HEIC Photos Explained: How to Open and Convert iPhone Photos

Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC instead of JPG — half the file size at the same quality, and the single most common “why won’t this photo open?” cause outside the Apple ecosystem. Here is everything practical about living with HEIC.

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What HEIC is

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) stores photos compressed with HEVC — the H.265 video codec — which is roughly twice as efficient as JPG’s 1992-era compression. That is why Apple switched: the same camera roll fits in half the storage. iPhones, iPads and Macs handle it natively and seamlessly.

Why it won’t open elsewhere

HEVC is patent-encumbered, so support outside Apple was slow and remains patchy: older Windows versions want a paid codec, many Android apps ignore it, and web forms, printers, smart TVs and office software frequently reject it outright. The format is fine — the ecosystem outside Apple just never fully adopted it.

Converting when you need to

For files already on your computer, an in-browser converter handles it without installing codecs or uploading photos anywhere: drop the HEICs in, get JPGs (universal) or PNGs (lossless) back, a whole album at a time. One side effect worth knowing: conversion re-encodes the pixels, which drops the EXIF metadata — including GPS location — from the output. For sharing, that is usually a feature.

Or make your iPhone shoot JPG

If HEIC causes you constant friction, turn it off at the source: Settings → Camera → Formats → “Most Compatible” makes the camera save JPG. You trade storage for compatibility. Alternatively keep HEIC but set Settings → Photos → “Transfer to Mac or PC” to Automatic, and iOS converts to JPG during USB transfers.

AirDrop, email and other escape hatches

iOS already converts to JPG in many share paths — Mail and most messaging apps send JPG automatically. AirDrop between Apple devices keeps HEIC. When a batch has already landed on a PC as .heic files, converting them there is the fastest fix.