HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container)

.heic .heif · image/heic · 2015 · MPEG / Apple (adoption)

The iPhone photo format. Half the size of JPEG — until you try to open it anywhere else. Below is what HEIC is best at, where it falls short, and how it compares — plus free, in-browser tools to convert HEIC to and from other formats, with nothing uploaded.

HEIC is the format iPhones have shot in by default since iOS 11 (2017). It stores HEVC-compressed images at roughly half the size of equivalent JPEG, with HDR, depth maps and live photos. The catch is compatibility: Windows needs paid codecs, many websites reject uploads, and most browsers will not display it. Converting HEIC to JPEG (photos) or PNG (screenshots) remains the #1 fix for "why won't my iPhone photo open". EditItAll decodes HEIC locally in your browser — your photos never leave your device.

Compression

Lossy

Transparency

Yes

Animation

Yes

Browser display

Partial

Strengths & limitations

Strengths

  • ~50% smaller than JPEG from your iPhone
  • HDR, depth data, bursts, live photos
  • 10-bit color support

Limitations

  • Poor support outside Apple devices
  • Websites and older software often reject it
  • Licensing (HEVC) limits adoption

Best used for

Tools for HEIC

Compress HEICHEIC → JPEGHEIC → PNGHEIC → WebPHEIC → AVIF

Frequently asked questions

Is HEIC lossy or lossless?+

HEIC is a lossy format — it discards some detail to shrink the file. At high quality the loss is invisible for photos.

Does HEIC support transparency?+

Yes — HEIC has an alpha channel, so it can store transparent areas. It also supports animation.

Can browsers open HEIC files directly?+

Support is partial and inconsistent across browsers. For reliable viewing, convert HEIC to JPG or PNG.

How do I open or convert a HEIC file for free?+

Drop your HEIC file into the EditItAll converter and choose an output format — it decodes and re-encodes entirely in your browser, with nothing uploaded, no account and no watermark. (There is no in-browser HEIC encoder, so you can convert HEIC to other formats but not save back to HEIC.)