If you transfer data from your iPhone or iPad to a PC or laptop, you will see many files in HEIC format, especially image files. The extension of these files will be as mentioned before.
Benefits of using HEIC files
HEICfiles can be encrypted and decrypted instantly with very low usage of processor. This format compresses the size of the image, so it takes less space on the server or local storage and loads faster. JPEG file format does not support any file format except still images, while Heic format can save single or multiple images as a GIF file does. Image editing can also be done like crop, rotation, etc very easily. Some more benefits of HEIC files are below:
How to Open HEIC Files on Windows?
Windows do not support HEIC file extension, but there is another way to view HEIC files on a Windows device. Here you need third party applications software for this purpose. There are tons of free software out there which can open this file extension but we will be using a standalone software to do the job. Note: Appuals is in no way affiliated with any third-party applications. Please proceed at your own risk. If you are unable to set the preference for all the HEIC files, you can follow the steps below to set the preferences manually using your Settings.
How to Convert HEIC files to JPEG?
There are also tools available out there which help you in converting the HEIC files to JPEG format. The process is very quick as well. In this method, we will navigate to a third-party website and use their services. Note: Appuals is at no way associated with any third-party websites. They are listed for the reader’s knowledge.
Update Windows to the Latest Build
The HEIC image format is a new picture format used by Apple in its devices. Microsoft has included native support for HEIC format for some versions of Windows and released it through the Windows update channel. In this context, updating the Windows of your system to the latest build may solve the problem.
Download and Install the HEIC Extensions from Microsoft Store
You may fail to open the HEIC files if your system is missing the codecs required to open the files. In this context, installing the HEIC codecs (by using the HEIC extensions from Microsoft Store) may solve the problem. Source: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-usen-us/site/silentsignin?returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fanswers.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fwindows%2Fforum%2Fall%2Fhow-to-open-heic-file-in-windows-desktop%2F4efd294e-8992-4fbd-a15d-6478def05b1d, https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/it6dio/cant_open_heic_files_in_windows_10_even_after/
Install HEIC Image Viewer – Converter Supported
Different photo editing applications can open HEIF files. One such application is the HEIC Image Viewer – Converter Supported available on the Microsoft Store. If the issue persists, you can also try iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive cloud services (on your iPhone) which will convert your iPhone pictures to JPEG before uploading on the cloud, and then you can access these files on your PC by using the PC client of the cloud service. If the issue is still there, then you can use any of the converting applications or browser extensions to convert HEIC files to Jpegs, Some of such applications are Format Factory, iMazing HEIC Converter, or ImageGlass (which natively supports HEIC without the Microsoft codecs extensions). To avoid the cumbersomeness in the future, you can also set your iPhone camera settings to use Most Compatible (the images will be saved in Jpeg). Source: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-usen-us/site/silentsignin?returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fanswers.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fwindows%2Fforum%2Fall%2Fheic-we-cant-open-this-file%2Fea13d55c-812a-4cbb-976c-9b3f42dfc582
How to Convert CR2 Files Into JPG FilesFix: Windows 10 won’t Open JPEG Picture FilesHow to Open OXPS Files on Windows 10?How to Open SMC Files on Windows 10?
