Opens through a Windows codec from the Microsoft Store
Open HEIC photos on Windows
iPhones save photos as HEIC. Windows reads them once Microsoft’s HEIF and HEVC codecs are installed, and SeeAnyFile uses those codecs to show, edit and convert your photos, on your PC.
How to open it, step by step
- Install SeeAnyFile. It is free for Windows 10 and 11 and needs no account.
- Double-click the photo, drag it onto the window, or right-click it in Explorer and choose Open with › SeeAnyFile.
- If this PC has no HEIF codec yet, SeeAnyFile names the file and tells you what to get: “HEIF Image Extensions” and “HEVC Video Extensions” from the Microsoft Store. Install them and start SeeAnyFile again.
- To send a JPG to someone without an iPhone, press Ctrl+E (Save as new file) and choose JPG, or press Ctrl+B to convert a whole folder at once.
What you can do with it
- Flip through a folder of photos with the arrow keys or the mouse wheel; photos taken sideways turn upright by themselves.
- Crop, resize, rotate and edit, then save as JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP or TIFF.
- Star, label and tag photos, and find them again later.
- Remove the background or copy the text out of a photo, on your PC.
Good to know
- SeeAnyFile has no HEVC decoder of its own; it uses the one Windows provides. Many PCs already have it, and the app checks each time it starts.
- Conversion writes a new file. The HEIC original is never changed or deleted.
Questions
Why doesn’t Windows open HEIC photos?
HEIC pictures are compressed with HEVC, which is covered by patents, so Windows leaves the decoder to optional Microsoft Store extensions. If they are missing, SeeAnyFile tells you exactly which ones to install.
Can I convert many HEIC photos to JPG at once?
Yes. Open Convert files (Ctrl+B), choose JPG, and every photo is saved as a new file, beside its original or in a folder you choose.
Are my photos uploaded to convert them?
No. Opening, editing and converting all happen on your computer. SeeAnyFile does not send your files anywhere.
Get SeeAnyFile
Free for Windows 10 and 11. No account, nothing uploaded.