File Extension Library


.HEIF File Extension

  • Developer by: Moving Picture Experts Group
  • Category: Raster Image Files
  • Format: Binary

What are .HEIF files and how to open them?

Can't open .HEIF file? Are you wondering what it contains? On our site we will explain to you what this file is, what it is used for and what software opens the .HEIF file.

What is a .HEIF file extension?

.HEIF file extension is created by Moving Picture Experts Group. .HEIF has been classified as Raster Image Files. The format of .HEIF file is Binary.

.HEIF is High Efficiency Image Format

A HEIF file is an image saved in the High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF), a lossy compressed format. It may contain still images, image collections, image bursts, and image sequences. HEIF files also store metadata that describes each image.

HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image Format. It is based on the High Efficiency Video Compression (HEVC), which is also known as H.265. The format was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and became popular in 2017 when Apple announced that they were replacing JPEG files with HEIF files in iOS 11. Compared to JPEG images, HEIF images require considerably less storage space without sacrificing image quality. If an iPhone user shares an image with a non-iPhone user or to a social site, the HEIF image is converted to a JPEG image.

If you do not want iOS to save images in the HEIF format, open your "Settings" app, and select Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. Selecting Most Compatible means that iOS will now save images in the JPEG format.

HEIF files are supported by Apple Preview and Apple Photos (macOS High Sierra and later) and iOS Photos (iOS 11 and later). HEIF files can be opened by Windows 10 devices with the HEIF Image and HEVC Video Extensions installed from the Microsoft Store. You can also install CopyTrans HEIC for Windows, which allows Windows programs, such as Windows Explorer and Windows Photo Viewer, to open HEIF files. HEIF files can also be opened in Windows using Adobe Photoshop and Zoner Photo Studio X.

NOTE: HEIF files are more commonly seen as .HEIC files.

List of all softwares that can open the High Efficiency Image Format
Windows
File Viewer Plus
Adobe Photoshop CC 2019
Zoner Photo Studio X
CopyTrans HEIC for Windows
Mac
Apple Preview
Apple Photos
Adobe Photoshop CC 2019
iOS
Apple iOS
Android
Simple Soft Alliance Luma: HEIF Viewer and Converter

How to fix problems with .HEIF files

  1. You need to update the application that you normally use to open .HEIF files. Only the latest version of the software supports the current .HEIF file format
  2. You need to check the .HEIF file for viruses. To do this, you need to scan it with a popular antivirus (Norton, Nod32, Kaspersky, Dr.Web, etc.)