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What is a HEIC file?
A HEIC file is a photo saved in the High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF), with the picture itself compressed by the HEVC codec, the same codec used for H.265 video. The name comes from "HEIF with HEVC". Apple made it the default camera format with iOS 11 in 2017.
Apple picked it because it is efficient. A HEIC photo usually takes up much less space than a JPEG of the same scene at similar visual quality, which adds up fast on a phone holding thousands of pictures. The container can also hold extra data, such as the depth map a portrait shot uses.
You will also see .heif files now and then. They use the same container, and most tools that read one read the other. The Wikipedia entry on HEIF covers the standard's history if you want the details.
Why Windows can't open the HEIC extension
The file is not broken. Windows can read the HEIF container, but it needs an HEVC decoder to turn the compressed data back into pixels. HEVC is covered by patent licences, so Microsoft does not ship the decoder with every copy of Windows. Without it you get a blank thumbnail in File Explorer, and the Photos app shows an error or a prompt to get an extension.
The same gap shows up elsewhere. Many web upload forms, older photo editors and office tools reject .heic files, and Chrome and Firefox will not display them as images on a web page. That is why a photo that looks fine on your iPhone can suddenly become "unsupported" once it leaves the Apple world.
How to open a HEIC file on Windows
You have three options. Pick the first if you only need to view the photos on your own PC, and the third if you need to send them to someone else.
Install the HEIF and HEVC image extensions
Windows reads HEIC photos once two small add-ons from the Microsoft Store are installed:
- HEIF Image Extensions, which is free and teaches Windows the HEIF container.
- HEVC Video Extensions, which supplies the decoder for the image data. Search for it in the Microsoft Store app. It usually costs a small fee.
On many Windows 11 PCs the HEIF extension is already installed, but the HEVC decoder often is not. If HEIC photos still won't open on Windows 11, the missing HEVC extension is the usual reason.
Open HEIC files in Windows 10
The steps are the same on Windows 10:
- Open the Microsoft Store app and search for "HEIF Image Extensions". Install it.
- Search for "HEVC Video Extensions" and install it too.
- Close and reopen the Photos app, then double-click the .heic file again.
- Restart File Explorer or sign out and back in if thumbnails still look blank.
Tip: the extensions only help on the PC where you install them. If you email a HEIC photo to a colleague, they may still be unable to open it. For sharing, a JPEG copy is the safer choice.
Convert HEIC to JPEG without installing anything
If you cannot install software on the machine, or you need a file anyone can open, convert the photo to JPEG. Converting from HEIC to JPEG is lossy, and the JPEG is usually larger than the original HEIC, so keep the originals if you want the best copy.
How to stop your iPhone saving HEIC photos
To stop the problem at the source, change one of two iPhone settings. Apple explains both in its guide to HEIF and HEVC media.
| Setting | Where to find it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Most Compatible | Settings > Camera > Formats | The camera saves new photos as JPEG from now on. Photos take up more space on the phone. |
| Automatic transfer | Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC | The phone keeps HEIC, but converts photos to a compatible format when you copy them to a computer over a cable. |
For most Windows users the transfer setting is the better choice. Your phone keeps the space savings of HEIC, and the PC receives files it can open.
HEIC vs JPEG: which format should you keep?
Neither is better everywhere. HEIC wins on storage and JPEG wins on compatibility.
| HEIC | JPEG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size at similar quality | Smaller | Larger |
| Opens on Windows out of the box | Often not | Yes |
| Accepted by web forms and older software | Hit and miss | Almost everywhere |
| Extra data such as depth maps | Supported | No |
| Best use | Storing photos on Apple devices | Sharing, uploading, printing |
A simple rule: keep your library in HEIC if you mostly use Apple devices, and export a JPEG copy whenever a photo has to go somewhere else.
Can you make HEIC files smaller?
Yes. Even though HEIC is already efficient, a batch of photos from a recent iPhone can still take up a lot of room in cloud storage or an email. The SimpleSize HEIC compressor re-encodes HEIC and HEIF files at a quality you choose, from 10 to 100 percent with 82 as the default. The output stays HEIC, so it will not solve the Windows problem, but it does make the files lighter to store and send.
Each image can be up to 40 MB. Files are processed on the server and returned to your browser, not stored. If you have a mix of formats, the image compressor takes JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, AVIF, HEIC and TIFF with the same quality slider. For attachment caps, see our guide to email attachment size limits.
Shrink your iPhone photosCompress HEIC files and keep the format
iPhone photos eating your storage?
Drop your HEIC or HEIF files, set the quality, and download smaller copies that stay in the same format.
Frequently asked questions
Since iOS 11 the iPhone camera saves photos in HEIC by default, because the files are smaller than JPEGs at similar quality. If your phone's transfer setting is set to keep originals, the PC receives those HEIC files unchanged. Set Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic to get compatible files instead.
At the same file size, HEIC usually keeps more detail than JPEG because HEVC compression is more efficient. Looked at the other way, it reaches similar quality with a smaller file. The trade-off is compatibility: JPEG opens almost everywhere, while HEIC often needs extra codecs on Windows and is rejected by some websites and older apps.
Yes, a little. Both formats are lossy, so decoding a HEIC and saving it as JPEG compresses the image a second time. At a high JPEG quality setting the difference is hard to see, but the JPEG is usually larger than the original HEIC. Keep the HEIC originals and convert copies only when you need to share them.
The HEIF extension handles the container, but the image data inside is HEVC-compressed. Windows also needs the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store to decode it. Install both, then reopen the Photos app. If thumbnails in File Explorer still look blank, restart Explorer or sign out and back in.
Sometimes. Many upload forms only accept JPEG, PNG or WebP and reject .heic files, and Chrome and Firefox do not display HEIC images on web pages. If a form refuses your photo, export or convert it to JPEG first. For large batches, compress the files before uploading so they stay under the size limit.