How to convert HEIC to AVIF
- Click Choose files or drop your HEIC images into the box above — up to 10 at a time on the free plan.
- Optionally set the quality — AVIF takes a few seconds per photo to encode.
- Conversion starts right away. Download each AVIF file, or click Download all to get them as one ZIP.
HEIC vs AVIF
| HEIC | AVIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | Yes |
| Colors | 8–10 bits per channel | 8, 10 or 12 bits per channel, HDR |
| File size (photos) | Very small (about half of JPG) | Smallest |
| 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 | Chrome 85+, Firefox 93+, Safari 16+; few desktop apps and editors |
| Best for | Storing photos on Apple devices without filling up the storage | The smallest possible web images with high quality |
About HEIC and AVIF
What is HEIC?
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.
- About half the size of JPG
- Keeps 10-bit color and depth/Live Photo data
- Default on every recent iPhone
- Not supported on most Windows PCs without paid extensions
- Rejected by many websites and upload forms
- Only Safari can display it in a browser
What is AVIF?
AVIF is a modern image format based on the royalty-free AV1 video codec. It usually beats both JPG and WebP on file size — often around half of a comparable JPG — and supports transparency, HDR and wide color. Encoding it takes noticeably longer than JPG or WebP, and support outside web browsers is still limited.
- Best compression of any common format
- Transparency, HDR and wide color
- Royalty-free
- Slow to encode
- Limited support in desktop apps and editors
Why GlideConvert?
- Private by design. Your files are converted on your own device by your browser — they are never uploaded to a server. That keeps them private, avoids upload waits and means there is no queue.
- Fast. Images convert in a fraction of a second; video uses your device’s hardware encoder.
- Free. No sign-up, no watermark. 10 images, 5 audio files or one video at a time — Pro lifts the limits and removes ads.
Frequently asked questions
Will converting HEIC to AVIF reduce quality?
AVIF uses lossy compression, but at the default quality of 90% the difference is practically invisible, even though the HEIC was already compressed. Move the quality slider down for smaller files, or up to 100% for the best possible result.
Is transparency kept?
Yes. Transparent and semi-transparent areas are kept as they are.
Will the AVIF file be smaller than the HEIC?
Usually yes — AVIF compresses photos more efficiently than HEIC. The exact saving depends on the image and the quality you choose.
Why are my iPhone photos saved as HEIC?
Since iOS 11 (2017), iPhones and iPads save photos as HEIC because it needs about half the storage of JPG at the same quality. The downside is compatibility: Windows PCs, Android phones and many websites cannot open HEIC files.
How do I make my iPhone take JPG photos instead?
Open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be saved as JPG (and videos as H.264). Photos you already took stay HEIC — convert them here.
Why does AVIF take longer than other formats?
AVIF squeezes images much harder than JPG or WebP, and that takes more computing power — typically one to a few seconds per photo, a bit more on phones.
Can I convert several HEIC images at once?
Yes. The free plan handles 10 images at a time, and you can download everything as a single ZIP. Pro removes the batch limit, converts files in parallel and supports files up to 4 GB.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. GlideConvert runs entirely in your browser: images are processed with the browser’s built-in codecs and WebAssembly, video and audio with hardware-accelerated WebCodecs (or a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg for older formats). Nothing is sent anywhere — you can even disconnect from the internet once the page has loaded.
Does it work on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows?
Yes. It works in any up-to-date browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox or Samsung Internet — on phones, tablets and computers, with nothing to install. On phones, extremely large images may be scaled down to fit within the browser’s memory limit; you will see a note if that happens.