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You'll finally know all the answers about HEIC

You'll finally know all the answers about HEIC

Those HEIC files are everywhere... this i a comprehensive guide with all the questions you may have. We at RunningWombat love to provide it to you.

iPhone file types - What is a HEIC file and what can I do with it?
High-efficiency image codec (HEIC) is a new image compression standard that was introduced with iOS11. It supports photo and video files in the HEIF format, which stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. If you’ve taken an Apple photo or video with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running on iOS 11 or later, you may have noticed that it has been saved as a .heic file rather than a traditional photo or video file. But what exactly is a HEIC file, are there any benefits of using HEVC compression over JPEG or PNG images and what can you do with HEIC files? Let’s take a look...

What is a HEIC file?
HEIC stands for High-Efficiency Image File Format. This is a new image compression standard that was introduced with iOS11. It supports photo and video files in the HEIF format, which stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. If you’ve taken an Apple photo or video with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running on iOS 11 or later, you may have noticed that it has been saved as a .heic file rather than a traditional photo or video file. HEIC files are the result of the integration of the HEVC codec into Apple’s devices. HEVC, which stands for High Efficiency Video Coding, is a successor to the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video codec and was first added to iOS 10.3 and macOS High Sierra 10.13.4.

HEIF vs. HEIC: What’s the difference?
HEIF is the file type of the image and HEIC is the file type of the compressed file. HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File Format. HEIC is the extension of the compressed file and it is the standard image file format on Apple devices.

How to open and view HEIC files?
If you have a photo or video that is saved as a .heic file, you can open and view it in the Photos app on your device. If you have additional apps on your device that support viewing and editing .heic files, you can also open and view them in those apps. If you are on a computer, you can view and edit HEIC files in the Photos app for Mac and in the Photos app for Windows. Note that HEIC files cannot be opened in Photoshop and other image editing programs.

Are there any benefits of using HEIC files?
The HEIC format supports a new compression engine known as HEVC, which results in smaller file sizes than JPEG and other image/photo formats. This means that photos taken on an Apple device will take up less space on your device than they would if they were saved in a JPEG file format. The HEIC format also supports multiple images in a single file. This allows you to store RAW and JPEG images in a single file, which you can be exported as a single file using the “Export to Single File” option. Additionally, the HEIC format supports 16-bit color depth, compared to 8-bit for JPEG and PNG files. This means that photos saved in the HEIC format will have richer, more vibrant colors than those saved in JPEG/PNG formats.

So what now?
The HEIC file format provides several benefits compared to JPEG, PNG, and other image file formats. It supports a new compression engine known as HEVC, which results in smaller file sizes than JPEG. Additionally, it supports multiple images in a single file, 16-bit color depth, and more. Although you may encounter HEIC files if you’re using an Apple device, they aren’t compatible with non-Apple devices. So, if you’re using a non-Apple device and encounter a HEIC file, you’ll need to convert it to a different file type in order to view or edit it. Finally, it’s important to note that while the HEIC file format is a nice new addition, it’s not a requirement to save images or videos in HEIC format. So, if you’re using an Apple device and taking photos or videos, you can choose to save them in the HEIC file format or a different file type.

How to convert a HEIC file to be used with non Apple devices?
If you have a photo or video saved in the .heic file format, you can export it in different file types including JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and HEIF. This can be done with our RunningWombat HEIC converter!

We are not the only HEIC converter out there but our tool has one BIG advantage over all the other converters. We process your file locally. Your file will not be sent to any other server or computer. The conversion process happens in the browser, so your personal pictures won't end up somewhere you don't want them.

You can use our conversion tool at https://runningwombat.com/heictojpg free of charge without any ads or other snags. Or find our other tools at https://runningwombat.com/image

I hope you learned something from this blogpost! Let me know if you have any questions at 
rowan@runningwombat.com

Cheers, Rowan.