What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is the photo format iPhones and iPads use by default. It delivers high-quality pictures in small files, yet many computers, apps and websites still cannot open it. This guide explains what HEIC is, where it comes from, why it causes problems and how to turn it into a PNG or JPG for free.
Converters for this format
What HEIC and HEIF mean
HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File Format, a container standard published by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). A HEIF file can hold one or more images together with extras such as thumbnails, depth information and metadata like the capture date and location.
HEIC is the variant of HEIF whose images are compressed with HEVC, also known as H.265, the codec used for much of today's high-definition video. Files carry the extension .heic or .heif, and in everyday use the two names are treated as the same thing. Most files you will come across end in .heic, because that is what Apple devices write.
Which devices create HEIC files
Apple moved its cameras to HEIC with iOS 11 in 2017. Since then iPhones and iPads save photos as HEIC whenever the camera format is set to High Efficiency, which is the default. You can check this under Settings > Camera > Formats, where Most Compatible switches new photos back to JPG.
Macs open HEIC files natively, and the Photos app keeps them in that format when you import from an iPhone. Outside the Apple world, some Android phones offer HEIF as an optional photo format, and several mirrorless and professional cameras can save HEIF files instead of, or next to, JPG.
The appeal is storage. HEVC compression can keep a photo looking essentially the same while using roughly half the space a JPG would need, a saving that adds up quickly across a library of thousands of pictures.
Why HEIC files won't open on Windows and some websites
HEVC is covered by patents and licence fees, so not every software maker ships a decoder for it. On Windows 10 and 11 the HEIF Image Extensions are often already installed, but they cannot decode HEIC photos on their own: the Photos app also needs the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, which are usually missing and not always free. Older versions of Windows and many third-party programs cannot read HEIC at all.
Web browsers are in a similar position. Safari can display HEIC images on recent Apple systems, but most other browsers cannot, so websites and online forms usually accept only formats such as JPG, PNG or WebP. Try to upload a HEIC photo to one of them and you may get an error message or a broken preview.
Sharing runs into the same wall. Send a HEIC to a friend on Windows or an older Android phone and they may not be able to view it. An iPhone converts photos to JPG automatically in some situations, for instance when Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC is set to Automatic, but files copied by other routes often stay HEIC.
How to open or convert a HEIC file
The most reliable fix is to convert the photo to a format that opens everywhere. Use HEIC to PNG when you want a lossless copy for editing or need to keep transparency. Use HEIC to JPG when you want compact files that are easy to email, upload and share, with a quality setting you control.
Both converters on this site run entirely in your browser. Your photos are decoded on your own device and never uploaded, there is nothing to install, and they work in any modern browser on a computer or phone. You can add many files at once and save the results individually or as a single zip archive.
Keep your original HEIC files if the capture date, location and camera details matter to you: the converted images contain the picture only, without that metadata.
Frequently asked questions
Is HEIC better than JPG?
For storage, usually yes: HEIC achieves similar quality in smaller files and supports extras such as transparency and 10-bit colour. For compatibility, JPG wins, because almost every device, program and website can open it.
Are HEIC and HEIF the same thing?
Almost. HEIF is the container format, and HEIC is a HEIF file whose images use HEVC compression. Photos labelled HEIF on phones are normally HEIC files, and the converters here accept both the .heic and the .heif extension.
Can Windows open HEIC files?
Only with the right codecs. The HEIF Image Extensions are often preinstalled, but HEIC photos also need the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, and even then not every program uses them. Converting to JPG or PNG gives you a file that any Windows application can open.
How do I stop my iPhone from taking HEIC photos?
Open Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG. Pictures you already took stay in HEIC, so convert those separately when you need them in another format.
Does converting a HEIC file reduce its quality?
Converting to PNG stores the decoded pixels exactly, so nothing more is lost. Converting to JPG compresses the image again, but at the default quality setting the difference is very hard to see.