You copy photos from an iPhone onto a Windows PC, double-click one, and Windows shrugs. The file ends in .heic and nothing seems to open it. This is one of the most common iPhone-to-Windows headaches, and there are two ways out.
Option one: teach Windows to open HEIC
Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC, but the support does not ship turned on. You add it from the Microsoft Store:
- Open the Microsoft Store and search for HEIF Image Extensions.
- Install it. This one is free.
- Now the built-in Photos app can open HEIC files directly.
Heads up: there is a separate paid extension for HEVC video. For still photos you only need the free HEIF Image Extensions. If a page pushes you toward a paid item, you are looking at the video one.
Option two: convert to JPG
Teaching Windows to open HEIC fixes viewing on that one PC, but you will hit the wall again the moment you try to upload a HEIC to a website, email it to someone on an older device, or open it in software that still does not support the format. If you need the photos to just work everywhere, converting them to JPG is the more durable fix.
Opening HEIC solves it on your screen. Converting to JPG solves it everywhere you send the photo next.
If you convert, keep the dates
Re-saving HEIC photos through Paint or some converters strips out the hidden EXIF information, so your JPGs end up dated today instead of when you took them. Use a converter that preserves EXIF, and check one photo afterwards. More on that in getting photos off an iPhone without losing the dates.
Where Holdfast fits
The HEIC to JPG tool runs in your browser on Windows, Mac, or anything else with a modern browser, converts a whole folder at once, and keeps every photo's date and location intact. No extension to install, no upload, no account.
Common questions
Why can't Windows open HEIC files?
Windows does not enable HEIC support by default because the underlying technology is patent-encumbered. You add support through the free HEIF Image Extensions in the Microsoft Store, or convert the photos to JPG.
Is the HEIF extension for Windows free?
Yes, the HEIF Image Extensions for still photos is free in the Microsoft Store. There is a separate paid extension for HEVC video, which you do not need just to view photos.
What is the easiest way to view a lot of HEIC photos on Windows?
If you only need to look at them, install the free HEIF extension. If you need to upload, share, or use them in other software, converting the batch to JPG is more reliable.