An HEIC file is a space-saving image format that uses High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) to compress and store images across your devices. Because Apple regularly uses HEIC files, you can easily open them on your Mac with Preview or
Photoshop. If you are a Windows 10 or later user, you’ll need to install the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions support tools from the Microsoft Store.
HEIC files are a variant of the HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) that store images on the latest Apple devices. HEIC specifically uses High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) to compress its images, whereas HEIF can use a variety of compression methods.
You can easily use Adobe Photoshop to convert your HEIC files to JPEGs. Just import your HEIC images into Photoshop, then go to Save As and choose the Save as JPEG option.
Apple uses HEIC images across iPhones and iPads that run on iOS 11 or later. This ensures that users can make the most of the high-quality 4K cameras on the devices, plus the live photo and burst mode functions. The smaller sized files leave you with plenty of storage on your device.
HEIC and JPEG both have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages, depending on what you’re using them for. HEIC files tend to take up the half the space of JPEG files and still produce the same — if not better — quality images. However, HEIC is limited to certain platforms and software due to its lack of compatibility. In these instances, you'd need to convert them to JPEGs.