Format at a glance
- Full name
- High Efficiency Image File Format
- File extensions
- .heif
- MIME types
- image/heif
- Category
- Images
- Compression
- Lossless and lossy
- Transparency
- Depends on the content
- Animation
- Depends on the content
- Properties
- Alpha channel, Image sequences, Color profiles
Suitable tools
What is this format?
HEIF means High Efficiency Image File Format. The container organizes image items and relationships, while a codec such as HEVC, AVC or AV1 performs compression.
HEIC is commonly used for HEIF files containing HEVC images. In practice the terms are not always separated carefully, so extension and MIME type do not fully identify the codec.
What is it used for?
- Phone and camera photographs
- Image sequences and Live-Photo-like content
- Storage-efficient images with metadata
- Containers for auxiliary images, depth data and thumbnails
Which programs can open it?
- Apple Photos and Preview
- Windows Photos with HEIF extensions
- ImageMagick with libheif
- GIMP and applications with suitable plugins
Support across devices and browsers
Windows Photos or specialist image software opens HEIF, sometimes with an extension.
Preview, Quick Look and image editors support compatible HEIF files.
GIMP, Krita, ImageMagick and desktop viewers handle HEIF depending on installed libraries.
Gallery and editing apps support HEIF depending on the system version.
Photos, Files and image applications open supported HEIF variants.
Native display and Canvas decoding depend on the browser; LocalFileLab uses local decoders when necessary.
Advantages
- Efficient compression and multiple image items
- Supports color depth, metadata and auxiliary images
- Flexible container for different codecs
Disadvantages
- Support depends on codec, patents and system components
- Browsers usually cannot display HEIF directly
- Complex image relationships are lost in simple conversion
Comparison with alternatives
HEIC commonly identifies HEIF with HEVC-coded images; HEIF is the broader container term.
AVIF uses the same container family with AV1 image compression and has broader web standardization.
JPEG is more universal but lacks comparable image-sequence, HDR and container features.
LocalFileLab support
HEIF is recognized as an input. Image data is read locally through browser or WebAssembly decoders.
HEIF is not currently a verified LocalFileLab output.
LocalFileLab can compress HEIF locally or package it in a supported archive; already compressed content will not necessarily become smaller.
A local preview is available when the browser can display or play the content.
Complete preservation of format-specific metadata is not guaranteed.
Related formats
Frequently asked questions
Are HEIF and HEIC identical?
Not exactly. HEIF is the container standard; HEIC commonly identifies HEIF files containing HEVC images.
Why does a browser not open HEIF?
Most browsers have no native HEIF/HEVC image decoder because support depends on platform and codec availability.
Can HEIF contain multiple images?
Yes. Sequences, thumbnails, alternative representations and auxiliary images can be organized in one container.