Install HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store to open HEIC files. You can convert HEIC files to JPG on Windows using CopyTrans or online converters. Programs like Photoshop and GIMP can also open HEIC files.
Apple iPhones and iPads take photos in the HEIF image format by default. The file extension for these images is HEIC. You can view HEIC files on Windows 10 or Windows 11 with just a few clicks. You can also convert HEIC files to standard JPEGs for viewing anywhere.
How to view HEIC files in the Windows 10 Photos app
The latest versions of Windows 10 allow you to install support for HEIC image files with just a few clicks. This also works on Windows 11.
First, find the HEIC file in your computer explorer and double-click it. When asked which app you want to open, select Photos.
Tips: If the HEIC file does not open in the Photos app, right-click on the HEIC file and select[プログラムから開く]>[写真]Choose.
The Photos app says “HEIF image extension is required to view this file.”[今すぐダウンロードしてインストール]Click the link to get it from the Microsoft Store. It is a free download and the installation only takes a few minutes.
NB: You will also need to install the HEVC Video Extensions package. This usually costs $0.99. There is a way to get HEVC video extensions for free. If this method doesn’t work for you and you don’t want to spend $0.99, we recommend downloading the free solution below instead.
Related: How to Install Free HEVC Codec on Windows 10 (for H.265) Videos
When Windows asks “Do you mean switch apps?” , select Yes.
This will open the HEIF Image Extension page in the Microsoft Store app.[インストール]Click the button to download and install support for HEIC image files (using HEIF format).
Now when you open a HEIC image in the Photos app, you can view it like any other image file like JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP.
File Explorer in Windows 10 also automatically creates and displays thumbnails of HEIC image files.
Related: What is the HEIF (or HEIC) image format?
How to Convert HEIC to JPEG on Windows
To quickly and easily convert HEIC files to standard JPG images on Windows, we recommend downloading and installing CopyTrans HEIC for Windows.
This tool is especially useful on Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows 10 where support is not integrated into the Photos app because it installs full HEIC image support on Windows. Add HEIC image support to the classic Windows Photo Viewer.
For CopyTrans HEIC, right-click on the HEIC file in File Explorer and select[JPEG に変換]You can also choose to convert to a JPEG file quickly and easily. Selecting this option will result in a JPEG version of the image that is automatically placed in the same folder as the original HEIC file.
JPEG files are widely supported, which makes it useful to use HEIC files in applications that support JPEG images rather than HEIC files.
How to open HEIC photos in other applications
More and more programs are natively supporting HEIC image files in HEIF format. For example, Adobe Photoshop can now open these files, but it requires the HEIF Image Extensions package mentioned above and the HEVC Video Extensions software to be installed.
I also like IrfanView as a good and simple image viewer. As the official IrfanView FAQ indicates, IrfanView will open HEIC image files as long as the CopyTrans HEIC or HEIF and HEVC packages for Windows are installed.
For more information regarding HEIC support in your favorite image viewing or editing software, do a web search for its name and “HEIC.”
Related: Windows 10 Photos app is very slow.Here’s the fix
How to convert HEIC files to JPEG on the web
If you don’t want to install the software, you can always use an online conversion tool. Simply upload a HEIC file to download your JPEG file.
warning: The website below works fine, but we strongly advise once morest uploading personal photos (or documents, or videos) to online tools for conversion. If your photos contain sensitive content, we recommend that you leave them on your computer. On the other hand, if the photo is not interesting to an intruder, there is nothing wrong with uploading it to an online service. This is a general recommendation for any type of file. For example, we recommend that you do not upload PDF files that contain sensitive financial or business data to online PDF conversion services.
For a quick conversion, visit HEICtoJPG.com and upload up to 5 images at once. You can drag and drop one or more HEIC files from your computer to the web page.
The website converts these files to JPEG and you can download the resulting JPG file from the page.
If you don’t like working with HEIC files, you can also set your iPhone to take photos in the most compatible JPEG format by default. However, HEIC provides higher image quality with a smaller file size. This is a more modern image format and we recommend sticking with it if your application supports it.
Update, November 8, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. ET: I verified that everything in this article works on Windows 11 as well. Some screens may look slightly different due to the UI update, but everything should work as before. You can always replace your default photo app with Irfanview.
Related: How to Use JPG and MP4 Files Instead of HEIF, HEIC and HEVC on iPhone
