What is .heic?

.heic is a modern image format used by Apple devices that stores photos in a highly efficient container. It keeps image quality high while using less storage than JPG, especially for iPhone photos and bursts.

This quick guide explains when to use .heic files, how to open them on any device, and how to share them instantly with FileXhost.

When to use .heic files

You capture photos on iPhone or iPad with the default camera settings.
You want to store many high-resolution photos while saving device or cloud storage.
You are archiving original-quality images before converting copies to JPG or PNG for compatibility.

How to open .heic files

On iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, .heic images open in the default Photos or Preview apps. On Windows and Android, support can be inconsistent, so the easiest option is to upload your .heic file to FileXhost, which converts and displays it in a browser-friendly format you can share.

Algorithm details

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) uses the HEVC (H.265) video compression standard to encode images. It divides images into variable-size blocks (Coding Tree Units) up to 64x64 pixels and uses advanced prediction modes to remove spatial redundancy. It supports up to 16-bit color depth, transparency (alpha channels), and non-destructive editing instructions (rotating, cropping) without re-encoding the image data.

Browser & platform support

Desktop: Safari (macOS High Sierra+), Edge (with HEVC Video Extensions installed)
Mobile: iOS 11+ (Safari), Android 10+ (Chrome/Native)
OS: macOS 10.13+, Windows 10/11 (requires extension), iOS 11+, Android 9+
Notable exceptions: Chrome (desktop), Firefox, and older browsers do not support HEIC natively.

Format comparison

Feature	Details
File Size	About 50% smaller than JPEG for the same visual quality.
Compression	Uses modern HEVC (H.265) compression, superior to JPEG's discrete cosine transform.
Features	Supports transparency, 16-bit color, and multiple images (Live Photos, bursts) in one file.
Compatibility	Low native web support compared to JPEG/PNG/WebP.
Editing	Stores edit history (non-destructive) and depth data for portrait mode effects.

How to create heic files

Apple Devices: Default camera format on iPhone 7 and later (iOS 11+).
Image Editors: Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity Photo.
Command-line: ImageMagick (convert input.jpg output.heic).
Scanners: Some modern Canon/Epson scanners offer HEIC for efficient archiving.

How to convert heic files

FileXhost: Upload HEIC files to view and share them instantly as web-friendly images.
macOS: Open in Preview > File > Export > Select JPEG/PNG.
Windows: Use the Photos app (with extensions) to 'Save as' JPEG.
Online tools: CloudConvert, FreeConvert, iLoveIMG.
CLI: libheif (heif-convert), ImageMagick.

Advantages & disadvantages

Advantages

Half the file size of JPEG with better quality
Supports transparency and 16-bit deep color
Can store multiple images (Live Photos, bursts)
Non-destructive editing capabilities
Native on Apple ecosystem and modern Android

Disadvantages

Poor native support in web browsers (Chrome/Firefox)
Requires paid extensions on some Windows versions
Computationally expensive to encode/decode
Patent licensing issues complicate software support

Tools & software

Viewers

Apple Photos, Preview, Windows Photos (requires HEIF Image Extensions), Dropbox, Google Photos

Editors

Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, Affinity Photo, Pixelmator

Converters

iMazing HEIC Converter, CopyTrans HEIC, FileXhost

Development

libheif, Nokia HEIF, heic2any (JS library for client-side conversion)

Frequently asked questions

Why are my iPhone photos .heic files?

Apple switched to HEIC in iOS 11 to save storage space. HEIC photos take up about half the space of JPEGs without losing quality.

How do I stop iPhone from taking HEIC photos?

Go to Settings > Camera > Formats and select 'Most Compatible'. This will save future photos as JPEG.

Can I upload HEIC files to websites?

Most websites don't support HEIC directly. It's best to convert them to JPEG or WebP first, or use a service like FileXhost that handles the display for you.

Is HEIC better than WebP?

HEIC often compresses better for photos, but WebP has much better support in web browsers. HEIC is better for capture/storage; WebP is better for the web.

Does HEIC support transparency?

Yes, HEIC supports alpha channels for transparency, similar to PNG but with much smaller file sizes.

Technical specs

File type: Image
Extension: .heic
MIME type: image/heic, image/heif
Compression: Lossy and lossless
Max file size on FileXhost: Up to 25 MB per file on the free plan and up to 1 GB on Pro FileXhost accounts.

Upload your .heic file to FileXhost to get a clean, shareable URL in seconds. View the file in a modern browser, protect access with optional settings, and let others download it without any confusing ads or cluttered file pages.

Upload .heic file