What is a HEIC file?
HEIC — iPhone photo
What is it?
HEIC is the photo format used by iPhones since 2017. It cuts file size roughly in half compared to a JPEG of equivalent quality, which let Apple double the number of photos a phone could store without changing the hardware.
It's not just an image format — it's a container. A single file can hold several photos, a depth map, an animated sequence (Live Photos), or non-destructive edits kept alongside the original.
History & origin
The HEIF container was standardized in 2015 by MPEG. Apple adopted it widely with iOS 11 in 2017, using it to store images compressed with the HEVC codec — hence the .heic extension.
Its spread has been held back by the patents covering HEVC: Windows long required a paid extension to open these files, and many websites still refuse them.
Why it is useful
It's half the size of a JPEG at higher quality. It supports transparency, 10-bit color, and multiple images per file.
Within the Apple ecosystem, everything works seamlessly without the user having to think about it.
Limits & drawbacks
Outside that ecosystem, it's a constant source of headaches: a HEIC file sent to someone on Windows or Android often won't open, and many platforms reject it outright.
The patents behind it explain this lukewarm adoption — and the existence of the royalty-free AVIF as a response.
Practical tips
Always convert your HEIC files to JPEG before sharing them outside an Apple device, or before uploading them to a website.
To avoid the problem at the source: go to Settings, Camera, Formats, and choose "Most Compatible" — your iPhone will switch to JPEG, at the cost of larger files.
Convert your HEIC in seconds, on our secure servers in France.
Convert a HEIC