HEIC file format
High Efficiency Image Container (HEIF + HEVC)
HEIC is the photo format iPhones use by default. It stores photos at about half the size of JPG, but many Windows PCs, Android apps and websites can't open it.
| Property | HEIC |
|---|---|
| File extensions | .heic, .heif |
| MIME type | image/heic |
| Introduced | 2015 by MPEG (adopted by Apple in iOS 11) |
| Compression | Lossy (HEVC / H.265) |
| Transparency | Yes (rarely used) |
| Animation | Image sequences, Live Photos |
| Colour depth | 8 or 10-bit, HDR |
| Support | Apple devices; limited on Windows, Android and browsers |
| Best for | Storing phone photos efficiently |
What is a HEIC file?
HEIC is an image stored in the HEIF container (High Efficiency Image File Format, standardised by MPEG in 2015) and compressed with HEVC, the H.265 video codec. Apple made it the default camera format with iOS 11 in 2017, which is why most iPhone photos today are .heic files.
HEIF containers can hold more than a single picture: depth maps for Portrait mode, image sequences for bursts and Live Photos, thumbnails, and 10-bit HDR data. Large photos are often stored as a grid of tiles that are stitched together when decoded.
Strengths and weaknesses of HEIC
HEIC saves roughly half the storage of JPG at similar quality, which matters when your phone holds thousands of photos. It also supports richer colour and HDR.
Compatibility is the problem. HEVC is covered by patents, so Windows needs extra extensions to open HEIC, most Android galleries and many web services reject it, and Chrome and Firefox can't display it. Converting to JPG remains the simplest way to share iPhone photos with everyone.
When should you use HEIC?
Keep HEIC for storing photos on Apple devices. Convert to JPG to share, upload or print, or to PNG if you plan to edit the photo losslessly.