Open HEIC on Windows – Can I Install HEIF Image Extensions to Open HEICs
Last Updated on February 23, 2023 by Peter Wood
If you have already taken beautiful HEIC photos with iPhone, how do you open HEIC on Windows 7/8/10/11? Of course, you can install HEIF Image Extension on Windows 10/11 to open the HEIF/HEIC files, but how about Windows 7/8? When you need to open HEIF/HEIC on Windows, here is the ultimate guide you should know.
Part 1: The Ultimate Method to Open and Edit HEIC on Windows 11/10/8/7
Of course, you can convert HEIC to JPEG to open the iPhone photo format. But is there a method to open HEIC on Windows PC directly, especially for Windows 8/7? Since HEIF Image Extension is not available to Windows 8/7, you have to use the professional HEIC viewer instead.
WidsMob HEIC is the all-in-one HEIC solution for all Windows versions. It enables you to view the HEIC photos in both thumbnail and full screen. You can also browse the multiple-layer HEIC files. Moreover, you can convert HEIC to JPEG, PNG, BMP, and animated GIFs. There are some advanced features to resize photos, rotate HEICs, add watermarks, etc.
- Provide multiple browsing modes to open HEIC files on Windows PC.
- Edit the HEIC files, such as rotate, resize, rename and add watermark.
- Convert the HEICs/HEIFs to JPEG, PNG, BMP, and animated GIF files.
- Compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 without downloading extra codec.
How to Open HEIC on Windows 11/10/8/7
Step 1: Just download and install WidsMob HEIC, launch the program on your computer. After that, you can simply click the Import button to open the HEIC files on Windows. Moreover, you can also drag-n-drop the HEIC photo into the program accordingly.
Step 2: To view the HEIC photos in full screen, you can double click the HEIC file to view the photos in detail. Moreover, you can also browse the animated HEIC wallpapers and other multiple layer HEIC files on the full screen or export the HEIC photos.
Step 3: When you need to open HEIC on other programs on Windows, you can also convert HEIC to JPEG, BMP, TIFF, and other formats. Select the desired HEIC files you want to convert. After that, click the Start convert button to save the HEIC to other formats.
Note: If you cannot open multiple-layer HEIC files or HEIF Retain Animation on Windows, you can convert the HEIC to multiple JPEG/PNG/BMP files, or even turn the HEIC into an animated GIF.
How to Edit HEIC Images on Windows Directly
Step 1: In the left menu, enable the Rotate menu, which you can rotate left, right, and 180 degrees. Moreover, you can also enable the Resize menu to tweak the width, height, and quality, and more on Windows.
Step 2: It also enables you to add text watermarks to the HEIC images. Just enables the Watermark menu to tweak the fonts, sizes, positions, and more other parameters before clicking the Start convert button.
Part 2: How to Install HEIF Image Extension to Open HEIC on Windows 11/10
Both Mac and iOS include support for HEIC files. But it is not a compatible format for Windows now. Microsoft does not provide support for such files by default. However, fear not, as opening HEIC files in Windows 11/10 is fairly simple.
Microsoft is working on HEIC support for Windows 10, and the Windows 10 April 2018 Update now encourages users to visit the company's app store and download HEIC Image Extension that is capable of opening HEIC files. But for Windows 7/8, you can either choose the professional HEIC viewer or convert HEIC to JPEG beforehand.
Step 1: Open a HEIC file in Windows with the Photos app. It is a default image viewer included with both Windows 11 and Windows 10. When you want to open a HEIC photo, you can choose any program from a menu if it doesn't automatically support HEIC compatibility.
Step 2: Select Download codec at Microsoft Store button. Then, confirm your desire to open the Microsoft Store. Windows 11 will ask you to confirm your want to switch to another app; allow it to launch Microsoft's app marketplace to install the extension.
Step 3: Once you have downloaded the file. You will see an Open button after clicking the Download button. Then, reopen the HEIC file in Windows you started with. Launch Photos, with the HEIF Image Extension, open your HEIC images on Windows 10/11!
Part 3: FAQs about Opening HEIC/HEIF on Windows
Since the introduction of iOS 11, the HEIC file format has superseded the JPG file format, which is the usual type of image that most of us are accustomed to. HEIC files are smaller, use less storage space, and are said to have higher image quality. When you make live photos or burst photos, you also need to use HEIC photos.
In practically every regard, HEIC is the superior format to JPEG files. You receive photographs that are tremendously less in size while maintaining, if not exceeding, the quality of JPEGs. When you need to open HEIC on Windows, you only need to download the codec or choose the professional HEIC viewer.
Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to reverse this, even if you truly desired the original HEIC image. It's the same with the other social networking platforms. You can post that HEIC image to Facebook, for example, but it will be immediately converted to JPEG.
Conclusion
Using HEIC over JPEG, especially if you have an iOS device connected with a Windows PC, can have significant learning curves. Although it may seem daunting, using HEIF Image Extension to open HEIC on Windows is much easier to incorporate. But when you need an all-in-one HEIC toolkit to open the HEIC in different modes and even edit the photos, WidsMob HEIC should be your initial choice.