Convert PNG to JPG on your Mac, in bulk, without uploading
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To convert PNG to JPG on a Mac with FileDial, select the PNG files in Finder, hold the right Option key and choose Convert › Convert to JPG. A JPG copy appears beside each PNG and the originals are untouched. To shrink the JPG further, run Compress › Compress. Everything runs on your Mac, offline, with nothing uploaded.
How to do it with FileDial
- Select the PNG files in Finder, such as a folder of screenshots.
- Hold right ⌥ to open the dial.
- Choose Convert › Convert to JPG.
- Optional: choose Compress › Compress on the JPGs for a smaller copy that looks the same.
Your original file stays untouched. The result is saved beside it, and every result has Undo.
Which option to pick
| Tool | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Convert to JPGConvert | When you need smaller, widely accepted photo files from PNGs or screenshots; JPG copy beside the original. |
| Convert to PNGConvert | The reverse: when a tool or site wants PNG instead; PNG copy beside the original. |
| CompressCompress | After converting, for a smaller copy that looks the same. |
PNG or JPG: what changes when you convert
PNG is lossless. It stores every pixel exactly, which is ideal for screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with sharp text or flat colour. It also supports transparency. The downside is size: a PNG of a photo or a busy screen recording frame can be many times larger than it needs to be.
JPG is lossy and built for photographs. It discards fine detail to make files much smaller, which is why upload forms, email and chat apps prefer it. Converting a photographic PNG to JPG is usually an easy win. Converting crisp text or line art can show soft edges or faint artefacts around letters, so check a sample first.
Transparency is the other catch. JPG has no transparent pixels, so a PNG with a transparent background will gain a solid background when converted. Keep the PNG if you need transparency, for example for a logo placed over different colours.
- Photos and screenshots of photos: JPG.
- Logos, icons and transparent graphics: keep PNG.
- Text-heavy screenshots: try JPG, and keep the PNG if edges look soft.
Why not use an online PNG to JPG converter
Screenshots are some of the most sensitive images on a Mac. They capture bank balances, chat threads, email addresses and internal dashboards. Uploading a folder of them to a converter site hands all of that to a stranger. The FBI warned in March 2025 that free converter sites can scrape exactly this kind of information, including emails, passwords and banking details, and may return files carrying malware.
Cybernews reported in July 2024 that two online document services had exposed 89,062 uploaded files through open cloud storage, and that the providers did not respond. With FileDial, converting a screenshot never leaves your Mac.
Other ways to convert PNG to JPG on a Mac
Preview handles single files well: open the PNG, choose File › Export, choose JPEG in the Format menu and set the quality. On recent macOS versions, select PNGs in Finder, right-click and choose Quick Actions › Convert Image, then choose JPEG. That Quick Action works on several files at once.
FileDial adds a few things those routes lack: one gesture for hundreds of files, a result card with the size before and after, Undo on every result, and recipes such as Convert to JPG → Compress so a folder of screenshots becomes small JPGs in a single step. A watched folder can do it automatically.
Questions
Will converting PNG to JPG lose quality?
JPG is a lossy format, so the copy is compressed. For photos this is rarely visible; for sharp text or line art, check the result. Your PNG original is kept beside the JPG either way.
What happens to a transparent background?
JPG cannot store transparency, so transparent areas become a solid background in the JPG copy. Keep the PNG when you need transparency, for example for a logo that sits over different colours.
Can I convert JPG to PNG too?
Yes. Select the JPGs, hold right ⌥ and choose Convert › Convert to PNG. A PNG copy is saved beside each file, and the JPG originals are left as they were.
Can I automate screenshot conversion?
Yes. A watched folder runs a recipe on anything dropped into it, so a recipe like Convert to JPG → Compress can process new screenshots as they arrive.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, a full day with every tool, no card and no account. Then it is $20 once for a lifetime licence on 2 Macs, with a 14-day refund. It needs macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon.