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What Is a HEIC File, and How Do You Open One?

HEIC is the format iPhones use for photos by default. It saves storage, but not every app can open it.

Last reviewed November 2026

What HEIC is

HEIC is a version of HEIF, the High Efficiency Image File Format. It uses modern compression to keep good quality at a much smaller size than a similar JPG, so your phone holds more photos. iPhones have used it by default since iOS 11.

Why it sometimes causes problems

JPG works almost everywhere, while support for HEIC is patchier. You might find that an older Windows computer, a website upload form, or a photo printing service won't accept it.

How to open a HEIC file

• iPhone and Mac: Photos and Preview open it directly.
• Windows: the Photos app may need the HEIF and HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store.
• Android: many recent phones and Google Photos can open it.

How to convert HEIC to JPG

1. Open the EraseAILabel cleaner and choose your HEIC files.
2. Leave the export setting on Original format to get JPG, or choose PNG.
3. Press Clean images and download your copies.

The file is decoded in your browser, so it isn't uploaded. Conversion also removes the photo's metadata, including date, location, and camera details. If you need to keep those, use your device's own export option instead.

How to make your iPhone take JPGs

Go to Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be JPG, at the cost of larger files. iPhones can also convert automatically when sending to a computer, under Settings, then Photos, in the Transfer to Mac or PC option.

Does converting reduce quality?

JPG uses a different kind of compression, so a conversion can lose a small amount of detail, though it's rarely visible at normal sizes. PNG avoids further loss but makes much larger files.

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