What Is HEIC? iPhone Photo Format Explained
HEIC is the iPhone's default photo format: smaller than JPG, but not supported everywhere. What it is, HEIC vs JPG, and how to share HEIC photos.
By PictureToLink Team · · 8 min read
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HEIC is the file format iPhones use for photos by default. It is a HEIF image (High Efficiency Image File Format) whose picture is compressed with HEVC, the same technology used for efficient video, and Apple says it uses less storage than JPEG at the same visual quality. The catch is compatibility: most web browsers, many websites and some Windows PCs cannot open HEIC files, so you often need to share them as JPG instead.
What is the difference between HEIC and HEIF?
HEIF is the container format, an international standard (ISO/IEC 23008-12) that holds image data plus metadata. HEIC is what you get when the image inside a HEIF container is encoded with HEVC, also called H.265. In everyday use, "HEIC photo" and "HEIF photo" mean the same thing: an iPhone or iPad photo in Apple's high-efficiency format.
The two names are related but not identical.
- HEIF is the container format. The US Library of Congress describes it as an international standard defined by MPEG-H Part 12 (ISO/IEC 23008-12), first published by ISO in 2017. A container holds the image data plus metadata, and can hold a single image, a collection of images or an image sequence.
- HEIC is what you get when the image inside a HEIF container is encoded with HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding, also called H.265). The
.heicextension is used for HEIF files containing HEVC-coded images, according to the same Library of Congress record.
When Apple adopted it
Apple announced HEIF at its 2017 developer conference and introduced it with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. Apple's support article on HEIF and HEVC media lists iPhone 7 and later among the devices that capture in these formats, along with recent iPads and Apple Vision Pro.
HEIC is not Apple-only. The Library of Congress notes that some cameras, including certain Canon models, also save HEIF, and that playback is supported in Android from version 8.0.
What it can store
Because HEIF is a container, a single HEIC file can carry more than one flat picture. It can store image sequences, and it stores metadata such as the date, camera settings and (if location services were on for the Camera) GPS coordinates. That metadata matters for privacy when you share photos; our guide to EXIF data explains what it reveals.
Is HEIC smaller than JPG?
HEIC files are smaller than JPG at the same visual quality, according to Apple: HEIF and HEVC "offer better compression than JPEG and H.264, so they use less storage space" on your devices and in iCloud Photos, "while preserving the same visual quality". The trade-off is compatibility, because many websites and browsers cannot open HEIC.
In practice that means:
| HEIC | JPG (JPEG) | |
|---|---|---|
| File size for the same visual quality | Smaller (per Apple) | Larger |
| Default on iPhone | Yes ("High Efficiency") | Only with "Most Compatible" |
| Opens in web browsers | Safari 17 and later only | Every browser |
| Accepted by websites and forms | Often rejected | Almost always accepted |
| Opens on Windows | Needs Microsoft Store extensions | Yes, built in |
| Opens on Android | Playback supported from Android 8.0 | Yes |
We are not quoting a percentage saving because Apple does not publish one, and the difference varies from photo to photo. What matters most for you is the trade-off: HEIC saves space on your phone, JPG saves trouble when you share.
Is HEIC better quality?
Not in the sense of "more detail from the camera". Both formats are lossy, meaning they discard some information to save space. HEIC is more efficient, so at the same file size it can keep more detail, or at the same quality it can be smaller. Converting a HEIC photo to JPG does not restore anything, and converting a JPG to HEIC does not add quality either. For background on how lossy formats trade quality for size, see our guide to image file formats.
Where does HEIC not work?
HEIC fails in most web browsers (only Safari 17 and later supports it), in many upload forms that only accept JPG and PNG, on Windows PCs without Microsoft's HEIF and HEVC extensions, and in some older photo editors, office software and email programs. Our own uploader is an exception: it accepts HEIC photos and converts them to JPG in your browser before they upload.
This is where most people run into trouble.
Web browsers
According to Can I use, only Safari 17 and later (on Mac and iOS) supports HEIC images. Chrome, Firefox and Edge do not. So if you put a HEIC file on a web page, most visitors see nothing.
Websites, forms and image hosts
Many upload forms only accept JPG and PNG. Job portals, government forms, online shops and many forums will reject a HEIC file or show an "unsupported format" error.
The PictureToLink uploader does accept HEIC. When you add a HEIC photo, it is converted to JPG in your browser, at up to 1920 pixels on the long side, and the JPG is what uploads; the stored file is a JPG. A few HEIF variants, such as burst or depth photos, may not convert. If that happens, the uploader tells you, and you can use our free HEIC to JPG converter or export the photo as JPEG from the Photos app.
Windows PCs
Windows needs extra components to open HEIC. Microsoft's HEIF Image Extension "enables Windows to read and write files that use the High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) format", and its Store listing notes that the HEVC Video Extensions package must also be installed to view images in .heic files.
Older software
Older photo editors, office software and some email programs may not open HEIC files at all. When in doubt, send a JPG.
How do I open HEIC files on Windows?
Double-click the HEIC file first: if it opens in the Photos app, you are done. If not, install Microsoft's HEIF Image Extension and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, then open the photo again. Check the price shown in the Store before you install.
Step by step:
- Double-click the HEIC file. If it opens in the Photos app, you are done.
- If it does not, open the Microsoft Store and install the HEIF Image Extension.
- Install HEVC Video Extensions as well. Microsoft's listing for the HEIF extension says this package is required for
.heicfiles. Check the price shown in the Store before you install. - Open the photo again in Photos.
If you only need a handful of photos, it is often easier to convert them to JPG before they reach your PC (see the next section).
On a Mac
Macs running macOS High Sierra or later open HEIC in Preview and Photos without extra software. Apple's Preview guide shows how to convert an image to another format: open the file, choose File > Export, then pick JPEG from the Format pop-up menu. A quality slider appears so you can balance size and quality.
Sharing HEIC photos as JPG
You have several ways to make sure the person or website at the other end gets a JPG.
Let your iPhone convert automatically
Apple says that when you share by AirDrop, Messages or email, photos "might automatically be shared in a more compatible format, such as JPEG" if the recipient's device does not support HEIF. That is helpful, but you cannot always count on it, especially when uploading to websites.
Convert when you copy to a computer
When you import photos into Photos, Image Capture or a PC, they might be converted to JPEG. Apple's same support article explains that this depends on the Transfer to Mac or PC setting in Settings > Apps > Photos. Leave it on Automatic if you want compatible files on your computer; choose Keep Originals only if you want the HEIC files themselves.
Shoot in JPG from now on
If you constantly hit HEIC problems, switch the camera to JPEG in Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible. Your photos will be larger, but they will work everywhere. Our step-by-step guide on changing iPhone photos to JPG covers the setting, the transfer option and the pros and cons.
Convert individual photos
- On a Mac: Preview's File > Export, as described above.
- On Windows: with the extensions installed, open the photo in an editor that supports HEIC and save a copy as JPG.
- On iPhone: Apple's Shortcuts app includes "transform" actions that can convert content to a different format, so you can build a shortcut that converts a photo to JPEG.
Then make it smaller
Converting HEIC to JPG often makes the file bigger. If the result is too large for an email or an upload form, run the JPG through our image compressor, which works in your browser and can aim for a target such as under 100 KB.
Quick answers
Can I just rename .heic to .jpg? No. Renaming changes the label, not the data inside. Many apps will refuse to open the file or show an error.
Does converting to JPG lose quality? A little, because JPG is lossy and the photo is encoded again. At a high JPG quality setting the difference is hard to see in normal viewing.
Should I turn HEIC off? Only if compatibility problems cost you more than the storage you save. Many people keep High Efficiency on and convert the occasional photo when needed.
Next step
If a HEIC photo was just rejected by a website, the fastest fix is to export it as JPG (or switch your camera to Most Compatible), then compress it to the size the site asks for. If you only need a shareable link, upload the HEIC photo as it is: it's converted to JPG for you.