.heic
High Efficiency Image Container
Efficient phone photos and image sequences.
Familyimage
Owner / standards bodyMPEG / Apple-adopted HEIF container
Introduced2015
CompressionHEVC-based, often lossy
Strengths
- Strong compression
- Supports depth and Live Photo metadata
- Small camera files
Limitations
- Licensing and web support issues
- Often must convert for sharing
Tools that read or create HEIC
Related formats
Frequently asked questions
Is HEIC the best format?
No format is universally best. The answer depends on compatibility, quality, file size, editing workflow and whether the content needs transparency, subtitles, multiple tracks or streaming.
Can AIMP6 convert HEIC?
Yes, Image Format Converter can work with this format or a closely related export.