What the heck is HEIC in Photos
I just got an iPhone 11 - is this why my photos are now HEIC? What it that? I'm attempting to tran sfer photos from Photos to my desktop, but can't figure out how to get jpegs...
Any answer appreciated.
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Heic is a space saving format. If you encode an image as a HEIC file, it will only use half of the storage that a JPEG of the same quality would need.
On your iPhone you have two options.
- You can change the settings, so new photos will be taken as JPEGS
- Or you can change the Settings, so the photos will automatically be converted to JPEGs, when you transfer them to a computer.
This is explained here: Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices - Apple Support
Or you can download the HEIC files in there current format and convert them to JPEGs with the online converter: https://heictojpg.com
To set your iPhone to capture media using the older formats, which are more broadly compatible with other devices and operating systems:
- Go to Settings > Camera.
- Tap Formats.
- Tap Most Compatible. This setting is available only on devices that can capture media in HEIF or HEVC format, and only when using iOS 11 or later.
- All new photos and videos will now use JPEG or H.264 format. To return to using the space-saving HEIF and HEVC formats, choose High Efficiency.
To download the images as JPEGS:
When you import HEIF or HEVC media from an attached iOS device to Photos, Image Capture, or a PC, the media might be converted to JPEG or H.264.
You can change this import behavior in iOS 11 or later. Go to Settings > Photos. In the TRANSFER TO MAC OR PC section, tap Keep Originals to prevent the media from being converted to JPEG or H.264 when importing.