Why Won't My iPhone HEIC Photos Open?

If photos from your iPhone show a "can't open this file" message on your computer, if an application form refuses your picture, or if a friend's Android phone shows nothing at all, the culprit is almost certainly HEIC. This guide explains what HEIC is, why it does not open everywhere, and how to fix the problem either for good or right now.

What is HEIC and why does the iPhone use it?

HEIC is the file extension Apple devices use for HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) images. According to Apple's support article, HEIF and its video counterpart HEVC arrived with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. The iPhone 7 and later models save photos in this format by default.

Apple's reason is storage: the same article says HEIF and HEVC offer better compression than JPEG and H.264, so they use less space on your devices and in iCloud Photos while preserving the same visual quality. The catch is that not every program or device can read the format.

Why HEIC photos won't open

Missing extensions on Windows

Windows needs two add-ons from the Microsoft Store to display HEIC files. The HEIF Image Extension lets Windows read and write HEIF files. But according to Microsoft's Store description, the HEVC Video Extensions package must also be installed to view images in files with the .heic, .hif or .heif extension, because the image inside is compressed with HEVC. If either piece is missing, the Photos app will not open the file or will ask you to download an extension.

Older Android phones

Android's developer documentation lists HEIF/HEIC decoding as available from Android 9.0, and describes it as optional and dependent on the device. Phones older than Android 9, and some devices that do not ship the feature, may not display HEIC photos.

Websites and online forms

According to the browser compatibility tables on Can I use, only Safari (desktop and iOS, from version 17.0) displays HEIF/HEIC images natively; Chrome, Edge, Firefox and the other browsers do not. The same source puts this down to the format being complex and expensive to license. That is why many websites, job portals, shop dashboards and government forms accept only JPG or PNG: upload a HEIC and it is either rejected or the preview stays blank.

Older desktop software

Older photo editors, office programs and some print services do not recognise HEIC. The file is not broken; the program simply cannot read the format.

Fix 1: Make the iPhone shoot JPG instead

If you want future photos to open everywhere, switch the camera back to the older format. Apple's support article gives these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Camera.
3. Tap Formats.
4. Select Most Compatible.

From then on, new photos are saved as JPEG and new videos as H.264. Photos you already took do not change. To go back to the space-saving formats, pick High Efficiency on the same screen. The option only appears on devices that can capture HEIF or HEVC, and JPEG files will take up more storage.

Automatic conversion when transferring to a computer

Apple notes that when you import photos to a computer over USB, the iPhone may convert them to JPEG. This depends on the transfer section at the bottom of the Photos settings: if Keep Originals is selected, files arrive as HEIC. If your computer cannot open HEIC, make sure the automatic option is selected there instead. On current iOS versions this section is under Settings > Apps > Photos.

Apple also says that photos shared by AirDrop, Messages or e-mail may be sent automatically in a more compatible format such as JPEG when the receiving device does not support the newer one. iCloud Photos, on the other hand, keeps files in their original format.

Fix 2: Install the HEIF and HEVC extensions on Windows

If you open HEIC files on a Windows PC regularly, installing the missing extensions is a lasting fix:

1. Open the Microsoft Store, search for HEIF Image Extension and install it.
2. Then search for HEVC Video Extensions and install it. The Store may list more than one version of this package; choose the one that applies to your PC.
3. Close and reopen the Photos app and try the HEIC file again.

The extensions only let you view the file on that computer. If you need to send the photo to someone else or upload it to a website, you still need to convert it to JPG.

Fix 3: Convert HEIC to JPG or PNG

If you already have HEIC photos and need to upload them to a form, e-mail them or open them on Windows right away, converting is the fastest route. On our HEIC to JPG converter the steps are:

1. Open the HEIC to JPG page.
2. Add the .heic or .heif files you copied from your iPhone. You can add several photos at once.
3. Keep JPG as the output and adjust the quality if you like (90% by default).
4. Press Convert and download the results one by one or all together.

Privacy note: because most browsers cannot decode HEIC, this conversion runs on our server rather than in your browser. Photos are uploaded over a secure connection, converted and deleted within 30 minutes at the latest. As our converter page explains, EXIF data such as GPS location and camera details is not added to the JPG, which is handy if you are posting the photo publicly.

JPG or PNG?

For sharing, uploading to forms or printing, JPG is the best choice: it opens everywhere and keeps file sizes reasonable. If you want a lossless copy, convert HEIC to PNG, but PNG produces much larger files for photos. If the JPG is still over a site's size limit, shrink it with the image compressor. For other formats, see our image converter.

Which fix should you choose?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does converting HEIC to JPG reduce quality?

JPG is a lossy format, so a little detail is lost, but at the default 90% quality the difference is very hard to see. Expect the JPG to be larger than the HEIC, because HEIC compresses more efficiently.

Will "Most Compatible" turn my old photos into JPG?

No. According to Apple, the setting only affects new photos and videos. To change photos already saved as HEIC, you need a converter.

Can my Android phone open HEIC?

Android 9.0 and later can support HEIC decoding, but Android's documentation describes the support as device-dependent. If your phone does not show the photo, converting it to JPG is the easiest way out.

Do HEIC files open on a Mac?

Yes. HEIF support arrived with macOS High Sierra, so on current Macs the Preview and Photos apps open HEIC files. The trouble usually happens on Windows, older Android devices and web forms.

Are my HEIC photos stored during conversion?

No. Photos are uploaded to our server only for the conversion and are deleted within 30 minutes at the latest. No sign-up is needed.

Sources

• Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices (Apple Support)
• HEIF Image Extension (Microsoft Store)
• Supported media formats (Android Developers)
• HEIF/HEIC image format browser support (Can I use)