Images conversion
Convert HEIF to HEIC
Updated Jul 2026
HEIF and HEIC are close cousins, HEIC is really just the Apple flavored version of HEIF that iPhones write by default. To convert HEIF to HEIC, open the file in a converter and export it with the .heic extension so Photos and other iOS apps recognize it properly. Doing this on your own computer means the image never has to travel to someone else's server.
- Extension
- .heif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Apple devices
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .heic
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Default iPhone photo format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert HEIF to HEIC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert HEIF to HEIC
- Open Morphjet and drag in the HEIF photo or a whole folder of them.
- Choose HEIC as the output format.
- Convert. The HEIC files are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
HEIF vs HEIC: what actually changes
| HEIF | HEIC | |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .heif, used by some Android phones, drones, and cameras | .heic, the extension iPhones write by default |
| Recognized by Apple apps | Not always, Photos and some iOS apps can be picky about the .heif extension | Yes, this is the standard iPhone photo format |
| File size | Similar | Similar, converting doesn't shrink or grow the image |
| Quality | High, lossy compression | Same, no meaningful re-encoding of the image itself |
| Metadata (date, camera, location) | Yes | Yes, carried over |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert HEIF to HEIC when a photo came from a non-Apple camera, drone, or Android phone as a .heif file and you want it to open cleanly in Photos, Messages, or any other app that expects the .heic extension iPhones use.
Skip it if the app you're using already opens .heif files fine, since there's no quality or size benefit to changing the extension for its own sake.
Why not just use an online converter?
HEIF photos from cameras and drones often carry the same kind of metadata as iPhone photos, including the exact time and GPS location where the shot was taken. Send that file to an online converter and the metadata goes with it, sitting on a server you don't control. Converting on your own computer keeps the photo, and where it was taken, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting HEIF to HEIC lose quality?
Barely, if at all. HEIC is essentially HEIF with Apple's specific packaging, so there's no meaningful re-encoding involved, just a change to a format your iPhone and its apps recognize.
Will the HEIC file keep the original metadata?
Yes. Date, camera details, and GPS location carry over from the HEIF file unless you strip them deliberately.
Why isn't my HEIF file opening properly on my iPhone?
iPhones write and expect the .heic extension specifically, so a .heif file from another device can sometimes get treated as an unrecognized file even though the underlying format is nearly identical. Converting it to .heic clears that up.
Can I convert HEIF to HEIC without uploading the file anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so it never has to leave your machine or touch the internet.
Morphjet converts HEIF, HEIC, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.