How to open HEIC files in Windows (or convert them to JPG)

User question

Hello.

Help me with one problem. My Apple iPad takes photos in HEIC format, but Windows 10 won't open it (system doesn't support). Tell me how can I convert this format to regular JPEG and open it on a computer / TV.

Thanks in advance.

Hello.

Yes, Apple products have recently taken HEIF photos by default, and this often leads to certain difficulties ...

However, having resorted to a number of utilities - you manage to fix this point quickly enough, and you stop noticing the difference between JPEG and HEIC again ... 👌

Disassembly with HEIC and HEIF

The main point about the HEIF format

HEIF is a special. image compression format (analogue to HEVC / H.265). Its main advantage before JPEG - most photos in HEIF take about 2 times less space, with the same quality!

HEIC is a container format that stores a HEVC / H.265 encoded file.

Those. for the same amount of memory (say 64 GB) - you can fit about 2 times more photos than in JPEG (with comparable quality)! *

* Note!

The size of a photo in HEIC depends on the composition of a particular frame - the more various small elements in the picture, the larger the photo size. With the "worst" variant for HEIC - its size will be equal to the photo in JPEG.

Of course, thanks to such savings, you can not so actively use cloud drives (after all, photos in the phone's memory are much faster and more convenient to process ...).

👉 Also It is worth noting that in addition to more efficient compression, a HEIF photo has several advantages over JPG:

there is support for transparency, like GIF or PNG;
there is support for 16-bit color (JPG has only 8);
a HEIC file can fit several separate images, which is often required to create so-called "live photos";
HEIC stores a history of image changes to which you can roll back the snapshot over time. For example, you cropped a part of the picture, and then decided to put everything back - please! You can't do that trick with JPG ...

How and how to open HEIC photos in Windows

Option 1: handy tools 👍

Perhaps the easiest, fastest and safest way to view HEIC photos (on any Windows version) is to upload them to Yandex Drive / Google Drive (see screen below 👇).

👉 To help!

Where to get a cloud drive: the best services

These cloud drives will automatically display the "picture". By the way, you can take a screenshot from it and save it to your HDD. Isn't it the easiest way to convert? 👌

HEIC photo has been uploaded to Google Drive

If a talk about viewers (programs for viewing photos) - in this regard stands out:

Irfan View is a small utility that makes it easy to view photo and video files (supports several hundred graphic formats). To fully work with HEIC, you need an "upgraded" version;
Apowersoft Photo Viewer - this viewer is "omnivorous" and works with HEIC right out of the "box" (though in my case it opened about 20% of HEIC as "transparent" ...).

Apowersoft Photo Viewer - main program window

Option 2: an extension for Windows

Extensions for HEIF images are special. add-on for Windows 10. After installing it, you can open files in HEIF format just like regular photos (through the "Photos" application built into Windows 10).

Extension for HEIF images

Note: this add-on was free at one time, then it became paid, now it's free again ... 👀

If anything - at the moment it is again "served" as free, that is why I included it in the review ...

Photos app - Windows 10

Option 3: "bleeding" the conductor

CopyTrans HEIC (link to official website) - special a program that integrates into your Windows OS and gives complete freedom over the HEIF / HEIC formats:

you can view HEIC in Explorer and other Windows programs;
it is possible to convert HEIC to JPG simply by clicking on the desired file;
the ability to print photos (directly from HEIC without converting them to something more "convenient");
the ability to insert HEIC files into Word, Excel, Paint and other office applications.

Windows 10 - before and after installation

Option 4: we use specials. converter

iMazing HEIC Converter (link to the official site) is a converter program designed to quickly batch convert a large number of HEIC files to JPG.

The program interface is extremely simple: all you need to do is add a list of files, select a format for compression and click "Convert" (see example below).