However, the HEIC format is not very popular with users using Microsoft or Android products. This is because HEIC is Apple’s proprietary image formatting, and all their images on iPhones and Macbooks are stored using this format. Accessing HEIC images on a Windows computer is significantly difficult, and users are usually unable to open them on their machines. Most software for Windows do not support this format. Even Microsoft does not natively support HEIC in Windows 10 or 11. This article shows you several ways you can convert an image in HEIC formatting into JPG or PNG, which are more commonly supported on Windows.
What makes HEIC superior to JPG/PNG
Apple’s products seem to have superior image quality in comparison to those of other products in popular opinion. Apple also uses HEIC formatting to save images. It is because HEIC is better than JPG and PNG formats in many ways. The number one advantage of HEIC over the other formats is its ability to compress an image while maintaining its quality. The files are smaller in size, leaving room for other information on the storage device. The files can be easily encoded and decoded with little to no cost to the system resources. Also, HEIC can store multiple images in a single file, more like a GIF. A downside to using HEIC formatting is that it is currently not supported by the majority of applications and software that are readily available to the general public. If you have images in HEIC formatting and would like to access them on a Windows machine, continue reading this post to learn how to convert them.
Convert HEIC to JPG or PNG on Windows
Using Photos App
A quick way to convert a HEIC image to either JPG or PNG file is through the built-in application in Windows 11/10, which is the Photos app. However, this process requires that you download and install an HEVC Video Extension – a video compression/decompression tool – that allows the HEIC file to be accessible through the Photos app. The extension is paid and costs USD 0.99.HEVC Video Extension required If you wish to proceed with this method, continue to perform the steps below. If you would rather prefer a method that doesn’t cost you, continue to the next section. Once the HEVC Extension has been successfully installed, attempt the steps below to save the HEIC file in either JPG or PNG format. The image will now be converted to your desired format.
Using Real HEIC Converter
Real HEIC Converter is a software available to download directly from the Microsoft Store. The tool can convert HEIC images to JPG, JPEG, PNG, and BMP. Furthermore, you can also control its compression ratio during the conversion. However, the compression rate is a trade-off against the quality of the converted image. Follow the steps below to download, install, and use Real HEIC Converter: The selected image(s) will now be converted and saved to the Output Folder as configured in Real HEIC Converter tool. The default output folder is the Pictures folder of the current user.
Using CopyTrans HEIC to JPEG
CopyTrans HEIC for Windows is a tool that can be installed on your Windows machine to convert HEIC images to JPEG formats. The tool cannot be used to convert it to PNG or any other format for that matter. The tool adds a conversion button directly to your context menu. The converted JPEG file will then be created within the same folder as the HEIC file.
Using iMazing HEIC Converter
The iMazing HEIC Converter is a bit more interactive than CopyTrans. The tool can convert images from HEIC to JPEG and PNG formats. Follow the steps below to convert an image:
Using Online Converters
The internet is filled with online tools that allow you to convert HEIC images to other formats, without having to install any software locally. Below is a list of online tools that we found did not compromise the quality of the image and did a good conversion job:
CloudConvert: Allows you to convert almost any file, may it be audio, image, video, into a different format than it already is. It can be used to convert HEIC files into JPG, PNG, and many other formats. You can also control the quality and size of the converted image.Convertio: This online tool resembles CloudConvert, as it can also be used to convert different file types, and gives a plethora of options to choose from.HEICtoPNG: This tools only allows you to convert a HEIC file to PNG format. It does not give many other options. Simply upload the HEIC file and download the converted PNG image.
Final Thoughts
Although the HEIC format is better in terms of image quality and storage space, it is still very inconvenient for the public since it is not supported on a majority of other products. On the Apple discussion forum, we found that a user was quite disappointed when they were unable to view their photos taken on an Apple product on their PC. We believe that technology is about making life easier, and it certainly is not when you have to take a few extra steps, that take quite some time, just so you can have access to a few images. Also see:
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