What is a HEIC File, and Why Do iPhones Use It?
New iPhone users may be excited to find out about all the features and quirks of the Apple ecosystem. However, there is one question that every iPhone user asks – why is their camera snapping images in the HEIC file format. This is an uncommon file format for most people but, in reality, it is really useful if you are doing it professionally. HEIC has superb compression compared to the JPEG format, for example, and it does not sacrifice picture quality to get this. While the HEIC format is very useful to photographers using iPhones to snap a few quick pictures, it can turn out to be an annoyance for regular users.
HEIC is an abbreviation for High Efficiency Image File. It is an Apple-made format, which the iOS software supports on version 11 and above. As mentioned, the HEIC format is superior to JPEG when it comes to quality and compression. The only thing it lacks is good enough compatibility – many devices do not support it yet, hence why users are bothered by it.
Stop iPhone from Using the HEIC Format
Thankfully, Apple's engineers have not left you without options. You can switch off the HEIC format and stick to a more commonly used file format. Keep in mind that this will result in a slight impact on file size and quality – but it is not terrible.
Go to the iPhone Settings -> Camera -> Formats menu. Then, select Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency. From now on, all photos you take should use the JPG format.
Convert HEIC Files to JPG on your Desktop
If you are trying to send some HEIC images to your Mac or desktop computer, then you will be glad to hear that they can be automatically formatted to JPG. To use this feature, start by connecting the devices together. Then:
- Open the iPhone Settings -> Photos.
- Scroll down until you find the Transfer to Mac or PC option and set it to Automatic.
Your next transfer of pictures should automatically convert them to a format more compatible than HEIC.
