Why iPhones Save Photos as HEIC: History, Benefits and Problems
The history of HEIF and HEIC, why Apple adopted it in iOS 11, how much space it saves and why it causes compatibility problems.
Where HEIF comes from
The High Efficiency Image File Format was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group and standardised as ISO/IEC 23008-12. It builds on the ISO base media file format and can store one or many images, plus metadata, thumbnails and depth information, in a single file.
Why Apple adopted it
Phone cameras produce enormous numbers of photos and storage is limited. In 2017 Apple made HEIC the default format for iPhone photos, stating that it needs about half the space of JPEG at comparable quality. The same change brought HEVC video to the iPhone.
What HEIC can do that JPG cannot
HEIC supports a wider colour depth than JPG's 8 bits, transparency, multiple images in one file and depth maps used for Portrait mode. These features power Live Photos, bursts and edit history.
Why it causes problems
HEVC is covered by patent licences, which makes some software vendors reluctant to include a decoder. As a result, older Windows versions, many web forms and some print services cannot open HEIC without extra software. Converting to JPG solves this.
How to avoid it
On iPhone, Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible saves new photos as JPG. Existing photos can be converted with an in-browser tool such as ARTH Convert.
Frequently asked questions
When did iPhones start using HEIC?
With iOS 11, released in September 2017, on iPhones with an A10 Fusion chip or newer (iPhone 7 and later).
Is HEIC lossless?
No. Photos from an iPhone use lossy HEVC compression, although HEIF itself can also hold lossless images.
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Last updated 9 October 2026. Written by ARTH, a design and build studio in Coimbatore.