What is HEIC and HEIF?

This article explains the meaning of HEIC and HEIF image formats, how they differ from traditional JPEGs, their main benefits, and how you can easily convert them to more compatible formats for everyday use.

Understanding HEIF and HEIC

HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. Developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), it is a container format designed to store individual images and sequences of images.

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Coding) is the specific file extension Apple chose to use for this format starting with iOS 11. When you take a photo on an iPhone, it is saved as a .heic file. Essentially, HEIC is Apple’s implementation of the HEIF standard, utilizing High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) to compress the images.

Key Benefits of HEIC and HEIF

Compared to the older JPEG format, HEIC offers several major technological advantages:

• Smaller File Sizes: HEIC files are roughly half the size of an equivalent-quality JPEG file, allowing you to store twice as many photos on your device.
• Better Image Quality: Despite the smaller file size, HEIC supports 16-bit deep color (compared to JPEG’s 8-bit), which prevents color banding and results in more vibrant, realistic images.
• Advanced Features: The format supports image transparency (like PNGs), image sequences (perfect for Apple’s Live Photos), and non-destructive editing (saving rotation and cropping data without recompressing the image).

Compatibility and How to Convert

While HEIC is highly efficient, its main drawback is compatibility. Windows, Android, and many web-based platforms do not natively support HEIC files out of the box, making it difficult to share or view these images on non-Apple devices.

To solve this issue, you can convert your files to the universally accepted JPEG format. If you have multiple images to convert, you can use this free online Bulk HEIC/HEIF to JPEG conversion tool to instantly change your images into JPEGs directly in your web browser.