What is HEIC? Everything You Need to Know in 2025

HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones since 2017. Here's what it is, why Apple uses it, and how to work with it on any device.

If you own an iPhone, every photo you take is stored in HEIC format — whether you realize it or not. Since iOS 11 (2017), Apple has quietly defaulted to this format for all photos. Here’s everything you need to know about HEIC and how to handle it.

What Does HEIC Stand For?

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It’s a file format based on the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) standard, using the HEVC (H.265) codec for compression. In simple terms, it’s a modern image format that stores photos in roughly half the file size of traditional JPG.

Why Did Apple Choose HEIC?

The math is compelling. The average iPhone user takes over 1,000 photos per year. By switching from JPG to HEIC, Apple achieved:

Metric	JPG	HEIC	Savings
Average 12MP photo	3.5 MB	1.7 MB	51%
1,000 photos	3.5 GB	1.7 GB	1.8 GB saved
4K burst (10 shots)	35 MB	17 MB	18 MB saved

Beyond file size, HEIC supports features that JPG simply can’t:

16-bit color depth — smoother gradients and more accurate colors
Depth maps — the portrait mode bokeh data is stored inside the HEIC file
Live Photos — the 3-second video clip lives alongside the still image
Transparency — like PNG, but in a fraction of the file size
Non-destructive edits — iOS stores your edits as instructions, keeping the original intact

The Compatibility Problem

Despite being technically superior, HEIC faces one major issue: not everything supports it.

Works natively:

iOS and iPadOS (11+)
macOS (High Sierra+)
Latest Android (varies by manufacturer)
Chrome, Safari, Firefox (recent versions)

Doesn’t work well:

Many Windows applications (without a codec extension)
Older Android devices
Many web CMS and upload forms
Print services
Some email clients

This is exactly why converters like iheic.com exist — to bridge the gap between Apple’s efficient format and everyone else’s expectations.

How to Open HEIC Files

On iPhone/iPad

They open natively — you’ve been viewing HEIC files all along.

On Mac

Supported natively since macOS High Sierra. Just double-click.

On Windows

Install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store, or use a browser-based converter.

On Android

Most modern Android phones support HEIC, but if yours doesn’t, convert to JPG first.

Converting HEIC to Other Formats

The most common conversions:

HEIC to JPG — for universal sharing (most popular)
HEIC to PNG — when you need lossless quality or transparency
HEIC to WebP — for web-optimized images
HEIC to PDF — for document workflows (merge multiple photos)

All conversions on iheic.com happen locally in your browser using WebAssembly — nothing is uploaded to any server.

Should You Disable HEIC on Your iPhone?

You can switch to JPG capture via Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. But I don’t recommend it:

You’ll use roughly 2× more storage
You’ll lose depth map data, Live Photos metadata, and 16-bit color
When you need JPG, it’s easy to convert on the fly

The better approach: shoot in HEIC (High Efficiency), and convert only when sharing. This gives you the best of both worlds.

The Future of Image Formats

HEIC was the first step toward modern image compression. The next evolution is AVIF — based on the royalty-free AV1 codec. AVIF offers even better compression than HEIC, with broader compatibility potential since it doesn’t carry HEVC’s licensing baggage.

You can already convert JPG to AVIF and convert PNG to AVIF on iheic.com. As AVIF support grows, it may eventually become the universal standard that HEIC couldn’t be.