What is HEIC and HEIF?

This article provides a clear overview of the HEIF and HEIC image formats, explaining what they are, why they were created, and how they compare to traditional formats like JPEG. You will also learn about their main benefits, potential compatibility issues, and how to easily convert these files for wider accessibility.

Understanding HEIF and HEIC

HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. Developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), it is a container format designed to store individual images and image sequences.

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Coding) is the specific file extension Apple chose to use for images saved in the HEIF format on iPhones and iPads. Technically, HEIC is HEIF container files encoded using the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Apple adopted this format as the default for iOS 11 in 2017 to save storage space on user devices.

The Advantages of HEIC over JPEG

Compared to the older JPEG format, HEIC offers several significant technical improvements:

• Better Compression: HEIC files compress images much more efficiently than JPEG. An HEIC file takes up roughly half the storage space of a JPEG file with the same visual quality.
• Higher Color Bit Depth: While JPEG is limited to 8-bit color, HEIC supports up to 16-bit color, allowing for smoother gradients and more realistic color reproduction.
• Support for Advanced Features: The HEIC container can store multiple images (such as Apple’s Live Photos or burst shots), depth maps for portrait mode effects, alpha channels for transparency, and image editing history.

The Compatibility Challenge and How to Convert

Despite its technical superiority, the main drawback of HEIC is compatibility. Many older operating systems, web browsers, and photo-editing software programs do not natively support HEIC files out of the box. While Apple devices handle them seamlessly, Windows and Android users often face difficulties viewing or editing them.

If you need to share your photos with non-Apple users or upload them to websites that only accept standard formats, you will need to convert your files. You can quickly convert your files to a universally accepted format using this online Bulk HEIC/HEIF to JPEG conversion tool. This tool runs directly in your web browser, allowing you to convert multiple images at once without losing quality.