High Efficiency Image Container

What is HEIC?

HEIC is a container format for images that uses High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC/H.265) compression. It was adopted by Apple in 2017 for iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra as the default camera format, replacing JPEG.

The format offers dramatically better compression than JPEG—typically reducing file sizes by 40-50% while maintaining or even improving image quality. HEIC also supports advanced features like transparency, 16-bit color, and storing multiple images in a single file.

History

HEIC is based on the High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) standard developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG).

• 2013: HEIF development begins
• 2015: HEIF becomes ISO standard
• 2017: Apple adopts HEIC in iOS 11
• 2018: Android 9 adds HEIF support

Key Features

• 50% Smaller: Than equivalent JPEG
• 16-bit Color: vs JPEG's 8-bit
• Transparency: Alpha channel support
• Multi-Image: Multiple images in one file
• Live Photos: Native support
• HDR: High dynamic range support

Common Uses

• iPhone and iPad photography
• Reducing storage on devices
• High-quality photos with small sizes
• Apple ecosystem workflows

Advantages

• Superior compression efficiency
• Better quality than JPEG
• Supports transparency
• 16-bit color depth
• Saves device storage

Limitations

• Limited compatibility outside Apple
• Poor browser support
• Often needs conversion for sharing
• Patent licensing for HEVC codec
• Requires more CPU to encode/decode

Technical Information

HEIC uses the HEVC/H.265 compression algorithm originally designed for video, applying sophisticated compression to still images for better quality-to-size ratios than JPEG.