What Is a HEIC File?
HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones. Here's everything you need to know about it — and how to convert it when you need to.
Need to Convert a HEIC File Right Now?
Drop your HEIC file below — instant conversion to JPG, PNG, or PDF. Free and private.
Converter component renders here
HEIC Explained in Simple Terms
HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is the file format your iPhone uses to save photos. Every time you take a picture with an iPhone running iOS 11 or later, it creates a .heic file instead of the traditional .jpg file.
Think of HEIC as the successor to JPG. It produces photos that look identical to JPG but take up roughly half the storage space. For a 64 GB iPhone, this effectively doubles the number of photos you can store.
HEIC was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and is based on the HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) standard. Apple was the first major company to adopt it as a default format in 2017 with the release of iOS 11.
Why Does Your iPhone Use HEIC?
Apple switched from JPG to HEIC for one primary reason: storage efficiency. A single HEIC photo uses about 50% less space than the same photo saved as JPG, with no visible quality difference. On a phone with limited storage, this matters enormously.
Beyond smaller file sizes, HEIC supports features that JPG simply cannot offer. It stores 16-bit color depth (JPG is limited to 8-bit), which means smoother gradients and more accurate colors. It supports transparency, similar to PNG files. And it can store multiple images in a single file — this is how Live Photos work on iPhone, combining a still image and a short video clip.
HEIC also stores depth map data from the iPhone's dual-camera system, which enables Portrait Mode's background blur effect. This depth information would be lost if photos were saved as JPG.
The downside is compatibility. While HEIC is technically superior to JPG, it is not yet universally supported across all devices, software, and platforms. This creates friction when you try to share iPhone photos with the wider world.
How to Open HEIC Files on Different Devices
On Windows
Windows 10 and 11 can display HEIC files if you install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Search for 'HEIF Image Extensions' in the Store and install it. After installation, HEIC files will open in the Photos app and show thumbnails in File Explorer. For editing, you'll still need to convert to JPG or PNG since many Windows applications don't support HEIC natively.
On Mac
macOS has built-in HEIC support since High Sierra (10.13). You can open, view, and edit HEIC files in Preview, Photos, and most Mac applications. To convert a HEIC file on Mac, open it in Preview, then go to File > Export and choose JPEG or PNG as the output format.
On Android
Android 10 and later can open HEIC files in the Google Photos app and most modern gallery apps. Support varies by manufacturer and device model. If your Android phone can't open a HEIC file, converting it to JPG using an online converter is the quickest solution.
On the Web
Use an online HEIC converter like the one at the top of this page. No software installation needed — just drag your HEIC file into the converter and download the result as JPG, PNG, or PDF.
How to Stop Your iPhone from Saving HEIC Files
If you prefer your iPhone to save photos directly as JPG instead of HEIC, you can change this in Settings. Go to Settings → Camera → Formats, then select 'Most Compatible' instead of 'High Efficiency'. After this change, all new photos will be saved as .jpg files.
Keep in mind that switching to JPG means your photos will take up roughly twice as much storage space. If storage is a concern, it may be more practical to keep HEIC as the default and convert individual photos when needed.
You can also set your iPhone to automatically convert to JPG when sharing. Go to Settings → Photos, and under 'Transfer to Mac or PC', select 'Automatic'. This tells your iPhone to convert HEIC to JPG when transferring photos via USB or AirDrop to non-Apple devices.
HEIC vs HEIF — What's the Difference?
HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) is the broader standard that defines how images are stored. HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple's specific implementation of HEIF that uses HEVC (H.265) compression for the image data.
In practice, .heic and .heif files are nearly identical and can be converted using the same tools. The distinction is mostly technical: HEIF defines the container format, while HEIC specifies what compression codec is used inside that container.
Some cameras and devices save files with the .heif extension rather than .heic. These files work with the same converters and can be opened by the same software.
HEIC vs JPG vs PNG — Format Comparison
Understanding how HEIC compares to other common formats helps you decide when to convert and what to convert to.
| Feature | HEIC | JPG | PNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| File size (typical 12MP photo) | ~2.5 MB | ~5 MB | ~15 MB |
| Compression type | Lossy (HEVC) | Lossy (DCT) | Lossless |
| Visual quality | Excellent | Good | Perfect (lossless) |
| Transparency | Yes | No | Yes |
| Color depth | Up to 16-bit | 8-bit | Up to 16-bit |
| Animation support | Yes (Live Photos) | No | No (use APNG) |
| Universal compatibility | Limited | Universal | Universal |
| Best for | iPhone storage | Sharing & web | Editing & graphics |
| Browser support | Safari only | All browsers | All browsers |
| Metadata (EXIF) | Full support | Full support | Limited |
For everyday sharing and maximum compatibility, convert HEIC to JPG. For editing, transparency, or archival, convert to PNG. Keep the original HEIC on your iPhone for storage efficiency.
The Future of HEIC
HEIC support is expanding steadily. Windows, Android, and major browsers are gradually adding native support. However, full universal compatibility — where you never need to think about format conversion — is still years away.
HEIC also faces competition from AVIF, a newer format backed by Google, Mozilla, and others that offers even better compression. Apple is expected to eventually support AVIF alongside HEIC, which could further fragment the image format landscape.
For the foreseeable future, HEIC to JPG/PNG conversion will remain necessary for most users who share photos across different devices and platforms.