If you’ve ever tried to open a photo on your Windows PC and received an error, the image might be in HEIC format. Don’t worry—your computer isn’t broken and you don’t need to upload sensitive pictures to some random website to fix it. In this guide we’ll explain what HEIC is, why Windows may not open it by default, and how to make your photos viewable everywhere while protecting your privacy.
What is HEIC?
HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. It’s a modern image format that stores excellent visual quality at smaller file sizes than older formats like JPG. HEIC supports features such as multiple images in one file (for Live Photos), depth maps, rich metadata, and color profiles (ICC). Apple adopted it for iPhones to save storage and maintain quality. If your iPhone or a recent camera produced your photo, there’s a good chance it’s HEIC.
Why won’t Windows open it?
Out of the box, some Windows installations lack the HEIF/HEIC codec that the Photos app needs. Microsoft offers a small extension in the Microsoft Store to add support. That works for many users, but it isn’t always possible on managed or offline PCs. Even with the extension, older apps that don’t understand HEIC may still refuse to open the file.
Your options
1) Install the HEIF Image Extensions
The straightforward fix is to install Microsoft’s official extension. It’s small and integrates at the OS level. This keeps your files in their original HEIC format and makes viewing easy in Photos. It may not help with legacy apps, though, and some organizations block Store installs.
2) Convert to JPG locally (no uploads)
For maximum compatibility without installing anything, convert to JPG with heicfix.pro. The converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly and JavaScript, so your images never leave your device. Drop in a few HEIC files, pick JPG, optionally preserve EXIF dates/orientation, and download. It’s fast, works offline once loaded, and respects your privacy.
3) Change iPhone export settings
On iPhone, you can set Camera → Formats → Most Compatible. Future photos will save as JPG (larger but broadly compatible). You can also share specific photos as JPG from the Photos app without changing your global setting.
Should you keep HEIC or convert?
If your workflow (modern editors, cloud libraries) supports HEIC, keeping originals makes sense. You get smaller files with great quality and advanced features. But when sharing with family, uploading to websites, printing at common labs, or using older tools, JPG is the practical choice. Converting a copy for sharing is a good compromise: archive the HEIC, share the JPG.
Metadata and color
Photos contain EXIF metadata—capture date, camera model, sometimes GPS location. Many apps also write XMP descriptions and ICC color profiles. Our converter keeps things simple: when producing JPGs, you can preserve essential EXIF fields so the original date and orientation are intact. If you prefer to remove metadata before public sharing, toggle the option off.
Quick private conversion steps
- Open heicfix.pro in your browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari).
- Drag & drop your HEIC files or click “Choose Files.”
- Select JPG and download. Batch conversions and ZIP export are supported.
That’s all you need to turn “Why won’t this open?” into “Works everywhere.” With on‑device conversion, your memories stay private, and compatibility issues disappear.