Press Show in Finder to see the new files.
The Convert to button stays dimmed until there is at least one image and a folder.
What you get:
- Full-resolution copies with the same name and the new extension. If a file with that name already exists, Goblin adds a number (
Photo 2.jpg) instead of replacing it. - Only the main still image is exported. Camera and location details are left out.
- A JPG can't hold transparency, so a transparent PNG becomes a JPG on a white background.
- A file Goblin can't read shows a red error under its name, and the rest still convert.
Open images in Annotate#
Each row has a pencil button (Open in Annotate), and Annotate All opens every image in the annotation editor. Use Clear to empty the list, or the x on a row to remove one. Neither deletes any file.
Convert from the menu bar#
Drag images to Goblin’s menu bar icon or its Drop on Goblin target. Hover over Convert, then drop on PNG or JPG. You can also drop onto the target first and click those choices. The converter opens with the files and format selected; review its options and press Convert to save. See Drop files on Goblin.
Ask Goblin to convert images#
You can also do all of this by typing or saying commands to Goblin (see GoblinAI settings). They work without Apple Intelligence. Goblin sets the converter up for you but never starts writing files by itself: Start HEIC conversion opens the review, and you press Convert yourself.
| Say or type | What it does |
|---|---|
| "convert HEIC to PNG", "convert HEIC to JPG", "open HEIC converter" | Opens the converter with that format chosen. With no images loaded, Goblin opens the image picker. |
| "add HEIC file /absolute/path/Photo.heic" | Queues a specific file. |
| "choose HEIC files" | Opens the file picker. |
| "set HEIC format jpg" (or "png") | Chooses the format. |
| "set HEIC JPG quality 85%" | Sets JPG quality, 10 through 100 percent. |
| "set HEIC destination /absolute/path/Exports" | Chooses the folder. It must already exist and be writable. |
| "choose HEIC destination" | Opens the folder picker. |
| "Show HEIC status" | Lists the queue: item IDs, full source paths, format, destination, progress, errors and finished outputs. |
| "Remove HEIC image ITEM-ID" | Removes one item. Its full source path works too. Doesn't delete any file. |
| "Clear HEIC queue" | Clears the list. Doesn't delete any file. |
| "Start HEIC conversion" | Prepares the review with the exact queue, format and destination. You press Convert. |
| "Cancel HEIC conversion" | Requests cancellation and closes an open picker. Finished files stay saved. |
| "show HEIC outputs in Finder" | Reveals the finished files. |
Changes to the list are refused while a conversion runs.