Your iPhone photos might not work after transferring them to your PC or Mac. This is usually because Apple saves iPhone photos as HEIC format to save space, but that format isn’t widely supported by other devices. Don’t worry, it’s easy to avoid the HEIC format when transferring photos from your iPhone.
In this post, we’ll explain how to convert iPhone photos as you transfer them, convert them after transferring, or change the default format for the camera.
With the release of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra in 2017, Apple made the shift to HEIC and HEVC photo and video formats. These file formats can compress photos by up to 50% without losing any image quality.
The end result is that you can store far more photos and videos on your Apple devices without running out of storage.
The downside is that HEIC and HEVC aren’t as widely supported as other common file formats, such as JPEG. This means you might encounter compatibility issues when you transfer those photos or videos to other devices.
You can store more photos in HEIC format. Image credit: Apple
You also might find you can’t use those photos in third-party apps on your Apple devices!
Apple accounts for this loss of compatibility by making your iPhone convert photos when transferring them to a Mac or PC. But you might need to change the settings on your device to make sure that’s actually happening.
How to avoid the HEIC form when transferring iPhone photos
Most people encounter problems with HEIC format iPhone photos after transferring them to a Mac or PC. On a Mac, you should be able to open HEIC format images if you update to macOS High Sierra or later.
If that isn’t possible, change your iPhone settings to make it automatically convert photos to a more compatible format when transferring to Mac or PC. Follow the instructions below to do so:
Go to Settings > Photos.
Scroll down to the Transfer to Mac or PC section.
Tap Automatic.
Tap Photos.
Scroll down.
Select Automatic.
The next time you transfer photos to an older Mac or a PC, your iPhone should automatically convert photos to JPEG format.
Convert iPhone photos to a different format on a Mac
Your iPhone converts photos to a format compatible with your computer. If you use a Mac running macOS High Sierra or later, those photos remain in HEIC format because High Sierra can read it.
That doesn’t mean all your Mac apps work with that format as well though.
If you still want to convert your iPhone photos to a different format, you can do so in the Photos app on your Mac. Here’s how:
Open Photos and select the image you transferred from your iPhone.
From the menu bar, go to File > Export > Export 1 Photo.
Use the Photo Kind drop-down menu to choose the format you want, then click Export and choose where to save your exported image.
Choose a more compatible format from the Photo Kind drop-down menu.
You can open your exported photo in a range of third-party apps.
How to avoid taking photos in the HEIC format on iPhone
If you never plan to use images in HEIC format, you can tell your iPhone to capture photos as JPEG files instead. This doesn’t convert existing photos on your iPhone but it affects new pictures you take instead.
The downside to changing the photo format is that JPEG images take up far more storage. You might find your photos are more compatible, but you don’t have space for as many of them anymore.
If you still want to change your iPhone photo format, follow these two steps to do so:
Go to Settings > Camera > Formats.
Select Most Compatible.
Tap Camera.
Tap Format.
Select Most Compatible.
Your iPhone saves new photos and videos you capture as JPEG and H.264 formats, respectively. You should be able to transfer them to your computer and use them in a range of apps more easily.
Convert your Live Photos for more compatibility
One of the biggest changes Apple ever made to photos on your iPhone was the introduction of Live Photos. These short video clips inject life to your photo library, capturing the brief moments before and after you snap the picture.
Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.
Per you top instruction, I have “AUTOMATIC” checked on my phone, but when I air drop a photo to my MAC it comes in as a HEIC file. And as noted below, Settings do not display as in example.
My iPhone update of 14.4 doesn’t show a choice of “formats” like your example does! it’s only recently that when I f/ward photos form my iPhone to my MS PC desktop that this ‘heic’ format shows up and I can’t look at the picture!!! do you have an update on these instructions you can share?
Thank YOU!!!!
Sherri in Dallas, TX
WOW … what a well-written, thoughtful and carefully organized article!! You cover each issue … “virtually as we encounter them…” and then clearly explain how to manage changes and/or leave things alone. Brilliant!! Thank you so much for bringing clarity to what seemed to be utter chaos (;>)
OK. Now I want to find all of the files that are in HEIC/HEVC that are stored in Apple Photos. Because they are being converted to compatible formats and stored for the Media Library. These converted files are taking up over 120 Gigabytes of data on my SSD!! So much for Efficient file formats saving space!
Tried to find a way to search for HEIC/HEVC files using Photos’ Smart Albums – nope can not. Now how do I identify them without paying for third party software?
This is not easy or simple. With online school I have to transfer a ton of images to Google classroom and with the latest update to the iphone os I have to transfer and then individually convert each image. It’s a pain.
Since up grade to 14 and 14.01….my iphone photos do not complete tranfer to my ipad which shows its trying to download bu never completes and also doesn’t transfer to iMac..also with update installed.
Your thoughts?
‘The connected device is no longer functioning’ AHHH!!!
The 2020 Iphone SE has a really annoying compatability issue with file transfers to Windows and apple .heic files. (Likely all the 2020 i phones do atm.)
If you select Settings- Photos- Transfer to PC -Automatic you will generally get the following error ‘The connected device is no longer functioning’ and the file transfer will fail midway through.
The only work around I have found is the advice this site gives to stop apple from using the .heic files in the first place. (Camera- Formats- Most Compatible)
Thankyou, your explanation was to the point, worked easily
Thanks again
Per you top instruction, I have “AUTOMATIC” checked on my phone, but when I air drop a photo to my MAC it comes in as a HEIC file. And as noted below, Settings do not display as in example.
My iPhone update of 14.4 doesn’t show a choice of “formats” like your example does! it’s only recently that when I f/ward photos form my iPhone to my MS PC desktop that this ‘heic’ format shows up and I can’t look at the picture!!! do you have an update on these instructions you can share?
Thank YOU!!!!
Sherri in Dallas, TX
WOW … what a well-written, thoughtful and carefully organized article!! You cover each issue … “virtually as we encounter them…” and then clearly explain how to manage changes and/or leave things alone. Brilliant!! Thank you so much for bringing clarity to what seemed to be utter chaos (;>)
OK. Now I want to find all of the files that are in HEIC/HEVC that are stored in Apple Photos. Because they are being converted to compatible formats and stored for the Media Library. These converted files are taking up over 120 Gigabytes of data on my SSD!! So much for Efficient file formats saving space!
Tried to find a way to search for HEIC/HEVC files using Photos’ Smart Albums – nope can not. Now how do I identify them without paying for third party software?
This is not easy or simple. With online school I have to transfer a ton of images to Google classroom and with the latest update to the iphone os I have to transfer and then individually convert each image. It’s a pain.
Thank you Dan,
This was indeed Helpful information.
Thank you, trying to do and read is tough. Black font is easier.
Jan
The suggestion to change the format on the iphone doesn’t work. When you go to settings – camera there is no format option.
Ps….Automatic and most compatible are checked
Since up grade to 14 and 14.01….my iphone photos do not complete tranfer to my ipad which shows its trying to download bu never completes and also doesn’t transfer to iMac..also with update installed.
Your thoughts?
Everyday I find a new reason why I want to take a sledgehammer to this phone. Thanks to you, it’ll last one more day!
Thank you! This was very helpful
‘The connected device is no longer functioning’ AHHH!!!
The 2020 Iphone SE has a really annoying compatability issue with file transfers to Windows and apple .heic files. (Likely all the 2020 i phones do atm.)
If you select Settings- Photos- Transfer to PC -Automatic you will generally get the following error ‘The connected device is no longer functioning’ and the file transfer will fail midway through.
The only work around I have found is the advice this site gives to stop apple from using the .heic files in the first place. (Camera- Formats- Most Compatible)
Conversion of iPhone photos to a different format on a Mac may also be made using its Preview > Export function.