How to Open HEIC Files on Windows 10 and Windows 11

METHOD 1

Convert Online — Fastest Option, No Install Needed

Easy — 30 seconds

The quickest way to open a HEIC file on Windows is to convert it to JPG first. Once it's a JPG, every program on Windows can open it — Photos, Paint, Photoshop, everything.

How to do it:

1. Go to easyheictojpg.com
2. Drag and drop your HEIC file onto the converter (or click to select files)
3. The file converts instantly in your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server
4. Click download to save the JPG to your computer
5. Open the JPG file normally in any Windows app

METHOD 2

Install the HEIC Codec on Windows 10 / 11

Medium — 5 minutes

If you regularly receive HEIC photos and want Windows to open them natively without converting, you can install a codec that adds HEIC support to Windows Photos and File Explorer.

Step 1 — Install HEVC Video Extensions:

1. Open the Microsoft Store (press Windows key, type "Microsoft Store")
2. Search for "HEVC Video Extensions"
3. Look for the one published by Microsoft Corporation
4. It costs $0.99 USD — click Buy and install it

Step 2 — Install HEIF Image Extensions (free):

1. In the Microsoft Store, search for "HEIF Image Extensions"
2. This one is free — click Get and install it

After installing both, restart the Photos app. You can now open .heic files directly by double-clicking them, just like JPG files.

METHOD 3

Change iPhone Settings to Prevent the Problem

Easy — 1 minute

This method doesn't help with HEIC files you already have, but it prevents the problem from happening again. You can configure your iPhone to automatically convert photos to JPG whenever you transfer them to a Windows PC.

Option A — Convert automatically when transferring:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings
2. Scroll down and tap Photos
3. Scroll to the bottom and find "Transfer to Mac or PC"
4. Select Automatic

With this setting, when you connect your iPhone to your Windows PC and copy photos using File Explorer or iTunes, the photos automatically transfer as JPG files instead of HEIC. Your iPhone still stores them as HEIC internally (saving storage), but Windows receives JPGs.

Option B — Capture photos as JPG from the start:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone
2. Tap Camera
3. Tap Formats
4. Select Most Compatible

This makes your iPhone shoot all new photos in JPG format. You lose the storage savings of HEIC, but you'll never have compatibility problems again.

METHOD 4

Use Windows Photos App After Installing the Codec

Easy — after Method 2

Once you've installed the HEIC and HEVC extensions from Method 2, the built-in Windows Photos app gains full HEIC support. Here's how to make the most of it:

1. Right-click any HEIC file in File Explorer
2. Select Open with → Photos
3. The image opens and displays normally
4. To set Photos as the default for HEIC files permanently: right-click → Open with → Choose another app → Photos → check "Always use this app" → OK

You can also view, edit, crop, and rotate HEIC photos directly in the Photos app without converting them first. The Photos app can even export HEIC files as JPG if needed: open the photo → click the three-dot menu → Save as → choose JPG.

METHOD 5

Use a Free Third-Party Photo Viewer

Easy — free

Several free Windows photo viewers support HEIC without requiring the paid Microsoft codec:

• IrfanView — free, lightweight, supports HEIC with a plugin. Download from irfanview.com and install the "All Plugins" package.
• XnView MP — free for personal use, supports HEIC natively, available at xnview.com
• GIMP — free open-source image editor with HEIC support via a plugin (best if you also want to edit photos)

IrfanView is the most popular choice — it's been around for decades, is extremely fast, and handles almost every image format. After installing IrfanView with all plugins, you can right-click any HEIC file and open it directly.