HEIC is the photo format iPhones use by default since iOS 11 (2017). It is an HEIF image (a container standardised by MPEG) compressed with the HEVC / H.265 codec, and it stores a photo in about half the space of a JPEG of similar quality. Its weakness is compatibility: Windows, most web browsers and many websites still cannot open it — the converter above turns HEIC into JPG in your browser.
HEIC, HEIF, HEVC, AVIF: what the names mean
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| HEIF | High Efficiency Image File Format: the container (ISO/IEC 23008-12), finalised by MPEG in 2015. It can hold one image or many, plus thumbnails, depth maps and metadata. |
| HEVC / H.265 | The video codec used to compress the pictures inside the container — the same one used for 4K video. |
| .heic | An HEIF file whose images are compressed with HEVC: what an iPhone produces. |
| .heif | The generic extension for HEIF files; some Android phones use it. |
| .avif | Same family of container, but with the royalty-free AV1 codec. Widely supported by web browsers. |
What HEIC can do that JPEG cannot
- Smaller files: roughly half the size of a JPEG at similar visual quality, which is why Apple adopted it to save storage.
- More colour depth: up to 10 bits per channel for HDR photos, against 8 bits for JPEG — fewer bands in skies and gradients.
- Several images in one file: bursts, the still frame of a Live Photo, and the depth map that lets you change the blur of a Portrait photo afterwards.
- Transparency, which JPEG has never supported.
Who can open HEIC (October 2026)
| Platform | Opens HEIC? |
|---|---|
| iPhone, iPad, Mac | Yes, natively |
| Android | Recent versions display HEIC in the gallery; many apps still do not accept it |
| Windows 10 / 11 | Only after installing the HEIF Image Extensions and the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store (the HEVC one is paid on most PCs) |
| Safari | Yes, recent versions |
| Chrome, Edge, Firefox | No |
| Web forms, online shops, print services | Often refused |
The reason is patents: HEVC is covered by licences that cost money to implement, so free software and most browsers avoid it. That is also why AVIF, its royalty-free cousin, spread on the web instead.
Keep HEIC or switch to JPG?
Keeping HEIC on your iPhone is a good choice: it saves storage and keeps the extra data (depth, Live Photos). Convert only the copies you share. If you constantly send photos to Windows users or websites, Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes the iPhone shoot JPG instead.
Converting a photo: HEIC to JPG for sharing, HEIC to PNG for editing, HEIC to PDF for documents.