Format guide
HEIC
High Efficiency Image Container
HEIC is the format your iPhone saves photos as by default since iOS 11 (2017). It's a container around HEVC-compressed image data, roughly half the file size of an equivalent JPEG with no visible quality loss. The catch is compatibility: most non-Apple software still can't open HEIC files without a plugin or conversion step, which is why most iPhone users end up converting them.
How to open a HEIC file
macOS, iOS, and iPadOS open HEIC natively. Windows 10 and 11 require the (paid) HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Most browsers don't display HEIC inline. If you received a HEIC file and don't want to install codecs, converting to JPG is the standard fix.
Primary use
Photos taken on iPhone (the default format since 2017).
Convert HEIC to other formats
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