Images
What is a HEIF file?
Updated Jul 2026
HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) is the container standard behind Apple's HEIC photos, built to hold a compressed image plus extras like metadata, depth data, or a burst of frames in one file. It squeezes more quality into less space than older formats. The tradeoff is that plenty of devices, sites, and older software still won't open it.
- Extension
- .heif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Apple devices
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why HEIF exists
HEIF is the broader standard, and HEIC is Apple's specific version of it, so the two names get used almost interchangeably. When your iPhone saves a HEIC photo, it's really writing a HEIF file using Apple's chosen settings inside that standard.
The format works by leaning on newer compression than JPG, the kind originally built for video, so a HEIF file can hold the same visual quality in roughly half the space. It can also bundle in more than one image, which is how a single file stores a Live Photo's motion or a burst shot alongside the main picture.
People usually run into HEIF files the same way they run into HEIC: a photo comes off an iPhone or another modern camera, and then a website upload, an email attachment, or an older app rejects it because it only recognizes JPG or PNG.
Some Android phones and cameras now save HEIF too, since it's a shared standard rather than something exclusive to Apple. That's part of why the file shows up in more places than it used to.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Smaller files than JPG at comparable quality
- Can hold multiple images or frames in one file
- Keeps metadata and depth information alongside the photo
- Used by more than one device maker, not just Apple
Watch-outs
- Many websites, older apps, and non-Apple devices can't open it
- Usually needs converting to JPG or PNG before sharing widely
- Easy to confuse with HEIC, which adds to the confusion when troubleshooting
A note on privacy
A HEIF file typically carries EXIF metadata, including the location and time a photo was taken. Uploading it to a browser-based converter means that photo and its location history sit on someone else's server, even briefly. Converting it on your own computer keeps the image and its metadata on your machine the whole time.
Convert a HEIF file
- Convert HEIF to JPG
- Convert HEIF to PNG
- Convert HEIF to WebP
- Convert HEIF to AVIF
- Convert HEIF to HEIC
- Convert HEIF to GIF
- Convert HEIF to TIFF
- Convert HEIF to BMP
Questions
How do I open a HEIF file?
Recent Apple devices and many modern Android phones open HEIF automatically. On an older device or a website that only takes JPG or PNG, you'll need to convert it first.
Is HEIF the same as HEIC?
Almost. HEIF is the general standard, and HEIC is Apple's specific implementation of it. In practice, a HEIC file is a HEIF file, so you can treat them the same when converting.
Why did my camera save a HEIF file instead of JPG?
Newer phones and cameras default to HEIF because it stores similar quality in less space. Most let you switch back to JPG in the camera settings if you'd rather skip the conversion step later.
Is HEIF better than JPG?
It's more efficient with storage and can hold extra data like depth or motion, but JPG still opens almost everywhere without a fight. Which one is better depends on whether you value space or compatibility more.
Can I convert HEIF without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts HEIF to JPG or PNG right on your computer, so the file and its metadata never leave your machine.
Morphjet opens and converts HEIF and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.