HEIC file format
High Efficiency Image Container (HEIF) (.heic): storing photos on Apple devices without filling up the storage.
HEIC is the format iPhones and iPads use for photos by default. It compresses images with HEVC (H.265) video technology, so photos take about half the space of a JPG at the same quality. The catch: Windows PCs, many websites, online forms and Android apps cannot open HEIC files, which is why people convert them to JPG.
| Full name | High Efficiency Image Container (HEIF) |
|---|---|
| File extension | .heic, .heif, .hif |
| MIME type | image/heic |
| Created | 2015 by the MPEG group (HEIF standard); Apple made it the iPhone default in 2017 with iOS 11 |
| Compression | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes |
| Animation | No |
| Colors | 8–10 bits per channel |
| Opens on | iPhone, iPad and Mac out of the box; Windows needs extra Microsoft Store extensions; most websites and Android apps do not accept it |
| Best for | storing photos on Apple devices without filling up the storage |
Advantages
- About half the size of JPG
- Keeps 10-bit color and depth/Live Photo data
- Default on every recent iPhone
Drawbacks
- Not supported on most Windows PCs without paid extensions
- Rejected by many websites and upload forms
- Only Safari can display it in a browser
Convert HEIC to…
Frequently asked questions
What is a .heic file?
HEIC is the format iPhones and iPads use for photos by default. It compresses images with HEVC (H.265) video technology, so photos take about half the space of a JPG at the same quality. The catch: Windows PCs, many websites, online forms and Android apps cannot open HEIC files, which is why people convert them to JPG.
How do I open a HEIC file?
On iPhone, iPad and Mac, HEIC opens in Photos and Preview. On Windows 10/11, install “HEIF Image Extensions” and “HEVC Video Extensions” from the Microsoft Store (the HEVC one is usually paid) — or simply convert the file to JPG here, which works on any computer.
Is HEIC lossless?
No, HEIC uses lossy compression: some detail is discarded to make files smaller.
How do I convert HEIC?
Use one of the converters below — they run in your browser, so your images are never uploaded. Most popular: HEIC to JPG, HEIC to PNG, HEIC to WebP.