How to open iPhone HEIC photos on Windows
Key points
- HEIC is the iPhone's default photo format
- Windows and some sites can't open it
- Convert to JPG, or set the camera to 'Most Compatible'
You copy photos from your iPhone to a computer and the files end in .HEIC and won't open. Nothing is broken: HEIC is simply the format the iPhone uses for photos by default.
What is HEIC?
HEIC is a variant of the HEIF image format. It applies video compression techniques to still photos, so files are much smaller than JPG at similar quality. Apple has used it as the default camera format since iOS 11. It saves space on the phone, but not every app and website can read it yet.
Three ways to get JPG
1. Convert on this site
Drop your photos into iPhone HEIC to JPG and they become JPGs right away. You can convert many at once, and nothing is uploaded.
2. Convert automatically when transferring
On the iPhone, go to Settings → Photos and set Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic. Photos are then converted to JPG when you copy them to a computer over a cable.
3. Shoot in JPG
Under Settings → Camera → Formats, choose Most Compatible. Photos you take from then on are saved as JPG. Existing photos don't change, and each new photo is a bit larger.
Viewing HEIC directly on Windows
The Windows Photos app can open HEIC after you install the HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. That only helps with viewing, though; to upload to sites that reject HEIC, you still need a JPG.
Things to know when converting
- For Live Photos, only the still image becomes a JPG.
- A JPG being larger than the HEIC is normal. If there is a size limit, use compress images as well.
- Menu names can differ slightly depending on your iOS version.