Photos loading from Photo Stream as HEIC

Hey there sesmitman,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We understand that you're seeing your photos load as HEIC instead of JPEG and you'd like to know why. We'd like to help.

This resource can help explain how the different formats work and how to change it back to JPEG, if needed:

Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices

Hope that helps!

Hey there sesmitman,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We understand that you're seeing your photos load as HEIC instead of JPEG and you'd like to know why. We'd like to help.

This resource can help explain how the different formats work and how to change it back to JPEG, if needed:

Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices

Hope that helps!

HEIC is the new, space saving format introduced by iOS 11. A HEIC image or HEVC video will only need half the storage on your iPhone as the more compatible JPEG or H.264 video. By default the Camera.app will take the the images in the space saving format.

You can convert the photos that have already been taken as HEIC files with the online converter at https://heictojpg.com

As explained in the link posted by Leanne_68, it is up to you to decide, if you want to continue taking the photos in the space saving format or decide to disable it on the iPhone or iPad. It can be disabled in the Settings > Camera > High Efficiency (for HEIC and HEVC) or Most Compatible (for JPEG and H.264).

It will depend on the system version on your Mac, if HEIF is useful for you or not.

• If you want keep using the HEIF format on the iPhone to save storage, you need a compatible system version on your Mac. A Mac with  OS X 10.11 cannot handle the format. Is the system version given below your question still valid?
  • it will be much easier, if you upgrade the system on the Mac to a newer system version, that supports HEIF. You need macOS 10.13 High Sierra at least, if your iMac is not too old and can be upgraded. Then the Mac can handle the space saving format. And you will save storage on the Mac and the iPhone.
  • If you cannot upgrade to macOS 10.13 at least, you can change the Settings on your iPhone, so the photos will be transferred as JPEGS. This is handled in the Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC section. Set this to Most Compatible. But download the photos using a wired connection, not My Photo Stream. My Photo Stream is a bad choice anyway, as it cannot transfer the videos and Live Photos. There is one drawback, if you transfer in a different format from the format the photos have been taken. The Mac will no longer be able to recognise, if a photo has already been transferred, because the HEICs on the iPhone will always appear as new.
• Or change the Setting > Camera to "Most compatible" and transfer in the traditional format JPEG and H.264. You will need twice the storage on your Mac and the iPhone, but you can transfer the photos like before. Just use the online converter at https://heictojpg.com to convert the HEIC files you have already taken as HEICs.

You may want to have look at this new User Tip: Implications of shooting HEIF on the iPhone or iPad and How to Control the Format - Apple Community

You're welcome 😊