What Is a HEIC File? The HEIC Format Explained
Updated 2 November 2026 · 2 min read
You took a photo on an iPhone, sent it to a computer, and got a file ending in .heic that will not open. Here is what that format is, why Apple uses it, and the quickest ways to open it or turn it into a JPG.
Free toolHEIC to JPG ConverterOpenWhat is a HEIC file?
HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is Apple's name for photos saved in HEIF, the High Efficiency Image File Format. Since iOS 11 in 2017, iPhones save camera photos as HEIC by default. A .heic file is still a normal photo; it is just packed in a newer, tighter way than JPG.
The HEIC format squeezes pictures with the same kind of compression used for modern video (HEVC). That is how an iPhone photo can look as good as a JPG at about half the size, so the same storage holds roughly twice as many photos.
HEIC vs JPG
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size for the same quality | About half | Bigger |
| Opens on iPhone and Mac | Yes | Yes |
| Opens on Windows | Only with extra extensions | Yes |
| Opens on older Android phones | Often not | Yes |
| Accepted by websites and forms | Rarely | Almost always |
| Transparency and extra colour detail | Supported | No |
| Several images in one file (Live Photos, bursts) | Supported | No |
In short: HEIC is better for storing photos on your phone, JPG is better for sharing them. That is why most problems appear the moment a HEIC photo leaves the iPhone.
How to open HEIC files
- iPhone and iPad: they open in Photos like any other picture.
- Mac: Photos and Preview open HEIC files directly.
- Windows 10 and 11: install the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, then the Photos app can open them.
- Android: recent phones open HEIC in the gallery or Google Photos; older ones may not.
- Anywhere: convert them to JPG, which every device and program opens.
How to convert HEIC to JPG
- Open the HEIC to JPG Converter on ToolsTree, on your phone or computer.
- Choose one or many .heic files.
- Keep JPG and High quality selected.
- Download each JPG, or all of them together as a ZIP.
The conversion runs in your browser, so your photos are not uploaded anywhere. The JPG also leaves out the GPS location stored in the original photo.
How to make your iPhone save JPG instead
On the iPhone open Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPG (and videos as H.264). Photos you already took stay HEIC. When you share photos by AirDrop, mail or messages, the iPhone often converts them to JPG on the way, which is why some shared photos arrive as JPG already.
Is HEIC safe to delete or keep?
HEIC is not a virus or a strange file; it is simply your photo. Keep the HEIC originals if you have space, because they hold a little more colour detail, and make JPG copies whenever you need to send or upload a photo.
Try it now: HEIC to JPG Converter
Turn iPhone HEIC photos into JPG in seconds. No software to install, no account, and the photos never leave your device.