How to Open and View HEIC Files

HEIC is the file extension Apple devices use for photos saved in the HEIF format. It keeps files smaller than a comparable JPEG, but not every computer or app can display it out of the box. This guide shows how to open a HEIC file on the most common platforms, when you need an extra component and how to convert a photo when a viewer is not enough.

Before you start

Check three things first: which operating system and version you are on, whether you only need to view the image or also edit and share it, and whether the photo must stay on your device. Viewing and converting with built-in system apps or installed codecs happens locally. Web converters upload your photo to someone else's server, so read the service's own privacy and retention terms before using one with personal images.

• Make a copy of the original HEIC file before converting or editing it.
• Confirm the file really ends in .heic or .heif; some transfer tools rename or convert files automatically.
• If the photo came from an iPhone as a Live Photo, the motion part is usually a separate video file, not part of the HEIC image.
• Have permission to install apps or extensions if you are on a work or school computer.

Step-by-step instructions

Windows 10 and Windows 11

• Double-click the HEIC file. If the Photos app shows the image, no further setup is needed.
• If it does not open, or Photos offers to download an extension, open Microsoft Store and install HEIF Image Extensions from Microsoft.
• Most iPhone photos are compressed with HEVC, so the HEIF extension alone may not be enough. If images still fail to display, install HEVC Video Extensions as well; check the listing for current price and availability in your region.
• Restart the Photos app, then open the file again. File Explorer thumbnails may also start appearing after the extensions are installed.
• To get a widely compatible copy, open the image in Photos or Paint and use Save as to save it as JPEG or PNG, keeping the original untouched.

Mac

• Double-click the file. Recent versions of macOS open HEIC in Preview without extra software.
• You can also import it into the Photos app if you want it in your library.
• To share with someone who cannot open HEIC, use Preview's Export option and choose JPEG or PNG as the format.

iPhone and iPad

HEIC photos open normally in the Photos and Files apps. If you want future photos to be saved in a more compatible format, go to Settings, then Camera, then Formats and choose Most Compatible, which saves new photos as JPEG. This does not change photos you have already taken and can be switched back at any time. When copying photos to a computer, the Photos section of Settings also has a Transfer to Mac or PC option; Automatic converts to a compatible format during transfer, while Keep Originals sends the HEIC files unchanged.

Android

Many recent Android phones can display HEIC in the built-in gallery or in Google Photos, but support depends on the Android version and the manufacturer. If your gallery app shows a blank image or an error, try opening the file in Google Photos or another gallery app that lists HEIF support, or convert the file on a computer first.

Linux

HEIC support on Linux usually comes from the libheif library. Install the libheif package and its image-viewer plugin from your distribution's package manager, after which many image viewers can show HEIC files. GIMP can also open HEIF images when built with that support, and from there you can export a JPEG or PNG copy. Package names differ between distributions, so search your package manager for heif.

Web browsers and online viewers

Browser support for displaying HEIC is limited and varies by browser and version, so dragging a file into a browser tab may not work. Online HEIC viewers and converters are convenient when you cannot install anything, but they require uploading the image. Prefer a local method for photos containing faces, documents or location data.

Check the output

• Open the image at full size and look for missing areas, wrong colours or a gray placeholder, which usually point to a missing codec rather than a damaged file.
• If you converted the photo, check the file's properties or info panel to confirm the new format and extension, not just the renamed name.
• Compare the converted copy with the original: JPEG uses lossy compression, and HDR, depth or multi-image data stored in some HEIC files may not carry over.
• Check metadata before sharing. Converted copies can keep the date, camera details and GPS location from the original.
• Open the converted file on the device or app where it will actually be used, such as the recipient's computer or an upload form.

Common problems and next steps

The file will not open on Windows even after installing HEIF Image Extensions. This is most often the HEVC component missing. Install HEVC Video Extensions, restart the viewer and try again. If one file fails while others work, the file itself may be incomplete, for example from an interrupted transfer; copy it again from the source device.

Thumbnails show but the image is black or blank. The system can read the file container but not decode the image data. Update the viewer and the codec extensions, or open the file in a different HEIC viewer to see whether the problem follows the file or the app.

Photos arrived as JPEG when you expected HEIC, or the other way round. The phone's transfer setting, a messaging app or a cloud service may convert images automatically. Check those settings on the sending device rather than trying to convert files back, since a converted JPEG cannot regain data that was removed.

You need to send HEIC photos to someone who cannot open them. Convert a copy to JPEG locally using the steps above, or switch the iPhone camera format to Most Compatible before taking photos you plan to share widely.