If you've ever emailed an iPhone photo and had the recipient tell you it won't open, you've met HEIC. Apple made it the default camera format in iOS 11 in 2017, and since then people have been left wondering what it is, why the files are smaller, and whether they should convert them. The short answer: HEIC is a good format for storing photos on the phone, and a less good one for sharing them.
What HEIC actually is
HEIC is a file extension for images stored in the HEIF container format and compressed with the HEVC video codec. Because HEVC is a more modern compression method than the one behind JPEG, HEIC can hold a photo of similar visual quality in roughly half the space. That's why an iPhone can store many more pictures than it could if it still saved JPEGs. Many Android phones can also shoot HEIF, usually as an option in the camera settings.
The four formats compared
| Format | File size for similar quality | Compatibility | Best used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Baseline (the reference point) | Opens virtually everywhere, including print labs and older software | Sharing, email, uploading to forms, printing |
| HEIC / HEIF | Roughly half of JPEG | Native on Apple devices; other systems may need codecs or apps that support it | Storing photos on an iPhone efficiently |
| WebP | Around 25 to 35 percent smaller than JPEG, according to Google's published comparisons | Supported by all current major browsers and many apps | Publishing and sharing photos on the web |
| PNG | Much larger than JPEG for photographs | Universal | Screenshots, logos and graphics with flat colours, not photos |
Why HEIC causes trouble
- Older versions of Windows can't open HEIC out of the box and may need the HEIF and HEVC extensions installed from the Microsoft Store.
- Many websites, government forms and print services accept only JPEG or PNG uploads.
- Some photo editors, especially older ones, can't import HEIC.
- Anyone you send the file to needs a compatible viewer, and they won't always tell you it failed.
Choosing the format on your iPhone
On an iPhone you can change what the camera records under Settings, then Camera, then Formats. 'High Efficiency' saves HEIC; 'Most Compatible' saves JPEG. The trade-off is storage against convenience. If you often share straight from the phone to people using other systems, Most Compatible avoids a lot of hassle at the cost of larger files.
There's also a setting under Settings, then Photos, at the bottom, called 'Transfer to Mac or PC'. Set to Automatic, it converts photos to a compatible format when you copy them to a computer, which solves the problem for many people without changing how the camera saves.
Converting without wrecking quality
Converting from HEIC to JPEG or WebP re-encodes the image with a lossy method, which means a small amount of information is discarded. Done once, at a sensible quality setting, the difference is rarely visible. Done repeatedly, converting a converted file, the artefacts accumulate.
- Convert from the original, never from a file that was already converted.
- Use a quality setting between about 80 and 90 for photos. Going much higher makes files larger without a visible benefit.
- Keep the original if the photo matters. The HEIC file can hold extra data, such as HDR information, that a converted copy doesn't keep.
- Check that the date and location metadata survived if you rely on them for organizing.
What this means for cloud storage
Cloud storage is where format problems often surface, because a photo you upload today is one you'll want to open on many different devices for years. Look at how your service treats HEIC: whether it stores the original, whether it can preview it in a browser, and whether it can convert it when you need to share. NGDS converts HEIC and HEIF uploads to a web-friendly image format on upload, which makes them easy to preview and share in any browser. The converted copy is the one that's stored, so if you need the untouched original, for example for professional editing, keep it in a separate folder or archive.
Which format for which job
| Situation | Recommended format |
|---|---|
| Everyday photos on your own iPhone | HEIC (High Efficiency) |
| Sending photos to people on mixed devices | JPEG |
| Putting photos on a website or blog | WebP, with JPEG as a fallback if you need it |
| Printing at a lab | JPEG at full quality |
| Screenshots and graphics | PNG |
| Long-term master archive | The original file, untouched |
Nothing here is a reason to avoid HEIC. It is an efficient format designed for storage. The trouble only starts when a photo leaves the phone, so treat that moment as the point to decide whether you need a more widely supported copy.