HEIC files help

badger09

On new Win11 laptop I can’t view photos (uploaded from iPhone on Win10 laptop & copied on new). Pop up shows ‘xx.heic The HEVC Video Extension is required to display this file’. Link to Microsoft store is to MS app HEVC Video Extensions £0.79 but says it’s to play videos on any Win10 device.

Store also offers lots of HEIC converter apps. My photos are not videos & I’m using Win11. Is this really the app I need?

When I explore app settings/Default apps/Photos, it appears I can set HEIC file as the default app. Is that what I need to do?

Any help gratefully received. Thanks. 

flaneurs_lobster

Windows 11 does not natively support HEIC files out of the box. However, you can easily add this support by installing two free extensions from the Microsoft Store: HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions. Once installed, these extensions enable Windows 11 to open, view, and manage HEIC files in the Photos app, File Explorer, and other compatible apps.
After installing these extensions, HEIC images will open just like other standard image formats, and you can even convert HEIC files to JPG/JPEG if needed.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/how-can-i-convert-heic-to-jpg-in-bulk-on-my-pc-windows-11/td-p/14975775#:~:text=Windows 11 does not natively,Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions.

Vitor

You do need that 79p “HEVC Video Extensions” app from the Microsoft Store. It works on both Windows 10 and 11. Once installed (along with the free “HEIF Image Extensions”, which Windows may prompt you to get), your HEIC photos will open normally in the Photos app.

badger09

Thanks both. 

I have downloaded the (no longer free) HEIV Video Extensions. Photos now visible👏🏻

@Vitor
Apparently the HEIF image extension was already installed. 

So, a follow on question - how would I know that? ie Where do I look for currently installed extension? 

Frozen_up_north

The later versions of Paintshop Pro can open HEIC files. No doubt other similar packages are able to open them as the iPhone is not exactly an obscure phone.

flaneurs_lobster

Only place I've found them listed is in Windows Store - Library, albeit with everything else that's installed.

badger09

flaneurs_lobster said:

Only place I've found them listed is in Windows Store - Library, albeit with everything else that's installed.

Thank you. I've hardly ever used MS Store before, so didn't even know there was a Library Folder. Hope I can remember next time. 

gefnew

use gimp will open them and is free and you can all the other features.

PHK

HEIC is also used on Samsung phones (in fact Samsung were part of the group that came up with the specification)

Microsoft has a competing format and so acted a little childishly in not having out of the box support. 

flaneurs_lobster

PHK said:

HEIC is also used on Samsung phones (in fact Samsung were part of the group that came up with the specification)

Microsoft has a competing format and so acted a little childishly in not having out of the box support. 

Thank-you! I knew I'd seen it mentioned somewhere else and it was puzzling me. A slightly less-than kosher downloaded video needed it for playback.

retiredbanker1

I have just discovered on my iPhone that you can take pics in jpeg format in your settings.
I had the same issue of not being to open heic photos if I wanted to send to someone say via an -email.