Fix the error that HEIC files could not be opened on Windows

If you try to open the HEIC file on your Windows PC, you will find that the file format is not supported. That happens because Windows doesn't support this new image format that Apple uses.

Apple introduced the HEIC image file format starting in iOS 11. While the format opens well on Apple devices, you can also easily open the file type on other machines, including Windows PCs.

Fortunately, there are several third-party methods to add support and view HEIC files on your Windows computer. Let's look at some of those options.

1. Open HEIC on Windows with CopyTrans

CopyTrans HEIC for Windows is a completely free tool (for personal use only) that adds support for HEIC files on your Windows machine. It actually adds native support for this file format, meaning you can view HEIC in your existing image viewer after installing this tool. Your HEIC photos will open just like other photos in Windows Photo Viewer once you've installed this little app.

Here's how you get the app and use it on your PC:

1. Go to CopyTrans HEIC for Windows page, download and install the tool on your computer.

2. Right click on one of the HEIC images and select Properties .

3. Make sure you are in the General tab , then click Change .

4. Choose Windows Photo Viewer as the default tool to open your HEIC photos.

5. Click Apply >  OK at the bottom.

6. Double-click any of your HEIC files and they will automatically open in Windows Photo Viewer.

One good aspect of this tool is that it allows you to convert your HEIC photos to the widely recognized JPEG format. You can do this switch easily from your context menu.

To convert an image, select a HEIC photo in File Explorer, right-click any photo, and select Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans . This tool will convert and save the resulting image in the same folder as your original image. Your original photo is still intact.

2. Convert HEIC to JPEG online

Another way to open HEIC images on your Windows machine is to convert them to a compatible format on the web. There are many free online tools to help you upload HEIC images, edit them if you want, and convert them to popular formats like PNG or JPEG.

HEIC to JPEG is one of the online tools to do this conversion. Here is how it works.

1. Open the HEIC to JPEG page in the browser.
2. Drag all the HEIC photos that you want to convert to JPEG into the box on the web page. It supports up to 5 photos at a time.
3. The tool will start converting your file after the file is uploaded.
4. Download the resulting JPEG files to your Windows computer.

3. Convert HEIC to JPEG offline on Windows

Online converters are ideal if you just want to convert some HEIC files. If you have a lot of photos to convert, an offline tool is quicker and more convenient.

iMazing HEIC Converter is a free offline solution to convert HEIC images to JPEG or PNG format. There are also some configurable options that you can use while converting your files.

Once the photos are converted, you can open them in most image viewers on your device. Here's how to do the conversion:

1. Download and install iMazing HEIC Converter for free from the Microsoft Store.
2. Open the tool, drag the image you want to convert and drop it into the tool's interface.
3. Select JPEG or PNG from the Format drop-down menu , tick Keep EXIF ​​data if you want to keep the EXIF ​​data, use the Quality slider to adjust the quality for the image, and finally click Convert .
4. Select a folder where you want to save the converted files and click OK.
5. After the photos are converted, click Show Files to view your photos in File Explorer.

4. Use the paid option to open HEIC on Windows

Microsoft has an official option to let you open HEIC photos on your PC, but that option requires a fee. You need to purchase an app to add native support for HEIC images to your device.

You can purchase and use the following apps to open HEIC on Windows:

1. Launch Microsoft Store, search for HEVC Video Extensions.
2. Once the tool is installed, install another tool called HEIF Image Extensions also from Microsoft Store. This tool is free.
3. Once both tools are installed, double click on your HEIC file and they will open.

5. Convert HEIC files with VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is known for supporting many formats, so it's no surprise that you can use it to open and convert HEIC files. You probably already have VLC installed on your computer, here's how you can use VLC Media Player to convert HEIC files:

1. Open the HEIC file with VLC.

2. Go to Media and select Convert/Save .

3. Click Convert/Save > Convert .

4. Open the Profile menu and select JPG. Or another compatible format.

5. Select the destination file.

6. Click Start .

The ability to convert HEIC files is just one of VLC Media Player's secrets that you should know.

6. Requires iPhone or iPad to create a compatible file format

On iPhone and iPad, there's actually an option to change the format in which your photos are saved. You can change this option so that your device doesn't use HEIC and that should solve all the incompatibility issues you're having.

Here's how you do it:

1. Launch the Settings app and tap Camera .
2. Click Formats and select Most Compatible .

Your iOS device will now use JPEG for all photos taken from your camera.

There is another option to fix this incompatibility issue. That's telling your iOS device to convert HEIC photos to JPEG when you transfer them. Your device already has this option and all you need to do is turn it on.

Here's how you do it:

1. Go to Settings and tap on Photos .
2. Select Automatic in the Transfer to Mac or PC section . Your iOS device will now always transfer compatible photos to your Mac or Windows PC.

Marvin Fry

Update 24 July 2023