What Is HEIC Format? The Complete Guide

HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones and iPads. It stores images at roughly half the file size of JPG at similar quality, which is why Apple adopted it for all modern iOS devices starting in 2017.

What Is HEIC?

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is built on the HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) standard, a modern image encoding specification developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) — the same organization responsible for the MP4 video format.

Apple was the first major smartphone maker to adopt HEIF as a default capture format, introducing it in iOS 11 alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone X in 2017. Since then, every new iPhone and iPad captures photos as HEIC by default.

Why HEIC Exists: The Technical Advantages

HEIC files are roughly 50% smaller than JPG at equivalent visual quality. For a 12-megapixel photo that would be 4–5 MB as a JPG, the HEIC version is typically 2–2.5 MB. Over a camera roll of thousands of photos, this adds up to gigabytes of saved storage.

Beyond file size, HEIC supports several capabilities that JPG cannot provide:

• Transparency (alpha channel) — like PNG, but with better compression
• Wide color (Display P3) — captures the full color range of modern iPhone screens
• Depth maps — stores portrait mode depth information alongside the photo
• Multiple images in one file — used for Live Photos and image sequences
• 16-bit color depth — more gradations than JPG’s 8-bit

The Compatibility Problem

Despite its technical advantages, HEIC has a significant drawback: compatibility. JPG has been a universal standard since the early 1990s and opens natively on virtually every device, operating system, and application. HEIC is newer and still not universally supported.

Common situations where HEIC causes problems:

• Uploading photos to older websites or form fields that only accept JPG or PNG
• Opening photos on Windows PCs without the HEIF extension installed
• Sharing with users on Android or older devices
• Using photos in older editing software like early versions of Photoshop or Lightroom
• Attaching photos to emails for recipients on non-Apple devices

When to Convert HEIC to JPG

Convert HEIC to JPG whenever you need to share photos broadly or use them in contexts where compatibility matters more than file size. Good reasons to convert include: uploading to e-commerce sites, sharing with Windows users, submitting to stock photo platforms, or using photos in web projects.

You can browse all available image conversion tools at ImgKit or use the dedicated image guides at ImgKit to find step-by-step instructions for any conversion task.

If you want to stop your iPhone from shooting HEIC altogether, go to Settings > Camera > Formats and select Most Compatible. This makes the camera save photos as JPG instead.

HEIC vs JPG at a Glance

Feature	HEIC	JPG
Typical file size	~50% smaller	Baseline
Transparency	Yes	No
Wide color	Yes	Limited
Universal compatibility	No	Yes
Best for	iPhone storage	Sharing broadly

For most sharing and web publishing purposes, JPG remains the safer choice. ImgKit’s HEIC to JPG converter lets you convert files instantly in your browser with no software to install.

FAQ

What is HEIC?

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is a photo file format used by iPhones and iPads since iOS 11. It stores photos at roughly half the file size of JPG while maintaining comparable visual quality.

What does HEIC stand for?

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It is the container format built on top of the HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) standard developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

Is HEIC the same as HEIF?

They are closely related but not identical. HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) is the broader standard that defines how image data is encoded. HEIC is the specific file container Apple uses to store HEIF images. In everyday use, the terms are often used interchangeably.

Why does iPhone use HEIC instead of JPG?

Apple switched to HEIC in iOS 11 (2017) because it offers roughly 50% smaller file sizes compared to JPG at equivalent visual quality. This means more photos fit on a device without sacrificing detail. HEIC also supports features like transparency, wide color (Display P3), and depth maps that JPG cannot store.

Can Windows open HEIC files?

Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files after installing the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Without the extension, HEIC files may not preview or open in standard Windows apps. macOS, on the other hand, has built-in HEIC support and opens these files natively.

How do I convert HEIC to JPG?

You can convert HEIC to JPG using ImgKit's free HEIC to JPG tool directly in your browser — no software installation needed. On a Mac, you can also open a HEIC file in Preview and export it as JPG. On iPhone, go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose 'Most Compatible' to capture photos as JPG going forward.