How to Open HEIC Files on Windows 10 and 11 (5 Methods)

Someone AirDropped you a photo, your iPhone-using parent sent you holiday pictures, or you downloaded a batch of files from iCloud — and now Windows is staring at you with a thumbnail-less “HEIC” file that won't open. Here are five ways to fix it, ranked from fastest to most thorough.

Quick recommendation

If you only need to view or share the photo once, use a browser converter — no installation required, takes 10 seconds. Convert HEIC to JPG hereand you're done.

If you get HEIC files regularly(you have an iPhone-using family member or work with iOS users), install the Microsoft Photos extensions once and forget about it. We'll cover both.

Method 1: Browser converter (fastest, no install)

The simplest method when you just want the photos out of HEIC and into something Windows already opens (JPG, PNG, or WebP):

Open heictojpg.click in any browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)
Drag your .heic file(s) into the page — or click to browse
The file converts in your browser (no upload, no signup)
Save the JPG output

Best for: one-time conversions, sharing on the web, sending photos to family on Windows. It also works offline once the page loads.

Three cards comparing HEIC support on Windows: Windows 11 mostly opens HEIC in Photos out of the box; Windows 10 needs the free HEIF Image Extensions plus a paid HEVC codec listing; a browser converter needs no install on either. — Whether HEIC opens at all depends on the Windows version, and Microsoft splits the support across two Store listings — which is why installing “the extension” sometimes only half fixes it.

Method 2: Microsoft HEIF Image Extensions (native Windows viewing)

If you want to open HEIC directly in Microsoft Photos — double-click and see the photo without converting — install the Microsoft extensions:

Open the Microsoft Store on Windows
Search for “HEIF Image Extensions” — install it (free)
Then search for “HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer” — install it (usually free on Windows 11 OEM installs, $0.99 otherwise)
Restart Microsoft Photos if it's open

After both are installed, double-clicking a .heic file opens it in Microsoft Photos like any normal image. File Explorer will also show thumbnails.

Important catch: many people install only the HEIF Image Extensions and wonder why their HEIC files still don't open. You need both extensions, because HEIC uses HEVC compression internally.

Method 3: Third-party photo viewers

If you don't want Microsoft Store extensions, several free apps open HEIC directly:

IrfanView (with the HEIC plugin) — lightweight, fast, free for personal use. Many photo enthusiasts swear by it.
XnView MP — handles HEIC natively, also includes batch conversion. Free.
CopyTrans HEIC for Windows— adds HEIC thumbnails to File Explorer and lets you right-click → “Convert to JPEG”. Free for personal use.

Best for: power users who already use a third-party viewer, or who don't want Microsoft Store dependencies.

Method 4: Photo editing software

If you want to edit a HEIC file (crop, adjust, retouch), several editors support it directly:

Adobe Photoshop (CC 2020+) — opens HEIC directly. Older versions need conversion first.
Affinity Photo — supports HEIC natively on recent versions.
GIMP— needs the “heif” plugin from the GIMP plugin registry. Free.

Note: even when editors open HEIC, saving back to HEIC is often not supported — most export only to JPG, PNG, or TIFF. That's usually what you want anyway for sharing.

Method 5: Cloud services and apps

These work but involve uploading your photos to a third-party server, which we don't recommend if privacy matters:

Dropbox / Google Drive / OneDrive — most cloud services preview HEIC when you upload them, and can usually download them as JPG
iCloud for Windows — installs the same HEIC codecs as Method 2 plus full iCloud Photos sync
Various online converters — most upload your photo to their server, process it there, and email or display the result. Slower and less private than browser conversion.

Which method should you choose?

Your situation	Best method
Got one HEIC, want to view it once	Browser converter (Method 1)
Regularly receive HEIC from family or coworkers	Microsoft extensions (Method 2)
Want HEIC thumbnails in File Explorer	Microsoft extensions or CopyTrans HEIC (Methods 2/3)
Need to edit HEIC photos	Photoshop / Affinity / GIMP (Method 4)
Care about privacy	Browser converter (Method 1) — no upload
Don't want to install anything	Browser converter (Method 1)

Bonus: prevent the problem at the source

If a specific person in your life keeps sending you HEIC files and you'd rather they sent JPG, you can ask them to change one iPhone setting:

Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible

That switches their iPhone to shoot JPG by default. (Existing HEIC photos stay as HEIC, but new ones save as JPG.) This is the polite, permanent fix.

Or just bookmark this converter and convert when needed — it takes less time than explaining iPhone settings to anyone.