Use our free HEIC to HEIF converter online to change between formats while preserving original photo quality. If you are wondering how to change heic to heif for cross-platform compatibility, this secure, browser-based tool allows you to convert heic image to heif format instantly.
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.heic, .heif supported · No file size limit
Drag and drop your files or click to select the photos you wish to convert.
You can adjust quality, though keeping it at 100% preserves the exact original image data.
Click "Convert to HEIF" to process your heic to heif free download instantly.
HEIC is Apple's implementation of the HEIF standard, using the .heic extension. Used by iPhones and iPads as the default photo format.
HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) is the open ISO standard. The .heif extension is used by some non-Apple implementations of the standard.
HEIC and HEIF are technically the same codec - they differ only in file extension and slight container variations.
Both HEIC and HEIF achieve about 50% smaller files than JPEG at the same quality level.
HEIC and HEIF are closely related terms that are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same thing. HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image Format, and it is the official standard developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container, and it is Apple's specific implementation of the HEIF standard that uses HEVC (H.265) compression for the image data. Think of HEIF as the family name, and HEIC as one specific member of that family.
When you convert HEIC to HEIF, you are essentially changing the container format while keeping the underlying image data. The .heif extension is more widely recognized by non-Apple software and media management tools, while .heic is predominantly associated with Apple devices. Converting between the two formats allows for better cross-platform compatibility without sacrificing any image quality.
There are several practical reasons to convert between these two closely related formats. Some professional photo editing software recognizes .heif files but not .heic files. Certain media asset management systems used by photographers and creative agencies prefer the .heif extension for organizational purposes. Additionally, some Android devices and Linux distributions handle .heif files more gracefully than .heic files, since HEIF is the open standard while HEIC is Apple's branded version.
Another common scenario involves photographers and archivists who want to standardize their image library under a single file extension. If you are managing thousands of images from multiple sources, converting everything to the standard .heif extension can simplify file management and ensure consistent behavior across different software tools.
When you use our converter with the quality slider set to 100%, the conversion is effectively lossless. The original HEIC image data is decoded and then re-encoded in the HEIF container at full quality. At lower quality settings, some compression artifacts may be introduced, similar to what happens when you re-save a JPEG at a lower quality setting. For most users, a quality setting of 90% or above produces results that are visually indistinguishable from the original.
It is worth noting that any format conversion that involves decoding and re-encoding technically introduces a generation loss. However, modern codecs like HEVC are extremely efficient, and at high quality settings, this loss is negligible. If absolute bit-for-bit fidelity is critical for your use case, you should keep the original HEIC file alongside the converted HEIF version.
The HEIF standard (ISO/IEC 23008-12) was finalized in 2015 and offers several advanced features that older formats like JPEG cannot match. HEIF supports 16-bit color depth (compared to JPEG's 8-bit), which means it can reproduce over 65,000 shades per color channel instead of just 256. This results in smoother gradients and more accurate color reproduction, especially in challenging lighting conditions like sunsets or studio photography.
HEIF also supports storing multiple images in a single file. Apple uses this capability for Live Photos (where a short video clip accompanies each still image) and burst mode shots. The format can also store auxiliary images like depth maps, alpha channels, and thumbnails within the same container. When you convert HEIC to HEIF using our tool, the primary image is preserved, while these supplementary data items may be handled differently depending on the specific conversion parameters.
Compared to JPEG, HEIF offers dramatically better compression efficiency. A typical HEIF file is about 40% to 50% smaller than an equivalent-quality JPEG. This translates directly to storage savings on your devices and faster upload and download times when sharing photos online. For professionals managing libraries of thousands or millions of images, the cumulative savings are significant.
HEIF also preserves more editing flexibility than JPEG. Because HEIF supports non-destructive editing metadata, apps can store editing instructions within the file without permanently altering the pixel data. This means you can undo edits later, which is impossible with JPEG files where each save permanently bakes changes into the compressed image data.
HEIF support has expanded significantly since Apple popularized the format. As of 2024, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Windows 10/11 (with the HEIF extension installed) all support opening and viewing HEIF files natively. Android 10 and later versions include built-in HEIF support. Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and other professional editing tools have added HEIF support in recent versions. Even web browsers are making progress, with Safari offering native HEIF support and Chrome working on implementation.
Despite this growing support, there are still situations where converting HEIC to HEIF (or to a more traditional format like JPG or PNG) is necessary. Legacy systems, older software versions, and certain web platforms may not handle either format well, making conversion an ongoing practical necessity.
Our browser-based converter processes your files entirely on your local device. When you upload a .heic file, the browser decodes the HEIC container, extracts the image data, and re-wraps it in a HEIF container with the .heif extension. The quality slider controls the re-encoding quality, and the resize slider lets you adjust the output dimensions. There is no file upload, no waiting for server processing, and no privacy concerns. Your files stay on your device throughout the entire process.
If you work extensively with both HEIC and HEIF files, here are a few practical tips. Always keep your original files until you have verified the converted versions meet your needs. Use consistent file naming conventions to avoid confusion between .heic and .heif versions of the same image. Consider organizing your photo library by format if you work with multiple image types. And remember that both HEIC and HEIF offer excellent quality at small file sizes, so there is rarely a need to convert to JPEG unless cross-platform compatibility demands it.