File format · Compressed image

.HEIC — HEIC / HEIF

High Efficiency Image File format, default on iPhone and some Canon/Sony/Fujifilm cameras. About half the size of JPEG at similar quality with optional 10-bit HDR.

.heic
File extension
Compressed image
Type
8–10-bit
Bit depth
2015
Introduced

What is a .heic file?#

High Efficiency Image File format, default on iPhone and some Canon/Sony/Fujifilm cameras. About half the size of JPEG at similar quality with optional 10-bit HDR.

Advantages#

  • ≈50% smaller than JPEG
  • 10-bit colour and HDR
  • Stores depth maps and bursts

Drawbacks#

  • Patchy support on older Windows/web
  • Licensing complexity

How to open and convert it#

Open: any modern image viewer or editor. Convert: Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo, ImageMagick (magick input.heic output.jpg) or online converters.

Read metadata: exiftool file.heic — see the EXIF tag reference.

Best for: Phone photos and in-camera HDR stills.

Other formats#

.avi.avif.bpg.btf.cos.dcp.dv.dvb.dvr-ms.eip.exif.exv.fits.flif.flv.fpf.fpx.gif.glv.hdr.insp.insv.iso.jxl

Frequently asked questions#

What opens .heic files?

Open: any modern image viewer or editor. Convert: Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo, ImageMagick (magick input.heic output.jpg) or online converters.

Is .heic a RAW file?

No — it is a compressed image format.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources