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Definition
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is an image format developed by Apple, based on the HEVC video codec. It stores photos at roughly half the file size of JPEG while maintaining the same visual quality. iPhones use HEIC as the default photo format since iOS 11.
HEIC is the container format Apple chose for photos captured on iPhones and iPads starting with iOS 11 in 2017. Under the hood, it uses HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format) encoding powered by the HEVC (H.265) video codec to achieve dramatically smaller file sizes compared to JPEG — often 40-50% smaller at equivalent quality.
Despite its efficiency advantages, HEIC suffers from limited compatibility. Windows requires a codec extension to view HEIC files, many web browsers cannot display them natively, and most social media platforms do not accept HEIC uploads. This makes conversion to JPG or PNG a common necessity for sharing photos taken on Apple devices.
HEIC also supports advanced features that JPEG lacks: 16-bit color depth, transparency (alpha channels), image sequences (Live Photos), and the ability to store multiple images in a single file. However, these features are rarely used outside the Apple ecosystem.