Images conversion
Convert GIF to HEIC
Updated Jul 2026
GIF is a format for memes and simple animations, and HEIC is the compact still-image format iPhones use for photos. To convert GIF to HEIC, open the file in a converter and export it as HEIC, which keeps a single frame if the GIF is animated. Doing it on your own computer means the file never has to leave your machine.
- Extension
- .gif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Animations, memes
- Transparency
- Supported
- Extension
- .heic
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Default iPhone photo format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert GIF to HEIC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert GIF to HEIC
- Open Morphjet and drag in the GIF file or a whole folder of them.
- Choose HEIC as the output format.
- Convert. The HEIC is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
GIF vs HEIC: what actually changes
| GIF | HEIC | |
|---|---|---|
| Animation | Yes, plays as a loop | No, still image only |
| File size | Larger for photo-like images | Much smaller, efficient compression |
| Color range | Limited to 256 colors | Full color range, no banding |
| Quality | Lossless within its 256-color palette | Lossy, but high quality at small size |
| Transparency | Yes, basic on-off transparency | No |
| Metadata | Minimal | Carries EXIF and other metadata |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert GIF to HEIC when you have a single-frame GIF, like a graphic or screenshot, and want it in the smaller, full-color format your iPhone's Photos app expects.
Keep the GIF if it's animated, since HEIC is a still-image format and the conversion will only keep one frame, dropping the loop entirely.
Why not just use an online converter?
Converting a GIF usually feels harmless, but running it through a website still means uploading the file to someone else's server and trusting they delete it afterward. Converting on your own computer keeps the file exactly where it started. There's no upload, no account, and no copy sitting on a server you don't control.
Questions
What happens to an animated GIF when I convert it to HEIC?
HEIC is a still-image format, so only one frame carries over, usually the first. If you need to keep the animation, keep the file as a GIF or convert it to a video format instead.
Does converting GIF to HEIC lose quality?
Not really, and it usually looks better. GIF is limited to 256 colors, so it can show visible banding on photo-like images. HEIC supports the full color range, so the single frame you convert typically looks smoother, even though HEIC itself is a lossy format.
Will the HEIC file open on Windows or Android?
Not by default. HEIC support is still mostly an Apple thing, built into iPhones, iPads, and recent Macs. If you need the image to open everywhere, JPG or PNG is the safer choice.
Does the HEIC file get metadata added to it?
GIFs don't carry much metadata, so there's little to preserve. Any metadata in the HEIC will mostly come from whatever information is available at conversion time, not from hidden data in the original GIF.
Can I convert GIF to HEIC without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file locally, so it never travels over the internet. You can do the whole thing with your wifi turned off.
Morphjet converts GIF, HEIC, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.