HEIC vs JPG: why iPhone photos won’t open (and the fix)

What HEIC is

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the format iPhones have used by default since iOS 11, and many Android phones offer it too. It uses a more modern compression method than JPG, so a HEIC photo is roughly half the size at similar quality. It can also store extras such as depth information for portrait mode and multiple frames for Live Photos.

Why it causes problems

The format is newer and uses patent-licensed technology, so support is patchy. Windows needs an extra extension to open it, many websites and upload forms only accept JPG or PNG, and older photo software and printers do not recognise it. The photo is fine; the program opening it simply does not understand the format.

Does converting lose quality?

Converting to JPG re-encodes the image. At a high quality setting the difference is not visible in normal viewing, although the file gets larger than the HEIC was. If you plan to edit the photo several times, convert to PNG instead: it is lossless, so repeated saves do not degrade it, at the cost of a much larger file.

Stopping the problem at the source

If you share photos with Windows users or upload them to forms regularly, change the camera format:

• iPhone: Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG.
• When sending from an iPhone, the Mail app and AirDrop to non-Apple devices often convert automatically. Photos copied over a USB cable may not be converted.

Before you share: check the location data

Phone photos usually record the GPS position where they were taken, along with the date and camera model. Converting a photo does not necessarily remove this. If the picture was taken at home, remove the metadata before posting it publicly.