When you take a photo using your iPhone and then email it to a colleague, or transfer it from the phone to a Windows PC, or attempt to attach it to a government form, the other end replies with some version of the same thing: this file type is not supported.
The file has the .heic extension, and if in your entire life you've never given any thought to photo formats, this is generally when you begin to do so.
What HEIC actually is
Since iOS 11 was released in 2017, Apple has used HEIC as the default photo format on all of its iPhones. HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container, and the "high efficiency" part is not misleading: HEIC employs the same compression technology used in modern video (HEVC, the codec behind 4K streaming) so that a photo can be stored in about half the space of an equivalent JPG at the same visual quality.
It was a straightforward decision for Apple. Photos are the most important thing on most people's phones, and shrinking them means a 128 GB iPhone stores twice as many memories. Within the Apple ecosystem you never actually notice the format, because everything from iPhone to iPad to Mac and on to iCloud works perfectly.
The problem arises as soon as a HEIC file leaves that ecosystem.
Why nothing else opens it
The compression technique used in HEIC is protected by a multitude of patents, and obtaining licenses for those patents involves paying money, which is the reason support outside Apple has been slow and reluctant:
- Windows does not provide full support for HEIC right from the start. Windows 10 and 11 are able to open certain HEIC files after the HEIF Image Extensions have been obtained from the Microsoft Store, and in some cases you might also be directed to a separate HEVC codec. Many office PCs are locked down and cannot install either.
- Older Android phones do not have HEIC support at all, and even the more recent models deal with it inconsistently from app to app.
- Websites and upload forms are the most problematic of the lot. Job applications, government portals, insurance claims, school systems: a large number of upload forms accept only JPG and PNG, since that has been the case with the web for thirty years.
- Printers, photo kiosks, digital frames, and the majority of embedded devices have never come across it.
None of it is your fault, and it doesn't mean the photo is broken. It only needs to be translated.
The fix: convert HEIC to JPG in your browser
The quickest solution is to convert the file into JPG, since that is the format understood by every device in the world. You can carry out the conversion right here: convert HEIC to JPG.
- Place your HEIC files on the converter (three can be converted at a time for free, more with Pro).
- JPG is selected by default. Click Convert.
- Download the JPG files and send them wherever you want.
It's worth knowing how this process works: the conversion takes place completely within your browser. Your photos are never sent to us or to anyone else, since no server is involved in the operation. This matters more with photos than with almost any other kind of file, because photos taken on your phone contain embedded metadata that may include the precise GPS location where they were taken. If you uploaded your camera roll to a random online converter, you'd be giving away a little map of where you've been. Carrying out the conversion on your own device means there's no such problem.
HEIC to PNG works in the same way if you need transparency or a lossless file for editing, and HEIC to WebP produces the smaller files browsers prefer for sharing on the modern web.
Stop the problem at the source
If you're converting iPhone photos every week, you can tell the iPhone to stop shooting HEIC entirely:
Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. From that moment on, the camera saves JPG directly.
There is also a more moderate middle ground. Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic keeps HEIC on the phone (so you continue to benefit from the storage savings) but converts photos to JPG automatically when you transfer them over USB.
The compromise involved in choosing "Most Compatible" is genuine, since JPG files are about twice as large and your phone's storage fills up more quickly. When you're short on space, continue shooting HEIC and convert only the photos that need to travel.
When HEIC is actually the right choice
Giving the format its due: if all your photos exist within Apple's world, HEIC is the better choice. It provides the same quality in half the storage space, and it includes features JPG lacks, such as 10-bit color and photo bursts kept in a single file. The format isn't bad. It's just ahead of the world's ability to read it.
Common questions
Will converting HEIC to JPG result in a loss of quality? Although JPG is a lossy format, we use a quality setting of 92%, the level professional-grade tools normally default to. With photographs, the difference is not noticeable. What you can't do is gain quality: a JPG created from a HEIC is as good as the HEIC, never superior.
What about Live Photos? A Live Photo is in fact a photo together with a small video. Converting the HEIC gives you the still image, which is what upload forms and other devices want anyway.
Why does my iPhone at times send JPG all by itself? When you share through certain apps (Mail, some messengers), it converts automatically. With direct file transfers and cloud storage services the original HEIC is retained, which is the situation where the problem occurs.
Will Windows ever simply support it? Support is gradually getting better, but "install this codec from the Store" has been the answer for eight years, and locked-down work machines will continue to struggle for many years to come. JPG is still the format that never needs an explanation.