How to open HEIC files on Windows

iPhones save photos as HEIC files, which are about half the size of a JPG at the same quality. Windows often can't open them out of the box, so you see a blank icon or an error. Here are three ways to fix it, depending on whether you want to view the photos, share them, or never deal with HEIC again.

Updated , 2 min read

Option 1: Install the free HEIF extension

Microsoft makes a free add-on that lets Windows read HEIC photos.

  1. Open the Microsoft Store app.
  2. Search for HEIF Image Extensions and click Get. It's free.
  3. Close and reopen the Photos app. Your HEIC photos should now open, and File Explorer shows thumbnails.

Some HEIC files, and iPhone videos, also need HEVC Video Extensions, which costs US$0.99 in the Store. If Windows still asks for an extension after installing the free one, that's the one it means.

This lets you view the photos, but many websites, older programs and other people's computers still won't accept HEIC. For sharing, convert them.

Option 2: Convert HEIC to JPG

JPG works everywhere: every website, every email, every program. Converting is the quickest fix when you need to upload or send the photos, and it works on computers where you can't install anything, such as a work laptop.

  1. Open the Altols HEIC to JPG converter.
  2. Select your HEIC photos, or drag them onto the page.
  3. Click Convert to JPG, then download them one by one or all together as a ZIP.

The conversion happens in your browser, so your photos are never uploaded. Up to three files at a time are free.

Option 3: Stop it at the source

If you regularly move photos from an iPhone to Windows, you can make the iPhone do the converting.

Convert automatically when you copy photos by cable

  1. On the iPhone, open Settings, then Apps, then Photos. On older iOS versions it's Settings → Photos.
  2. Scroll to Transfer to Mac or PC and choose Automatic.

Your iPhone then converts photos to JPG as they're copied to a computer. Choosing Keep Originals does the opposite.

Take JPG photos from now on

Go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPG. They take up roughly twice the space, and it doesn't change photos you've already taken. See how to stop your iPhone saving photos as HEIC for the full details.

Frequently asked questions

Is HEIC better quality than JPG?

They look the same to the eye at normal sizes. HEIC simply stores the same picture in about half the space.

Why does Windows ask me to pay for an extension?

The free HEIF Image Extensions handles most photos. The paid one, HEVC Video Extensions, is for some HEIC files and for iPhone videos.

Will converting to JPG lose quality?

JPG uses compression, but at the default 92% quality the difference isn't visible in normal viewing. Convert to PNG if you need a lossless copy.

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