# HEIF to JPG converter

> HEIF is the standard; HEIC is Apple's file extension for it. If your camera or Android phone wrote a .heif file, this is the page for you — the underlying container is the same.

Source: https://jpg-heic.com/heif-to-jpg | Section: Converter | Updated: 2026-08-31

## HEIF, HEIC, HIF — what is the difference?

Very little, and it trips people up constantly. **HEIF** is the container standard, published by
 MPEG in 2015 as ISO/IEC 23008-12. **HEIC** is the file extension Apple chose for HEIF files whose
 image data is compressed with HEVC. **.hif** is Canon's extension for the same thing on their
 mirrorless bodies. All three open with the same decoder.

| Extension | Who writes it | What is inside |
|---|---|---|
| .heic | Apple — iPhone, iPad, macOS | HEIF container, HEVC image |
| .heif | Samsung, Sony, Android, generic tools | HEIF container, usually HEVC |
| .hif | Canon EOS R series | HEIF container, HEVC, 10-bit HDR |
| .avif | Browsers, modern encoders | Same container family, AV1 image |

The one meaningful split is at the bottom of that table: AVIF reuses the HEIF container design but
 swaps in the royalty-free AV1 codec. That is why AVIF ended up with browser support and HEIC did not.
 [The longer explanation is here](https://jpg-heic.com/heic-vs-heif).

## HEIF from cameras is different from HEIF from phones

If your .heif or .hif file came out of a Canon EOS R5, a Sony A7 IV or a Samsung flagship in its
 high-quality mode, it is probably **10-bit**, and quite possibly HDR with a PQ or HLG transfer
 curve. JPG is 8-bit and SDR, so the conversion has to tone-map: the highlights get compressed and the
 colour is mapped down to sRGB.

 **Expect flatter-looking output from HDR sources.** A 10-bit HDR HEIF converted to JPG can look
 washed out or dull compared with the original, because a much wider brightness range has been folded
 into a narrower one. This is not a bug in the converter — it is the fundamental limit of the target
 format. For serious work, tone-map deliberately in Lightroom or Capture One rather than accepting
 a generic conversion.

## Using the converter

Drop any mix of `.heif`, `.heic` and `.hif` files. Each is decoded,
 rotated according to its orientation flag, and written as a JPG at your chosen quality. Multiple files
 can be downloaded together as a ZIP. Nothing is uploaded — the decoder is a WebAssembly build running
 in this tab, so the work is done by your own processor.

If a specific file fails, the most common cause is a container variant the browser decoder does not
 handle, usually a burst sequence or a proprietary vendor extension. Converting that file on the device
 that created it, or through the camera manufacturer's own software, will normally succeed.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is HEIF the same as HEIC?**

For practical purposes they are one and the same. HEIF names the standard; Apple simply chose to write .heic on its own devices. Any decoder that handles one handles the other.

**Why does my Canon .hif file not open in Windows Photos?**

Windows needs the HEVC Video Extensions codec before it can read the image data inside a HEIF container, whatever the extension. Canon's own Digital Photo Professional reads .hif directly, and the converter on this page reads it without any codec installed.

**Will 10-bit HDR detail survive conversion to JPG?**

No. JPG is limited to 8 bits per channel and standard dynamic range, so a 10-bit HDR source has to be tone-mapped down. Expect somewhat flatter highlights. Converting to PNG preserves 8-bit output losslessly but does not recover the extra bit depth either.

**Do Android phones save photos as HEIF?**

Some do, as an option rather than a default. Samsung Galaxy phones offer it under Camera settings as a high-efficiency mode, and several other manufacturers have followed. Most Android phones still write JPG out of the box.