HEIC vs JPG: which should you use?

Updated 5 November 2026

HEIC takes less space than JPG for the same visual quality, which is why iPhone uses it by default. JPG opens almost everywhere. Keep HEIC on your iPhone to save storage, and use JPG when you share photos with people or websites that cannot open HEIC.

The short comparison

	HEIC	JPG
File size	Smaller for the same quality	Larger
iPhone, iPad and Mac	Yes, since iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra	Yes
Windows	With Microsoft’s HEIF and HEVC extensions	Yes
Websites and forms	Often not accepted	Almost always accepted
iPhone camera setting	High Efficiency	Most Compatible

File size and quality

Apple says HEIF, the format behind HEIC, offers better compression than JPEG while keeping the same visual quality. In everyday use, that means more photos fit in the same storage.

Try it free HEIC to PNG Lossless PNG from iPhone photos.

Compatibility

JPG has been the standard photo format for decades, so almost every phone, computer, app and website opens it. HEIC is newer: Apple devices support it since iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, while Windows needs extensions and many websites still do not accept it.

Which one should you use?

Keep HEIC for photos that stay on your Apple devices: they take less space. Use JPG for photos you send to others, upload to forms or open on Windows. You do not have to choose one forever: keep HEIC on your iPhone and convert to JPG when you share.

Questions and answers

Is HEIC better quality than JPG?

For the same visual quality, HEIC files are smaller. That is its main advantage over JPG.

Should I turn off HEIC on my iPhone?

Only if you often send photos to devices or sites that cannot open HEIC. Otherwise HEIC saves storage, and you can convert to JPG when you need to.

Can I convert JPG back to HEIC?

Yes, but it does not bring back detail that JPG compression removed. Formatly converts photos between JPG, HEIC, PNG, TIFF and PDF.

Source: Apple Support: Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices. Last checked 5 November 2026