What is a HEIC file? How to open it and convert it to JPG

A HEIC file is a photo saved in the High Efficiency Image Container format, which iPhones and iPads have used by default since iOS 11 in 2017. It looks as good as a JPEG at up to half the size, but plenty of software, websites and older computers can’t open it. Here’s what HEIC is, how to open it on any device, and how to convert it to JPG when you need to.

What is HEIC?

HEIC is Apple’s name for photos stored in HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) and compressed with HEVC, the same H.265 codec used for modern video. Because HEVC is far more efficient than the decades-old JPEG compression, a HEIC photo takes up to half the space of a JPEG at the same visual quality. On a phone with thousands of photos, that adds up to gigabytes.

HEIC can also hold things JPEG can’t: 10-bit colour for smoother gradients, depth maps for Portrait mode, and several images in one file. A Live Photo is a HEIC still plus a short MOV video, stored side by side.

You’ll see the extension as .heic, sometimes .heif or .hif from cameras by other makers.

Why HEIC files won’t open

The catch is support. HEVC is covered by patents and licence fees, so support arrived slowly outside Apple’s own products:

• Windows: needs extra extensions on many PCs (see below).
• Web browsers: Safari can display HEIC; Chrome, Firefox and Edge can’t.
• Websites and apps: many upload forms, from job applications to online shops and government portals, accept only JPG or PNG.
• Older software: older versions of Photoshop, Office and photo editors may not read it.

How to open a HEIC file

On Windows 11 and 10

Recent versions of Windows 11 often open HEIC photos in the Photos app with a double-click. If yours shows an error or asks for a codec, install two components from the Microsoft Store:

1. HEIF Image Extensions, which is free and handles the file container.
2. HEVC Video Extensions, which costs about $0.99 and provides the decoder the photos are compressed with.

Free viewers such as IrfanView and XnView MP can also open HEIC directly. If you just need a few photos as ordinary files, converting them to JPG is quicker than any of this.

On a Mac

macOS opens HEIC natively in Preview and Photos. To make a JPG, open the photo in Preview, choose File → Export and pick JPEG.

On Android

Most recent Android phones can show HEIC photos in their gallery app. Apps and websites you send them to may still refuse them.

In a browser

Safari displays HEIC. In Chrome, Edge or Firefox, the easiest route is a converter that decodes the file inside the page, which is how ours works.

How to convert HEIC to JPG

The HEIC to JPG converter runs entirely in your browser, so private photos are never uploaded.

1. Open HEIC to JPG and drop in one or more .heic files.
2. The output is already set to JPEG. Leave the quality at the default (78) or raise it for printing.
3. Press Download. Several photos come back together as one ZIP.

If a form needs the photo under a certain size, such as 500 KB or 2 MB, switch Compress to Target size and type the number: the tool finds the highest quality that fits.

Stop your iPhone saving HEIC (or convert automatically)

Two settings decide what format your photos end up in:

• Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes the camera save new photos as JPEG. Existing photos stay HEIC, and new ones take roughly twice the space.
• Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic converts photos to JPEG when you copy them to a computer over USB. The originals on the phone stay HEIC.

When you share a photo from an iPhone to an app or person that can’t handle HEIC, iOS often converts it to JPEG for you. Emailing or uploading from a computer is where HEIC files usually cause trouble.

Should you convert HEIC to JPG?

Only when something needs JPG. HEIC is the better format for storage: smaller files with the same quality. Convert copies of the photos you need to share, upload or edit in software that can’t read HEIC, and keep the originals. Converting the other way, JPG to HEIC, saves space but gains no quality.

One thing to know: converting re-encodes the photo from its pixels, so the JPG won’t carry the original’s metadata, such as the date taken and GPS location. That’s handy before posting a photo publicly, but keep the HEIC if you need that information.

Frequently asked questions

What does HEIC stand for?

High Efficiency Image Container. It’s Apple’s name for photos in the HEIF format compressed with HEVC (H.265).

Is HEIC better quality than JPG?

At the same file size, yes: HEIC keeps more detail and supports 10-bit colour. At the same quality, it’s up to half the size.

Why are my iPhone photos HEIC?

Because the camera format is set to High Efficiency, the default since iOS 11. Change it in Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible.

Can I convert HEIC to JPG without losing quality?

JPEG is lossy, but at quality 85–90 the difference is invisible. If you need a truly lossless copy, convert to PNG instead, at a much larger file size.

Is it safe to use an online HEIC converter?

Many online converters upload your photos to a server. A converter that runs in your browser, like ours, keeps them on your device.