How can I view HEIC formatted Photos on my PC?

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Last Updated : | Wide Angle Software

Summary

To view HEIC formatted Photos in Windows, you must:

Use a third-party image viewing application that supports the HEIC/HEIF format.
Use a third-party conversion application (e.g. TouchCopy) to convert the HEIC image file to a compatible format such as JPEG or PNG.

Further Information

iOS 11 has introduced a new format to store photos and videos that are taken with the camera. The new format used is known as HEIF/HEIC or 'High Efficiency Image Format'. This new format boasts a smaller file size with an improvement in image quality. This functionality is currently only available on devices that are running iOS 11 and have an A10 chip or newer.

TouchCopy can transfer your HEIC photos from your device to your computer. However, a downside to the file format is that HEIC image viewing is not supported natively in Windows. This means that it is not currently possible to view HEIC images files within Windows without either downloading a third-party image viewer that is compatible with this format, or by using a conversion application to convert the image file to a supported format such as JPEG or PNG.

TouchCopy will let you know if it detects any HEIC format images on your device. If it does, it will prompt you to download an additional componant (free of charge), which will allow you to preview your device's HEIC photos in TouchCopy, and even save them to your computer as JPGS.

Copy HEIC photos from device to computer

Change Compatibility Settings

When transferring photos and videos from your device, your device can automatically choose a compatible format for the device that the content is being sent to; or it can send the file in its original format that it is currently stored as. You can change the setting used by following the steps below:

Open the 'Settings' app on your device.
Tap on the 'Photos' option.
Scroll down to the 'Transfer to Mac or PC' options.

We recommend setting the option to 'Automatic' as the device can then decide the best format in which to transfer your images and videos. The option to 'Keep Originals' should only be used if you require the files to be in their current format, regardless of compatibility.

Change Camera Format

If your device can take HEIC formatted photos, it is possible to change the format in which photos are taken using your camera. To change the format, follow the steps below:

Open the 'Settings' app on your device.
Tap on the 'Camera' option.
Tap on the 'Formats' option.

There are currently two options available. These are 'High Efficiency' and 'Most Compatible'. By setting the format to 'High Efficiency', future photos and videos will be stored as HEIF/HEIC files. By setting the format to 'Most Compatible', future photos and videos will be stored as JPEG/H.264 files.

Please note that changing the camera format will only affect future photos and videos that are taken after the format has been changed. Existing photos and videos will not be reformatted to the newly chosen setting.