A HEIC file is a photo saved in a modern format that stores the same picture in roughly half the space of a JPG. Apple made it the default for iPhone photos with iOS 11 in 2017, which is why so many people meet it for the first time when a photo will not open on a PC.
The short technical story
HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a container standard created by the MPEG group. It can hold one or many images, plus extras such as depth maps and edits. HEIC is the common flavour in which the image data inside the HEIF container is compressed with HEVC, also known as H.265, the video codec behind efficient 4K streaming.
That is the whole HEIC, HEIF and HEVC family tree: HEVC is the compression, HEIF is the container, and HEIC is the file type you see on an iPhone.
What HEIC can do that JPG cannot
- Smaller files. Similar visual quality in roughly half the space, a figure commonly quoted for HEIC against JPG.
- More colour depth. JPG is limited to 8 bits per channel. HEIF can store more.
- Transparency. HEIC can carry an alpha channel.
- Multiple images in one file. This is how Live Photos and bursts can bundle several frames.
- Non-destructive edits and depth data, as used by Portrait mode.
Why it causes problems
Format support follows licensing and software history. HEVC is covered by patent licences, which is part of why Windows treats it as an optional extension, and why many web services have been slow to accept it. The result is a format that is excellent on Apple devices and awkward elsewhere.
Where you will see HEIC
- iPhones and iPads, by default.
- Many recent Android phones, which can also save HEIF.
- Some cameras, which write .heif or .hif files. See our HEIF to JPG page.
What to do with one
If it will not open or upload, convert it: HEIC to JPG is the safe all-round answer. To compare the formats in detail, read HEIC vs JPEG.