What is a HEIC file and how to convert it: Simply explained

by Michaela

If you discover a HEIC file on your iPhone, you may not know what kind of file it is. This much in advance: It is an image format.

What a HEIC file is

The abbreviation is also known as HEIF and stands for High Efficiency Image Format.

  • It is an image format for space-saving storage of images on mobile devices.
  • iOS devices store images in HEIC files, on Android devices you will usually find HEIF images.
  • The advantage of this image format is a small file size with JPEG quality or even better.

To convert HEIC files

Converting a HEIC file to a JPEG is quite easy.

  • If you have iOS 11 or later installed, photos will be automatically converted to JPEG format when transferred to a PC or Mac if you set the appropriate setting.
  • You can find these in the settings on your iOS device. Navigate here to “Photos”.
  • Scroll all the way down to “Transfer to Mac or PC”. Check the box for “Automatically”.
  • Alternatively, you can also convert a HEIC file into a JPEG online, for example if you have received an image in this format.
  • You can find an appropriate converter, for example, on the page convercio.co.
  • The websites heic.online and apowersoft.com also offer such a service. You can convert a HEIC file here not only into JPEG format, but also optionally into PNG or BMP.

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