HEIC guides and tutorials
Everything on this site that is not a converter. Platform how-tos first, then troubleshooting for specific failures, then reference material on the format itself.
Where to start
Almost everyone arriving here wants one of three things, and they need different pages. If a file will not open, start with the troubleshooting section, because the fix is usually a missing codec rather than anything to do with the file. If you know what you want and just need the steps, go to the platform guide for your device. If you are deciding whether to keep shooting in HEIC at all, the reference pages compare the formats honestly, including the cases where HEIC is the wrong choice.
One thing worth knowing before you read anything else: on every platform except the web, there is a built-in way to do this. Every guide below leads with that method rather than pushing you toward a converter, because the tools already on your computer are usually faster and handle far more files at once than a browser tab can.
How-to guides, by platform
Pick the guide for the device holding the files, not the device you want them on. Converting on the iPhone before transferring is usually less work than converting on a PC afterwards, and it avoids the transfer settings that quietly change the format in transit.
Windows users should note the version split. Windows 11 handles the container natively and needs only the codec; Windows 10 needs two separate components, and only one of them is free. Using the wrong guide is the most common reason people conclude that HEIC support is broken on their machine.
- On iPhone
Three ways to convert HEIC to JPG on iPhone with no app to install: the Files app, a one-tap Shortcut, and the setting that prevents it.
- On Windows 11
Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11 using Paint, the Photos app, or PowerShell for a whole folder. Plus what to do when the codec is missing.
- On Windows 10
Windows 10 needs two extensions to open HEIC, and only one is free. What to install, how to convert, and how to skip the paid codec entirely.
- On Mac
Convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac in seconds with Finder Quick Actions, Preview or Automator. All built into macOS, and it handles whole folders.
- On Android
Open and convert HEIC on Android with Google Photos or the Files app, and what to do when the gallery opens a photo but other apps refuse it.
- On Chromebook
ChromeOS handles HEIC inconsistently. What works in the Gallery app, how to convert offline, and the Linux command for large batches.
- Stop HEIC on iPhone
Change one setting and your iPhone captures JPG instead of HEIC. Where it is, what it costs in storage, and the second setting most guides miss.
- HEIC in Google Photos
How Google Photos stores HEIC, what format you actually get when you download, and the edit-and-save trick that converts a photo to JPG.
- Emailing HEIC
Why HEIC attachments arrive broken and how to send photos that open anywhere. Covers Apple Mail, Gmail and Outlook, plus size limits.
- In Photoshop & Lightroom
How to open HEIC in Photoshop and Lightroom, batch convert with Image Processor, and why it works on a Mac but fails on Windows.
- Without losing quality
Which quality setting to use, which format preserves the most detail, and how to convert HEIC photos with no visible loss.
- On Linux
Install libheif, convert HEIC with heif-convert or ImageMagick, and restore file manager thumbnails. Commands for Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch.
Troubleshooting
These are organised by symptom rather than by cause, because the symptom is what you know when you arrive. A grey icon, a sideways photo and a washed-out colour cast look like three versions of the same complaint but have nothing in common underneath: one is a cache, one is a metadata flag, and one is a colour profile.
Before working through any of them, check the file size. A HEIC that reports zero bytes did not survive the transfer, and no amount of software will open it. That single check resolves a surprising share of what gets reported as file corruption.
- HEIC won't open on Windows
Five reasons a HEIC file refuses to open on Windows and how to tell which you have. Each error means something different, and one fix is free.
- Missing HEVC codec
How to get the HEVC codec Windows needs for HEIC, including the free manufacturer version most people pay for by mistake, and how to avoid it.
- No thumbnails
A folder of blank grey icons instead of previews. How to restore HEIC thumbnails on Windows, Mac and Linux, starting with the cache.
- Rotated wrong
Why converted HEIC photos come out sideways, what the EXIF orientation flag does, and the command that fixes a whole folder at once.
- Live Photos
A Live Photo is two files, not one. What you lose converting to JPG, and how to keep the movement by exporting it as a video or GIF.
- Corrupted HEIC
Most HEIC files people think are corrupted are fine. Three checks that tell you whether the file is damaged or your software cannot read it.
- Lost transparency
Converting a transparent HEIC to JPG fills the background with white, permanently. Which formats keep the alpha channel, and what to do next.
- Colour shift
Washed-out or oversaturated HEIC photos after conversion are a colour space problem, not compression. What Display P3 does and how to fix it.
Reference
These pages explain what the format is and how it compares with the alternatives. They are the ones to read if you are choosing a format for a photo library, a website or an archive, rather than trying to rescue a specific file.
The short version, if you only read one line: HEIC is technically better than JPG in every measurable way and worse in the only way that matters when you are sending a file to someone else. The comparison pages set out where that trade-off falls for storage, sharing, printing and the web.
- What is HEIC?
A HEIC file is a photo compressed with video technology. What the format is, why Apple adopted it, and why so little software will open it.
- HEIC vs JPG
HEIC vs JPG compared on file size, quality, colour depth and compatibility, with real figures and guidance on which to use and when.
- HEIC vs HEIF
HEIC, HEIF, HIF and AVIF explained: which is the standard, which is a file extension, and why AVIF got browser support when HEIC never did.
- HEIC vs WebP
HEIC vs WebP compared on compression, quality, transparency and support, and why WebP wins for websites while HEIC wins on your phone.
- HEIC vs PNG
HEIC and PNG solve different problems. When lossless is worth ten times the file size, when it is wasted, and which suits photos or graphics.
- Is HEIC better?
HEIC beats JPG on every technical measure and loses on the one that matters most. A decision table for storage, sharing and printing.
- Quality loss
Yes, a little. How much converting HEIC costs at each quality setting, what it looks like, and why the real culprit is rarely compression.
- Compatibility guide
A reference table of HEIC support across operating systems, browsers, social platforms, office software and editors, and what to do about it.
- Format specification
The HEIF container explained for developers: box structure, the item model, properties, and the mistakes that break naive HEIC parsers.
Converters
Every converter here runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, there is no file count limit, and the tools work offline once the page has loaded.