How to Open HEIC Files on Windows 10/8/7 and Mac (Or Convert)

May 31, 2021Jenny Ryan

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Coding) is officially released since the iOS 11 update in the year 2017. You can get the same quality of JPEG while occupying half of the image file size. Moreover, you can get many other HEIC benefits. That's why Apple iPhone and iPad users accept the HEIC image format. The question is how to open HEIC files on your Windows and Mac computer.

Windows don't support images in .HEIC file extension natively. You need to install the HEIF Image Extension to view HEIC files on Windows 10. Or you can convert HEIC to JPEG to fix the HEIC incompatibility issue on all Windows and Mac computers.

How to Open and View HEIC File

There are so many cannot open HEIC file on Windows 10 PC questions in Microsoft Community, Reddit, and more. If you have the same question, you can continue reading to learn how to open a HEIC file successfully.

Part 1: Open and Convert HEIC Files (Recommended)

By changing the file format from HEIC to JPG or JPEG, you can open HEIC images with any file viewer on any digital device. Not only iPhone users, but also Windows, Android, and Mac users can view HEIC image files. If you want to batch convert HEIC files to JPG, JPEG, or PNG format, Aiseesoft Free HEIC Converter can be your first choice. You can use the HEIC batch converter to change the file format from HEIC or HEIF to JPG/JPEG and PNG in bulk. Moreover, you can change the output image quality by percentage based on your need. After the HEIC to JPG conversion, you can open HEIC files on Android, Windows, iOS, and Mac.

Free HEIC Converter

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Aiseesoft Free HEIC Converter

  • Convert HEIC/HEIF to JPG/JPEG and PNG format on Windows and Mac.
  • Batch convert HEIC files with no file size limits.
  • Keep EXIF data of HEIC files in one click.
  • Change the image quality between 0% to 100%.
  • Support the latest iOS 17 and iPhone 15.
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Step 1.
Download, install and launch the free HEIC converter software. If you want to open HEIC images from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, you need to connect your iDevice to the computer with a lightning USB cable.
HEIC Converter Interface
Step 2.
Click Add HEIC. Choose Add HEIC File(s) or Add HEIC Folder to import your HEIC images.
Add HEIC Files
Step 3.
Under the Conversion Settings section, set JPG/JPEG or PNG as the output image format. Then adjust the image quality. Tick before Keep Exif Data.
Choose HEIC Files
Step 4.
Click Convert to start converting HEIC to JPG format. As a result, you can open those converted HEIC to JPG images directly.

Part 2: Open HEIC Files on Windows

For Windows 10 users, you can install HEIF Image Extensions or HEVC Video Extensions to get the HEIC file support. Though the latter HEIC extension is not free to use. To start with, visit the Microsoft Store and sign in to your Microsoft user account first. Later, follow this tutorial to open a HEIC file on Windows 10 without third-party software.

Step 1.
Visit the HEVC Image Extensions page. (Or you can navigate to the HEVC Video Extensions screen as well.)
Step 2.
Click Get (or Install/Open) to install the HEIC extension.
Step 3.
Use Photos, Microsoft Paint, and other compatible apps to open HEIC on Windows 10.
HEIF Image Extension

Part 3: Open HEIC Files on Mac

As for Mac HEIC viewer, you can choose Photos or Preview. Both Photos and Preview can recognize the HEIC extension by default. There is no need to install any other HEIC opener or viewer. Now, let's see how to open a HEIC file with Photos.

Step 1.
Search and click Photos in the Launchpad.
Step 2.
Choose Import from the top File drop-down list.
Step 3.
Browse and select which HEIC image file you want to open.
Step 4.
Click Review for Import to open HEIC file on Mac with Photos.
Open HEIC on MAc

Note: If you want to open .heic files on Mac with Preview, you can right-click on your HEIC file. Choose Preview from the Open With submenu. Later, you can open a HEIC file on Mac for free.

Part 4: FAQs of Opening HEIC Files

How to fix Photos not open HEIC files on Windows 10?

If you have installed the HEIC extension mentioned above, you can go to Settings. Choose Apps & features. Then select HEIF Image Extensions (HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer). Click Advanced options below. Later, click Reset twice. Reopen your HEIC file with Windows 10 Photos to have a try.

Can you open HEIC files online?

Yes. But there are no online HEIC viewers. These are all online HEIC converters. You can convert HEIC to JPEG, PNG, PDF, and other formats for free online. In short, you can convert a HEIC file to JPG and then open it online.

Can you open HEIC files in Photoshop?

Yes. Adobe Photoshop can open HEIC file on Mac. Or you can use Adobe Lightroom to import and convert HEIC to JPG as well. See how to make GIF in Photoshop.

Conclusion

That's all to open HEIC file on Windows 10/8/7 and Mac. By the way, you can open HEIC file on Android by using Aiseesoft HEIC Converter as well. Just convert HEIC to JPG on Windows or Mac. Later, you can view and manage all HEIC image files flexibly and easily. If you want to edit HEIC files, the HEIC Converter from Aiseesoft is also powerful.

Free DownloadFor Windows

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Free DownloadFor macOS

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