What is a HEIC file?
In one sentence: The photo format many phones save by default; it looks like a JPEG at about half the size, but not every website accepts it.
A little more
HEIC is the photo format many phones, including iPhones, save by default. Inside it uses a newer, smarter way of compressing pictures (HEVC, the same family as modern video), so a HEIC photo is often about half the size of a JPEG that looks the same.
The catch is support: some older computers, websites and forms only accept JPEG or PNG. Phones usually convert to JPEG automatically when you share, and you can convert a file yourself; a converted copy keeps the picture but may lose some of its metadata.
See it in action
- BonusWhy does a video call go blurry when the connection is slow?Dial a pretend video call's bandwidth thinner, spend a tiny 10-bit budget on eyes vs mouth vs wallpaper to still read a facial expression, then reveal the clear face.7 min · interactive
- BonusWhy does zipping photos barely make them smaller?Guess which four suitcase items will squash — a repeating chorus, a letter, a camera photo and TV snow — then pack them with a real (tiny) compressor and see.7 min · interactive
Do it for real
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