Cannot view HEIC files synced from iPhone

[jmt356]

I use OneDrive to sync my Camera Roll between my iPhone and my laptop. On my laptop, the photos show up as HEIC Files (.heic), which it seems Windows is unable to read. Is there a way to get them to sync over as JPGs or as other files that Windows can read, without having to install third-party software or following some complex procedure?

[HansV]

You can install a codec for HEIF/HEVC - see How to Open HEIC Files on Windows (or Convert Them to JPEG)

[stuck]

iPhones use HIEC as the default file format for photos. That means if you want your photos in JPEG format you will either have to change your iPhone to use JPEG as the default file format (NB I don't have an iPhone so I have no idea if that is even possible) or convert the HIEC files to JPEG format once you have downloaded them from your phone to your laptop.

Alternatively, simply install a HIEC codec on your laptop so that Windows can decode the files.

Ken
PS you could have found this out for yourself, as I did, with only a couple all of simple searches.

[jolas]

Go to your iphone Camera Settings>Formats>Select Most Compatible. It will save any new photos as JPG.

[BobH]

Is there any difference in resolution recorded by HEIC and JPG?

When I ran into this some time ago, I found and used a free conversion program to change HEIC to jpg.

[stuck]

The differences between HIEC and JPEG are not as simple as 'resolution'. Do a search on HIEC vs JPEG and you'll learn more. However, by converting your HIEC files to JPEG I expect you will have lost some quality.

Meanwhile although it is generally accepted that HIEC is a 'superior' format to JPEG, only Apple has adopted it as the default format for camera phone images and since Android phones have a much larger market share than iPhones it's going to be a long time before JPEG goes away. Another superior alternative to JPEG is a format called JXL (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPEG_XL). This has the advantage over HIEC that it is backward compatible with JPEG so in theory it stands a good chance of replacing JPEG but unless the big Android phone manufacturers switch to it I can't see it becoming the new king of image file formats.

Ken

[jmt356]

Go to your iphone Camera Settings>Formats>Select Most Compatible. It will save any new photos as JPG.

Thanks, Jolas, for providing the solution.

When I select "Most Compatible," my iPhone states that HEIF/HEVC is used by iOS by default as to reduce file size. So it seems selecting Most Compatible causes Windows to save the photos to a JPEG format, which is larger and which, according to Stuck (Ken), will cause some quality loss.

But at least the images can be viewed on a Windows laptop without having to install outside software.

[jmt356]

To the earlier poster who suggested that I convert HEIC files on my laptop or install a codec and that I could have found this out by conducting a simple search, while I thank him for his post, I want to clarify that I am aware of how to use Google, but as I stated in my OP, I do not want to install software to achieve my goal. Jolas provided a solution that does not require installing software.

[stuck]

To the earlier poster who suggested that I convert HEIC files on my laptop or install a codec and that I could have found this out by conducting a simple search, while I thank him for his post, I want to clarify that I am aware of how to use Google, but as I stated in my OP, I do not want to install software to achieve my goal. Jolas provided a solution that does not require installing software.

And may I clarify that I didn't just suggest you install a codec. The first part of my answer was the same solution as suggested later by Jolas. Only I didn't spoon feed you the exact details, where I said:

...if you want your photos in JPEG format you will either have to change your iPhone to use JPEG as the default file format (NB I don't have an iPhone so I have no idea if that is even possible) or...

Ken

[John Gray]

To the earlier poster who suggested that I convert HEIC files on my laptop or install a codec and that I could have found this out by conducting a simple search, while I thank him for his post, I want to clarify that I am aware of how to use Google, but as I stated in my OP, I do not want to install software to achieve my goal. Jolas provided a solution that does not require installing software.

There are websites which convert .HEIC files to .JPG files.
No software needs to be installed on your laptop.

[BobH]

Thanks for that, John. I shall look up those websites.

[JoeP]

In Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can install the HEIF codec from the Microsoft Store. It is a Microsoft product, not a third-party product. It is optional because not everyone needs it.

[jmt356]

To the earlier poster who suggested that I convert HEIC files on my laptop or install a codec and that I could have found this out by conducting a simple search, while I thank him for his post, I want to clarify that I am aware of how to use Google, but as I stated in my OP, I do not want to install software to achieve my goal. Jolas provided a solution that does not require installing software.

And may I clarify that I didn't just suggest you install a codec. The first part of my answer was the same solution as suggested later by Jolas. Only I didn't spoon feed you the exact details, where I said:

...if you want your photos in JPEG format you will either have to change your iPhone to use JPEG as the default file format (NB I don't have an iPhone so I have no idea if that is even possible) or...

My issue is with the snide remark, “you could have found this out for yourself, as I did, with only a couple all of simple searches,” which was in reference to two solutions that you proposed that were contrary to what I asked for in my original post: (i) converting the HIEC files to JPEG or (ii) installing a HIEC codec. Yes – those solutions do come up on a couple of simple searches. And I was aware of them. And that is why I said in my OP that I did not want to install any software. And the solution that Jolas pointed out does not turn up in searches. He solved it and I suggest we now close this thread.

[stuck]

... two solutions that you proposed that were contrary to what I asked for in my original post: (i) converting the HIEC files to JPEG or (ii) installing a HIEC codec...

At the risk of irritating you further, please read my original reply again. My first solution wasn't that you convert HIEC files to JPEG. I suggested, as Jolas did in subsequent post, to change the settings in you iPhone so that files were saved as JEPGs in the first place.

Ken

[HansV]

OK guys, let's call it quits.