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What is a HEIC file, and why does my iPhone use it?
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
HEIC is a photo file format, based on the HEIF standard and the HEVC video codec, that iPhones use to store pictures in less space than JPG at similar visual quality. Macs open it natively. If a website or person cannot, convert a copy to JPG, or set your iPhone camera to Most Compatible.
The short version
HEIC is the file extension Apple uses for photos stored in the HEIF format, the High Efficiency Image File Format. It was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group, and Apple adopted it in iOS 11 in 2017. HEIC files use the HEVC video codec, also called H.265, to compress the picture.
Apple's own support page says iPhone and iPad capture photos as HEIF and videos as HEVC because the formats compress better than JPEG and H.264, saving storage while keeping similar visual quality. That is the whole reason: more photos in the same space.
What is different from JPG
JPG is older, lossy and understood by nearly everything. HEIC is newer and more efficient, and the HEIF container can hold features JPG cannot, such as multiple images in one file. The trade-off is compatibility. Some older Windows setups, websites, print kiosks, form uploaders and email clients cannot read HEIC, which is why people hit errors when they try to upload an iPhone photo.
On your own Mac you will not notice anything. Finder, Preview, Photos and Quick Look all handle HEIC.
Switch your iPhone to JPG
If you would rather your phone shot in the universal format, you can change it. Apple's setting is in Settings > Camera > Formats. Choosing Most Compatible makes new photos and videos save as JPEG or H.264. Choosing High Efficiency switches back to HEIF and HEVC. The Formats option appears only on models that can capture HEIF or HEVC.
The change only affects pictures you take afterwards. Existing HEIC files stay HEIC until you convert them.
- Open Settings on the iPhone.
- Tap Camera, then Formats.
- Choose Most Compatible for JPEG, or High Efficiency to keep HEIC.
Convert existing HEIC files on a Mac
For a folder of photos already on your Mac, select them in Finder and run Convert › Convert to JPG in FileDial. Each JPG is saved beside the HEIC, the originals are kept, and a result card shows sizes. The dedicated HEIC to JPG page walks through it, and the HEIC to PNG page covers the lossless alternative.
Another useful tool is Convert › Make uploadable, described as a JPG any upload form takes, with the date kept and location removed. It suits the common case of an application form that rejects iPhone photos.
- Convert › Convert to JPG for general sharing.
- Convert › Make uploadable for forms, with location removed.
- Convert › Convert to PNG when you need lossless output.
HEIC, HEIF and HEVC: the three names
The names confuse people because they overlap. HEIF is the image file format standard, developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group. HEVC is the video codec, also called H.265, that HEIC files use to compress the picture data. HEIC is the file extension you see on an iPhone photo.
Because the container can hold more than one image, an iPhone uses it for features like Live Photos, which pair a still with motion, and for storing depth information. When you convert to JPG, you keep the picture but lose those extras. A converted JPG is a flat, single image, so keep the original HEIC if you ever want to use Portrait mode edits or Live Photo playback again in Photos.
Compatibility keeps improving, but the quickest check before sending any iPhone photo to someone else is to ask whether their system opens it. If the answer is unclear, convert a copy. Do not delete the HEIC until you know you are done with it.
- HEIF: the standard.
- HEVC: the codec inside.
- HEIC: the file extension on iPhone photos.
Practical advice for iPhone owners
Most people should leave the camera on High Efficiency and convert only when needed. It saves storage, and Apple software handles it everywhere. Switch to Most Compatible only if you regularly share straight from the phone to systems that reject HEIC, or you hand files to colleagues who cannot open them.
When a form or colleague cannot open an iPhone photo, do not retake it. Convert a copy. On a Mac that means Preview, Quick Actions or a batch tool. For one-off needs the built-in options are enough. For a camera roll export of hundreds of photos, a batch conversion is far less work, and you should keep the originals in case you need Live Photo or edit information later.
Privacy note
Photos carry metadata such as camera model, date and often GPS coordinates. Wikipedia's Exif article notes that location tags can reveal where and when a picture was taken. FileDial runs locally and never uploads files, so converting does not add exposure, and Privacy › Remove location is there when you share.
Questions
Is HEIC lossy?
HEIC photos from an iPhone are typically lossy, compressed with the HEVC codec, although the HEIF standard itself is flexible. What matters in practice is that the files are smaller than JPG at similar visual quality, according to Apple's description of the format.
Why will some websites not accept HEIC?
Support for HEIC is still uneven outside Apple software. Many upload forms were built around JPG and PNG and reject other types. Converting a copy to JPG solves it, and FileDial's Convert › Make uploadable produces a JPG any upload form takes.
Does changing the iPhone setting convert old photos?
No. Setting Camera > Formats to Most Compatible only affects new photos and videos. Existing HEIC pictures stay as they are until you convert copies, for example by running Convert › Convert to JPG on a selection in FileDial. The setting lives in Settings > Camera > Formats, and switching back to High Efficiency takes one tap.
Does converting HEIC to JPG lose quality?
Both formats are lossy, so converting adds a small amount of loss at normal settings, usually not visible for ordinary use. Keep the HEIC if you want the original, and let the JPG be the copy you share. Keeping the HEIC also preserves extras, such as Live Photo data, that a flat JPG copy cannot hold.