How to View HEIC Photos on a Mac: 6 Tested Methods

Your iPhone saves photos in HEIC format, and older Macs can’t open them without help. We tested all six methods below on a MacBook Air running macOS Sonoma 14.4 and a 2015 MacBook Pro stuck on macOS Sierra 10.12.6.

#HEIC Format Explained: Why iPhones Use It

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. Apple adopted it as the default photo format starting with iOS 11 in 2017. A 12 MP photo taken in HEIC weighs about 2.5 MB compared to 5 MB for the same shot in JPEG.

The format builds on the HEVC (H.265) video codec. It packs HDR data, depth maps, and even burst sequences into one file. According to Apple’s support page on HEIF and HEVC, any device running iOS 11 or later and macOS High Sierra or later handles HEIC natively.

Older Macs and Windows PCs don’t recognize the format. That’s fixable.

#How Do You Open HEIC Files in Preview and Photos?

If your Mac runs macOS High Sierra 10.13 or newer, HEIC files work out of the box. No extra apps needed.

Preview method:

1. Right-click the HEIC file in Finder
2. Select Open With, then Preview
3. The photo loads instantly

Photos app method:

1. Open Photos from your Applications folder
2. Go to File, then Import, and select the HEIC files
3. Photos displays them alongside your existing library

We tested both on macOS Sonoma 14.4. Preview rendered a 48 MP HEIC from an iPhone 15 Pro Max in under one second. Quick Look works too: select any HEIC file in Finder and press Space for a preview without opening any app.

Preview also shows full metadata (dimensions, color profile, GPS coordinates) under Tools then Show Inspector. That’s useful when you want to compare file details before converting.

If you’re moving photos off your iPhone and want to reclaim space afterward, our guide on deleting iPhone photos permanently walks through the process.

#How Do You Convert HEIC to JPEG on Mac?

Converting gives you a file that opens everywhere. Preview handles individual files, and Photos works better for batches.

Single file in Preview:

1. Open the HEIC file in Preview
2. Go to File, then Export
3. Choose JPEG, set quality to Best, click Save

This takes about 10 seconds per file on an M1 or newer Mac. On an Intel MacBook, expect around 15 seconds.

Batch conversion in Photos:

1. Import your HEIC files into Photos and select the ones you want
2. Go to File, then Export, then Export Photos
3. Choose JPEG and click Export

Apple’s Photos user guide confirms that exported JPEGs keep the original resolution and metadata intact. We exported a 4032x3024 HEIC from an iPhone 15 Pro and compared it with the JPEG at 200% zoom. The quality difference was invisible to the naked eye.

For a deeper look at format options including PNG output, check our guide on converting HEIC to JPEG or PNG.

#Viewing HEIC on an Older Mac Without Updating

Three workarounds cover older Macs running macOS Sierra 10.12 or earlier where HEIC isn’t supported natively.

Online converter. Sites like heictojpg.com accept up to 10 HEIC files at once. Upload, wait about 30 seconds, and download the converted JPEGs. This is the fastest option for a handful of photos.

iCloud Photo Library. Turn on iCloud Photos on your iPhone at Settings, then Photos, then iCloud Photos. Sign into the same Apple ID on your Mac and open iCloud.com in any browser. Photos display as JPEG regardless of the original format. We confirmed this works on Safari 11 running on macOS Sierra.

Google Photos. Upload your iPhone photos to Google Photos, then open photos.google.com on your Mac. Based on Google’s Photos support documentation, downloads automatically convert to JPEG. This method gives you browser access from any computer with an internet connection, which is especially useful if you share photos across both Apple and Android devices.

Older Mac running slowly overall? Our guide on fixing a slow macOS covers that separately.

#Switching Your iPhone Camera to Save as JPEG

You can stop creating HEIC files altogether by changing one setting on your iPhone. This applies to all new photos going forward but won’t convert existing HEIC files in your library:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone
2. Tap Camera, then Formats
3. Select Most Compatible

Every photo from this point saves as JPEG. The tradeoff is file size: a 12 MP JPEG takes roughly 5 MB versus 2.5 MB for HEIC.

On a 256 GB iPhone, you won’t notice the difference. On a 64 GB model, your storage fills up noticeably faster. You can also set your iPhone to convert automatically during transfer by going to Settings, then Photos, and selecting Automatic under Transfer to Mac or PC.

Having trouble seeing your storage breakdown? Our guide on iPhone storage not loading covers that specific issue.

#Transferring HEIC Files to Windows and Android

HEIC compatibility has expanded but still isn’t universal on every platform.

Windows 10 and 11. Install the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. After that, the Photos app and File Explorer display HEIC thumbnails and full images normally. The extension takes about 30 seconds to install.

Android devices. Google Photos, email attachments, and messaging apps typically convert HEIC to JPEG during transfer. AirDrop won’t work since it’s Apple-only. We’ve written a full walkthrough on transferring HEIC photos from iPhone to Android that covers every method.

Need to move other files between Mac and Android? Our Android file transfer not working on Mac guide tackles that problem.

#Professional Photo Editors and HEIC Support

Most major editors handle HEIC natively now. Adobe Photoshop (version 22.0 and later), Lightroom Classic, Affinity Photo 2, and Pixelmator Pro all open HEIC files without any conversion step. GIMP added HEIC support through a plugin.

If your editor doesn’t support HEIC directly, export to TIFF from Preview first. TIFF preserves full quality without the double compression you’d get from converting HEIC to JPEG and then editing that JPEG. According to Adobe’s file format documentation, TIFF maintains all color data and layers during export.

For managing large photo libraries that mix HEIC and other formats, the best photo viewer for Windows 10 roundup compares your options.

#Bottom Line

Start with the easiest fix: update your Mac to macOS High Sierra or later, and HEIC files open natively in Preview and Photos. If updating isn’t possible, Preview’s export function or heictojpg.com converts files in under a minute. For a permanent fix on the iPhone side, switch to Most Compatible in Camera settings.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#Which macOS versions support HEIC natively?

macOS High Sierra 10.13 and every version released after it. That includes Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia.

#Does converting HEIC to JPEG reduce photo quality?

There’s a small reduction because JPEG uses lossy compression. In practice, it’s invisible at normal viewing distances. We exported a 12 MP HEIC to JPEG at maximum quality in Preview and couldn’t spot differences even at 200% zoom.

#Can you batch convert hundreds of HEIC files at once on Mac?

Yes. The Photos app handles batch exports natively. Select all photos, go to File, then Export, then Export Photos, and pick JPEG. For command-line users, the built-in sips tool converts files in bulk with a single Terminal command like for f in *.heic; do sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "${f%.heic}.jpg"; done.

#Why do some apps show a black thumbnail for HEIC files?

The app lacks a HEIC codec. Updating the app or your OS fixes it.

#Will HEIC files use less iCloud storage than JPEG?

Yes. HEIC files are roughly 50% smaller than JPEG at identical quality. Keeping photos in HEIC format lets you store roughly twice as many images before hitting your iCloud storage limit, which can save you from needing a paid upgrade.

#Is HEIC the same as HEIF?

They’re related. HEIF is the broader container standard defined by the MPEG group. HEIC is a specific implementation that uses HEVC compression for the image data. For everyday use on Apple devices, macOS and iOS treat both identically.

#Can you email HEIC photos without converting them first?

Yes. The iPhone Mail app auto-converts attached photos to JPEG before sending. Recipients get a standard JPEG regardless of what format your camera uses.

#What happens to Live Photos when you convert HEIC to JPEG?

The motion component is lost. A Live Photo has two parts: a still HEIC image and a short video clip. Converting to JPEG keeps only the still frame. If you want to preserve the video portion, check our guide on turning Live Photos into videos.