You've probably heard of common image formats like JPEG and PNG, but what about HEIC? Apple has started using HEIC for its photos in iOS 11, and it's quickly becoming a popular choice. So, what exactly is an HEIC file, and why is it getting so much attention? Can you open it on devices like Android phones or Windows computers? Let's dive in and see what makes this new image format stand out and why it's so efficient.
Well, what does HEIC photo mean? As we mentioned above, HEIC is an iPhone's proprietary picture format. It stands for the High-Efficiency Image Format (HEIF), compressed with HEVC - the High-Efficiency Video Compression codec.
HEIC firstly greeted people's eyes in iPhone 7 running iOS 11 in 2017. Compared with the JPG format, the HEIC file format saves pictures in a smaller size while preserving high photo quality. That's the major cause why iPhone photos are in the HEIC format.
Apart from this, there is also much other evidence to show that HEIC is better than JPG. Let's continue reading.
Yes, HEIC is a better image storage format than JPG in many aspects:
Note: If you want to learn more about the difference between HEIC and JPEG, you can click here to read this article.
Considerate as Apple is, it allows you to switch between HEIC and common photo formats. If you need to stop your iPhone from taking HEIC photos, a few settings are enough!
Step 1. Open iPhone's Settings, navigate to the Camera tab and choose Formats.
Step 2. Tap the Most Compatible option to switch to the JPEG/H.264 format.
If you consider converting HEIC to JPG as a hassle, one easy way to save HEIC photos in JPG format is by sharing the HEIC photos via email. After adding the HEIC photos as the attachments, those photos will automatically be saved with a .jpeg extension.
Step 1. Head over to the Photos app on your iPhone.
Step 2. Click the wanted HEIC photos to transfer and tap the Select button.
Step 3. Choose Mail from the pop-up window and sign in with your email account and password.
Step 4. Complete the recipient and send the email.
Opening HEIC photos on a Windows PC can be a bit tricky, but if you're using Windows 10 or 11, it's actually quite simple.
Microsoft offers a tool called HEIF Image Extensions that lets you view HEIC images without hassle. However, this tool is only available for Windows 10 and 11 users. If you're on an older version of Windows, you'll need to upgrade your system to one of these versions before proceeding with the steps below.
How to open the HEIC file in Windows 10/11?
Step 1. Go to the Microsoft Store and download the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions. These extensions do cost a small fee.
Step 2. After installing the extensions, just double-click on any HEIC file. It should automatically open in the Photos app.
If you have a Mac, you can open HEIC photos with the built-in Preview feature and convert HEIC to PNG, JPG, TIFF, or PDF format without trouble.
Here's how to open HEIC file on Mac with Preview:
Step 1. Sync HEIC pictures to your Mac and open a file with Preview.
Step 2. Click File on the Apple menu and select the Export option.
Step 3. Choose the output format like JPEG, PNG, PDF, or TIFF, and hit the Save button.
If you're looking for a reliable way to convert HEIC to JPG without sacrificing quality, Coolmuster HEIC Converter is your go-to solution. This easy-to-use tool lets you quickly convert one or more HEIC files to JPG/JPEG or PNG, all while keeping the original quality intact. Even better, it lets you retain the Exif data, so your photos remain exactly the same. All you need to do is import your HEIC images and hit "Convert" - it's that simple!
Key features of the Coolmuster HEIC Converter:
How do I convert HEIC to JPEG in minutes by using HEIC Converter?
01Install and launch the app on your computer. Tap the Add HEIC button to access your HEIC files on the home interface, or drag the HEIC files onto the window and click Drag and drop here to add pictures. When added, it will display the HEIC images on the interface.
02From the right panel, select the output format as JPG/JPEG, define the photo quality and the storage path on the computer. If necessary, tick off the Keep Exif Data option to save the Exif to your PC.
03Tap the Convert button. When the conversion process is over, you can click the Open folder button to view the converted JPEG photos.
Video Tutorial:
What is an HEIC file? I believe you have already had a complete understanding of it. By now, HEIC files compatibility issues still exist on other devices except for iOS devices. If you have great HEIC photos on iPhone and need to use them on other operating systems, you can make Coolmuster HEIC Converter your prior choice to convert the HEIC to a wider compatible JPEG format.
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