HEIC, otherwise HEIF (High-Efficiency Image Format), is a new image file format adopted by Apple when it released the iOS 11 platforms in 2017. Apple established this new format to replace JPEG on its phones.
Try a dedicated HEIC viewer for Windows 10 & never worry about file conversion again ✅
The HEIC format might have expanded to other areas, but Windows has no native support for it.
How do I view HEIC photos on Windows? That’s the big question. Don’t worry, you’ll find a great HEIC viewer for Windows 10 here.
Besides the Adobe app, we listed other interesting programs that can open HEIC files. Don’t miss out!
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Windows hasn’t fully embraced the new Apple picture format as of yet, so its native apps don’t fully support HEIC by default.
Nevertheless, you can still open HEIC pictures within Windows with some additional software. For instance, you can use a HEIC viewer on Windows 10 or even a converter.
But then again, that’s not the most desirable method since the whole purpose of this format is to preserve image quality.
Why can’t Windows 10 open HEIC photos?
As mentioned earlier, the Windows environment does not provide native support for the HEIC format. Due to OS incompatibility, you’re likely to find it a bit hard to open or view HEIC photos when transferring them from your iPhone to your PC, for instance.
Conversion is not always recommended since in most cases, it will have an impact on quality, thus canceling the beneficial effects of the HEIC format.
There are, of course, ways to compress and resize images without losing quality. However, you needn’t bother with extra steps as long as you find the right HEIC viewer for Windows 10.
Don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of programs that can open HEIC files without converting them to alternative formats.
How do I open a HEIC file in Windows 10?
- Use Adobe Lightroom
- Add HEIC image extensions to Windows
- Check out CopyTrans HEIC for Windows
- Preview HEIC images in Dropbox
- Open HEIC images with dedicated software
- Open HEIC images with Apowersoft Photo Viewer
1. Use Adobe Lightroom
- Download Adobe Lightroom free (You need to register an Adobe account).
- Install it on your PC.
- Press Start and go to Settings.
- Select Apps and go to the Default Apps menu
- Under Photo viewer, select Adobe Lightroom as the default program.
- Try opening a HEIC file now.
Since HEIC files are so proprietary, it goes without saying that common users won’t be able to open them unless they meet certain requirements.
As such, the fastest way you can access HEIC files is to simply have an image viewer that supports the format.
One such image viewer is Adobe Lightroom, which supports HEIC image files since August 2018 with the releases of Lightroom CC 1.5 and Lightroom Classic CC 7.5.
All you need to do is simply designate Adobe Lightroom as your PC’s default image viewer, and you’re all set.
Now that you have Adobe Lightroom installed, not only will you get an image viewer that can handle HEIC files, but you’ll also have one of the world’s best image editors too.
2. Add HEIC image extensions to Windows
If you really need to open HEIC pictures with Win 10’s default Photos app, check out the HEIC Image Extensions. That installs the codecs required to open the new image format in Photos.
Click the Get button on the app’s Microsoft Store page to download and install Image Extensions. If you succeeded in installing the extensions, you will see a message that This product is installed.
As HEIC utilizes the HEVC codec, so you should also install the HEVC Video Extensions.
🎯 How can I view HEIC files on Windows for free?
If you were hoping for a free solution, you’ll probably be a bit disappointed to know the app comes with a cost. However, it costs less than a dollar as you only need to have $0.99 worth of HEVC codecs installed for this to work.
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3. Check out CopyTrans HEIC for Windows
CopyTrans HEIC is a Windows plug-in that enables you to open HEIC images in Windows 10.
With this software installed, you can open HEIC pictures with the native Windows Photos Viewer by double-clicking them in File Explorer.
Furthermore, the software extends support for the format to MS Office applications so that you can insert HEIC images in Word and Excel documents or PowerPoint presentations.
All you really need to do is install CopyTrans HEIC. Click the Download button on the CopyTrans HEIC webpage to save the software’s setup wizard.
Then open the installer to add the software to Windows, and hey presto, you can open HEIC files within the platform’s native apps!
4. Preview HEIC Images in Dropbox
You don’t necessarily need to open HEICs with photo viewers. Dropbox is one of the cloud storage services that supports Apple’s new file format.
So Dropbox users can upload HEIC images from Apple iOS 11 devices and preview them in their Windows browsers.
When you’ve uploaded the file to Dropbox, select the image and click its eye icon to preview it.
5. Open HEIC images with dedicated software
The quickest method is to install a software that will open all file formats.
There are some great options available that support hundreds of file formats. Moreover, many file openers also include file conversion tools.
6. Open HEIC images with Apowersoft Photo Viewer
Apowersoft Photo Viewer is a third-party photo viewer that supports the HEIC file format. The software is compatible with Windows 10.
You can install it by clicking the Download Desktop Version button on the software’s website.
After installing the software with its setup wizard, click the … button at the top of the Apowersoft Photo Viewer window; and select the Open option. Then you can choose a HEIC image to open within the software.
So that’s how you can add HEIC support to Windows or open the files with alternative third-party software.
Now you can transfer HEIC photos from your Apple devices straight to Windows without needing any file converter software.
We hope that you found the best way to open your HEIC files in Windows 10. If you happen to know more methods, let us know in the comments section below.
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