Image Format Types

Hey there SteelCityAnne,

To clarify further on your additional question, if you are using one of the devices listed under the "" section of the previously provided resource, then captured media will automatically be in HEIF or HEVC unless you have the settings set differently.

Check out below for more details:

Capturing this media

When using iOS 11 or later, the following devices can capture media in HEIF or HEVC format. Other devices can view, edit, or duplicate this media with limitations, if using iOS 11 or later or macOS High Sierra or later.

* iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus or later

* iPad (6th generation) or later

* iPad Air (3rd generation) or later

* iPad mini (5th generation) or later

* iPad Pro (10.5 inch), iPad Pro (11 inch), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) or later

Though capturing in HEIF and HEVC format is recommended, you can set these devices to capture media using the older formats, which are more broadly compatible with other devices and operating systems:

1. Go to Settings > Camera.

2. Tap Formats.

3. 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.

4. 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.

Let us know if you have any other questions. We'd be happy to help.

Take care!

Hello SteelCityAnne,

For photos, you can use HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices. Please check out this link, which has more information about that and options, which may help: Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices

Upgrade to iOS 11 or later or macOS High Sierra or later to view, edit, or duplicate HEIF or HEVC media captured with an iOS device.

iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra introduced support for these new, industry-standard media formats:

* HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) for photos

* HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), also known as H.265, for videos

HEIF and HEVC offer better compression than JPEG and H.264, so they use less storage space on your devices and iCloud Photos, while preserving the same visual quality. 

Please note that not all document formats are supported by the Files app, however, this link has some information that may be helpful as well: View and modify files and folders in Files on iPad

If you have additional questions, please contact Apple Support for assistance. You may be able to reach them here: Get Support

Thank you.

Hello SteelCityAnne,

That choice is completely yours:

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.

Since you don't need to connect with older devices, you might prefer the space-saving option.

Thanks.