How to Open HEIC Files on Windows 11 (4 Easy Ways, Most Free)

You copy photos from your iPhone to your PC, double-click one, and Windows shrugs. The file ends in .heic, and the Photos app asks for an extension. Nothing is broken. Your iPhone just saves photos in a newer format that Windows doesn’t read out of the box. This guide covers four fixes, from the quickest to the most permanent. It’s part of our iPhone guides, and the Windows side follows Microsoft’s own support pages.

What is a HEIC file?

HEIC is the file extension for HEIF, the High Efficiency Image Format. Apple uses HEIF for photos and HEVC (also called H.265) for videos. According to Apple, these formats compress better than older ones like JPEG and H.264, so your photos take up less space without looking worse.

The catch is compatibility. Apple devices handle HEIC everywhere. Windows needs a codec, which Microsoft sells separately through the Store. Many websites, older photo editors and office apps still expect JPEG. So you have two choices: teach Windows to read HEIC, or turn the photos into JPEG.

Fix 1: Install the HEIF and HEVC extensions

This is Microsoft’s own answer. When you try to open a HEIC or HEVC file, the Photos app may say You need an extension to use this file. Microsoft’s support page says to get both extensions below. HEIF photos rely on HEVC compression, which is why the video codec is needed even for still photos.

1. Open the Microsoft Store from the Start menu.
2. Search for HEIF Image Extensions and select Get. It’s free.
3. Search for HEVC Video Extensions and buy it. Microsoft lists it at $0.99. Make sure the publisher is Microsoft Corporation.
4. Close the Photos app completely, then open it again.
5. Double-click your .heic photo. It should now open in Photos.

Fix 2: Convert HEIC to JPG for free

If you only need a handful of photos for an email, a job application or a website upload, converting is simpler than installing codecs. A JPG opens everywhere, on any PC, phone or browser.

1. Open our HEIC to JPG converter in Edge, Chrome or Firefox.
2. Select Choose HEIC photos and pick one or more .heic files.
3. Pick a quality. High is best for printing and editing; Medium or Small keeps files light for email.
4. Download each JPG, or all of them at once.

The conversion runs inside your browser, so the photos aren’t uploaded anywhere. That matters for family photos and documents you’ve photographed. If the files are still too big to attach, shrink them with our image compressor.

Fix 3: Download JPEGs from iCloud.com

If you use iCloud Photos, you can skip the cable and the codecs. Apple’s support page explains that iCloud.com can hand you a JPEG copy instead of the original HEIC.

1. On your PC, go to iCloud.com/photos and sign in with your Apple Account.
2. Select the photos you want. Hold Ctrl to pick several. Apple says you can select up to 1,000 at a time.
3. Click the More button, then choose More Download Options.
4. Choose Most Compatible (JPEG, or MP4/H.264 for videos), then click Download.

The other choices are Unmodified Originals (the format they were taken in) and Highest Resolution, which Apple says is typically HEIC or H.265. Pick Most Compatible if you want files Windows opens without extra software.

Fix 4: Make your iPhone save JPEG instead

Tired of the problem? Stop it at the source. Apple’s HEIF page gives this path:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings.
2. Tap Camera → Formats.
3. Choose Most Compatible.

Apple says all new photos and videos will then use JPEG or H.264. Photos you’ve already taken stay as HEIC, so use one of the fixes above for those. The trade-off is space: JPEG files are bigger, so your iPhone and iCloud storage fill up a little faster. If storage is tight, keep the default and convert only when you need to.

Copying photos over a USB cable

Apple and Microsoft both describe the cable route. Install Apple’s Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, connect the iPhone, unlock it, and tap Trust or Allow if it asks you to Trust This Computer. Then open the Windows Photos app, select Import, choose your iPhone, and follow the prompts.

Whether you get HEIC or JPEG depends on an iPhone setting. Apple says choosing Keep Originals in Settings → Apps → Photos stops the automatic conversion when you import over USB. So if your PC keeps getting HEIC files from the cable, check that screen and pick the other option. Menu names can differ slightly between iOS versions. For moving whole folders between computers, see our guide to backing up a Windows PC first.

If you still can’t open HEIC files on Windows

• Restart the Photos app after installing. Microsoft’s instructions specifically say to restart it. If that doesn’t help, restart the PC.
• Install both extensions. HEIF alone isn’t enough. Microsoft says you need HEIF and HEVC together.
• Photos missing from the import? Microsoft notes that if iCloud Photos is on, photos that are in iCloud but not on the iPhone may not import. Apple says to download the full-resolution originals to the iPhone first, or use iCloud for Windows, which shows your iCloud Photos in File Explorer and Photos.
• The iPhone isn’t showing up. Unlock it. Microsoft says your PC can’t find the device while it’s locked. Then tap Trust when asked.
• Another app still refuses the file. Some editors and websites don’t use the Windows codecs at all. Convert the photo to JPG instead.
• Sending by email works differently. Apple says AirDrop, Mail and similar sharing may convert to JPEG automatically when the receiving device can’t handle HEIC, while iCloud Photos keeps the original format.

More Windows fixes live in our Windows section.

Related guide: How to Reduce Image File Size on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.

FAQ

Sources

• Photos app Video Editor error: Can’t view this file type (Microsoft Support)
• Import photos and videos from phone to PC (Microsoft Support)
• Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices (Apple Support)
• Transfer photos from your iPhone or iPad (Apple Support)
• Download iCloud photos and videos (Apple Support)