HEIF is a relatively new image format. Photos taken in HEIF are of a superior quality and take up about half the space of the JPEG ones. This format is the future – you can store 2 times more pictures on your phone without losing quality. However, there’s one huge BUT – one needs a HEIF image extension to view the photos on Windows and some Android phones.

In this article, I answered the most common user questions about the HEIF format, compared it to JPEG, and showed how to view HEIF on Windows and Android. You can directly navigate to the question you want to know more about or read all the parts of the article consequently to learn more about problems other users face – I’m sure you can find something useful.

  1. What is HEIF image?
  2. What is HEIF image extension and do I need it?
  3. How do I view HEIF files in Windows 10 and 11?
  4. How do I convert HEIF to JPG in Windows 10?
  5. How to change HEIF to JPG on Android?
  6. FAQ – HEIF photo format


What is HEIF image?

What is HEIF? It stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. The idea was to create a format that preserves the quality but takes less space. And it turned out to be possible and successful!

HEIF vs HEIC

HEIF is the official format name. HEIC is its variation. They work on the same basis but are still technically different. A .HEIF becomes .HEIC if you send it from your Samsung or iPhone to another phone or a Windows PC.

What are the benefits of HEIF images?

It’s called “High Efficiency” for a reason. The fact is that the quality of a HEIF photo is almost the utmost, while the size is not big. For example, a colorful picture of nature in HEIF would be 2-2,5 MB on average.


Is HEIF format better than JPEG?

JPEG is a classic format that is supported by all the programs and devices. This is the biggest advantage of the JPEG format, which cannot be said about HEIF. Many websites, apps and even a Windows PC will tell you that the format is not supported.


Which is better quality, JPEG or HEIF?

Some users say they can see that the quality is lost after converting HEIF to JPEG. But, in fact, most of the time there’s no difference at all or it’s not noticeable. On the other hand, the same picture in JPEG can take up to double the space.


Who uses HEIF format?

Some brand-new Android phones like Samsung make photos in HEIF depending on the settings. iPhone uses HEIF as well.

When you send a HEIF photo from your phone via messaging apps, they are automatically converted to JPEG. The Desktop version of Telegram can automatically convert HEIF to JPEG as well. Many photo editing apps and websites support HEIF without conversion, for example, Canva or Figma. So, normally, you don’t have to convert a HEIF photo if you want to send or edit it.

However, Windows PCs don’t natively support the format. You will need to either convert the photos manually online, which is tiresome, or install a HEIF extension.

In the next paragraphs, I will explain what a HEIF extension is and when you should install it. I will also show how to convert a HEIF picture to JPEG.


What is HEIF image extensions and do I need it?

You downloaded or copied photos to a Windows PC, but:

  • the thumbnails cannot be seen;
  • the photo cannot be opened;
  • the extension next to the image name on the PC is .HEIF or .HEIC;
  • Photos viewer says that HEIF and HEVC extensions are required to display the file.

If you want to view these pictures on the Windows PC and see the thumbnails, you have to install a HEIF image extension.

Do I need HEIF image extensions

What is a HEIF image extension? An extension is like an app or a driver – you install a HEIF extension, and it teaches your PC to read and open HEIF files. But you don’t have to launch the extension every time you want to see a HEIF photo. The information is already integrated into your system, as if it “extended” the capabilities of your PC.

Does Windows support HEIF files?

No, neither Windows 10 nor Windows 11 support HEIF files by default. If you want to see thumbnails and open HEIF photos, you need to install HEIF extensions.

Microsoft offers its own HEIF image extension, which is supposed to be free. However, I installed it and it wasn’t enough. For full compatibility, I had to install a HEVC extension as well. The second extension cost me 0.99 USD.

How do I install HEIF image extensions?

If you prefer to stick to native Microsoft solutions, you can download the HEIF and HEVC media extensions from the official website or from the Microsoft Store app on your PC.

hevc extension by Microsoft

If you want to download HEIF image extensions without Microsoft Store, there’s also a multifunctional app called CopyTrans Studio. It includes HEIF, HEIC and HEVC (video) extensions. It comes with an integrated CopyTrans Viewer, so you won’t receive the Windows notification about “a photo or a video” not being compatible anymore.

  1. Download the CopyTrans Studio.exe file to your PC and launch it with a double click. Install it the same way you install other apps (see a setup guide).
  2. Once you installed it, restart your PC. You are now able to preview the thumbnails and view the photos in the CopyTrans Viewer.
select file or folder you want to convert

That’s all. You don’t need to install anything else. CopyTrans Studio will also introduce you to other features that help to manage iPhone Photos. If you don’t have an iPhone, simply close the tutorial window.

CopyTrans Studio

Manage iPhone Photos with CopyTrans Studio:

  • View HEIC or convert them to JPEG
  • Copy iPhone photos to your PC or an external drive
  • Clean iPhone Photo Library on your PC
  • Wired and wireless connection
  • Customer support by mail within 24h
 Download CopyTrans Studio

How do I view HEIF files in Windows 10 and 11?

If Windows notifies you that “HEIF and HEVC extensions are required to display the file”, you can:

Either install the free HEIF extension and purchase the Microsoft HEVC extensions for 1USD. They work in the bundle only. After that, you will be able to open HEIF photos in the native Windows Photos app.

Or install a HEIF image extensions support tool called CopyTrans Studio :

HEIF Image Viewer supports many formats
Free extensions
All in one – no need to install multiple Microsoft plugins
Provide support by mail if something doesn’t work


HEIF viewer for Windows

You can install CopyTrans Studio to view HEIF/HEIC photos without conversion. Then, you can use the integrated CopyTrans Viewer or the native Windows Photo Viewer (not the new Photos viewer).

  1. To use the HEIF viewer, download CopyTrans Studio first. Install it normally. You can consult the installation guide if needed.
  2. Your PC will restart. CopyTrans Studio will introduce you to its features to manage iPhone Photo Library. You can find them useful if you have an iPhone.
  3. How to open HEIF files? You don’t need to connect an iPhone to the PC to use the viewer. You can already view HEIF photos if you click on them.
Main functions in CopyTrans Viewer

For more instructions, see “How to use CopyTrans Viewer?” guide.

However, if you need to send or upload a .HEIF photo somewhere from your PC, you will probably have to convert it to .JPEG. Messaging services and many different websites or tools don’t support .HEIF. Below, I will show you how to convert .HEIF to .JPEG on your PC or on your Android if necessary.


Can I convert HEIF image to JPEG?

Of course! You can do it both on your Windows PC and your Android or iPhone. Let’s start with ways to convert a picture on your Windows PC.

On your computer, you can use your browser to convert a few pictures online via a converter-website. Another option would be to use CopyTrans Studio and rigt-click to convert a selection of photos or a whole folder.

Convert HEIC to JPG

How to change HEIF to JPG on Android?

One usually prefers to keep photos in HEIF on the phone to save space. If you need to convert a few photos on your phone because you can’t upload a HEIF photo to a service or an app, you can simply convert it online. You just need to search for an online converter from HEIF to JPEG, upload your HEIF picture, and download the converted version manually.

An alternative would be to install a “HEIF converter” app directly on your phone. You can find many in the Play/ Google Store.

But if you find the HEIF format inconvenient, you can disable the compression in the phone settings. All the future photos will be taken in .JPEG. The photos in your phone gallery will not be converted to JPEG. You can copy them to your Windows PC, then convert the whole folder of HEIF photos to JPEG using CopyTrans Studio (How to convert HEIC folders to JPG?).

Here’s how to change HEIF to JPEG on a Samsung phone, for example.

How do I convert HEIF to JPEG on Samsung?

Go to your Settings -> Camera app info -> Camera settings -> High-efficiency pictures. Untoggle the setting, and all your new photos will be taken in JPEG.

Change HEIF to JPG on Android

You will need to use your PC to convert your existing photos. Consult the article “How to Convert HEIC to JPG, PNG or PDF on Windows?“.



HEIF photo format

FAQ

Should I use HEIF on Samsung?

Pictures in .HEIF can take up to 2 times less space than the .JPEG ones. So, you will definitely save memory on your device.

When you send .HEIF photos via messaging apps, they are automatically converted to .JPEG. So, the recipient will see the photo even if their device doesn’t support .HEIF.

If you copy the picture to your Windows PC, it won’t be supported. You will have to manually convert it on your computer or install a HEIF extension/ plugin. See how to do it above.

Can you convert HEIF to PDF?

Yes. If you have a few pics to convert, you can look for an online converter-website in your browser.

But if you have a folder of HEIF pics on your PC (possibly also shown as .HEIC on Windows), it is more convenient to use CopyTrans Studio. You can select multiple photos or convert the whole folder via the right-click. You can find the instructions in a separate article “Convert HEIC to PDF“.

How to make a HEIF into a PNG?

You can convert a .HEIF photo to .PNG in your browser using an online converter of your choice. Another option would be to use CopyTrans Studio on Windows. You can select individual photos or the whole folder with your HEIF/ HEIC pics, then make a right-click and select “Convert with CopyTrans”. See the article “Convert HEIC to PNG” for more details.

Can I convert HEIF image to JPEG?

There are hundreds of online converters – you can simply upload your photos there and convert the HEIF to JPEG online.

However, if you’re concerned about your privacy, you can opt for CopyTrans Studio, because it doesn’t send your data anywhere. You need to copy the .HEIF pictures to the PC and install CopyTrans Studio on your Windows. Then, right-click on the .HEIF photos or the whole folder with your .HEIF photos and select “Convert with CopyTrans”. You can find explanations with screenshots in the article “How to convert HEIC to JPG with CopyTrans Studio“.

How do I convert HEIF to JPG in Windows 10?

CopyTrans Studio can convert HEIF to JPEG in Windows 10 and 11. All the files are converted on your PC, so the data is not transmitted anywhere, and you can be sure about your privacy.

Install CopyTrans Studio on your Windows PC. Right-click on your HEIF picture or the whole folder containing your HEIF photos and select “Convert with CopyTrans”. For more instructions, please follow the article “Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows 11“.

How do I convert HEIF to JPG on Apple?

You can look for an online converter in Google. However, you have to download each converted photo one by one manually. What’s more, the quality often gets reduced.

If you don’t want to lose in quality and wish to preserve the date taken, opt for CopyTrans Studio. It works on Windows 10 and 11. You need to install the app on your PC and connect your iPhone to the PC. Copy the photos you want to convert from your iPhone to the PC using CopyTrans Studio. The photos can be converted to JPEG during the transfer or after. You can find extra details in the article “How to convert HEIC to JPG with CopyTrans Studio“.



What are HEIF image and HEIF image extensions?

Conclusion:

What is HEIF image? It’s a picture made in .HEIF ( High Efficiency Image File Format) instead of .JPEG. HEIF files take less space than the JPEG ones, but are the same in quality. You can take photos in HEIF on Samsung or iPhone. But such photos are not supported by many apps, services or even Windows PCs.

For a Windows PC to read your HEIF files, you need to install a HEIF image extension. Another option is to convert photos from HEIF to JPEG/ PNG/ PDF using online converters or CopyTrans Studio for Windows.